Dundee double killer fails in appeal to overturn conviction

A double killer has failed in his bid to have his conviction and sentence quashed – just over a year after he stabbed two people to death.

Robert Stratton was jailed for stabbing to death cousins Julie McCash and David Sorrie in Drumlanrig Drive, Mid Craigie, Dundee, on February 26 last year.

They had been attending a vigil for teenager Ralph Smith, who had fallen off cliffs at Arbroath the day before.

A judge sentenced him to a minimum of 23 years in prison as part of a life term.

Stratton was convicted last September of the murder of Ms McCash, 43 and of the culpable homicide of Mr Sorrie, 32, by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Stratton started proceedings to appeal his sentence and conviction for the murder of Ms McCash in October.

However, this has now been refused at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh.

Stratton, 43, claimed a special defence of self-defence and incrimination throughout his trial.

The prosecution and defence agreed he stabbed the pair.

The incident unfolded after Stratton’s partner Lee Kinney was removed from a drunken get-together – planned by friends and family to comfort Nicola Duffy after her teenage son Ralph Smith went missing after falling from cliffs in Arbroath.

Jurors heard Stratton’s partner Ms Kinney had been “beat up” after she was involved in an argument.

After returning to his own house nearby, Stratton said he armed himself because he feared members of the group were going to enter his home.

Stratton was found guilty of assaulting Ms McCash and striking her on the body with a knife, murdering her.

He also struck Mr Sorrie with a knife on the body, killing him.

Stratton told the court that Ms McCash ran into one of the two blades he armed himself with before saying he “wasn’t too sure” how he had struck Mr Sorrie.