Murder accused and his mother appear in court

DEATH: Man, 22, alleged to have struck Barry Dixon with a knife

A murder accused and his mother have appeared in court together in connection with the sudden death of a young Perth man.

Barry Dixon was found fatally injured at a top floor flat in the city’s Wallace Court in June last year.

The 22-year-old was taken to Ninewells Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Yesterday, Robbie Smullen appeared at the High Court in Glasgow charged with Mr Dixon’s murder.

Smullen is alleged to have struck Mr Dixon with a knife, or similar instrument, leaving him so severely injured that he later died.

The 22-year-old is further accused of assaulting another man, John Booth, in Perth’s Nimmo Avenue the day before Mr Dixon’s death.

Smullen, described on court papers as a prisoner in Perth, is alleged to have challenged Mr Booth to a fight, chased him, threatened him and injured him by repeatedly punching him on the head.

Smullen’s mother, Mary Theresa Smullen, also appeared in the dock on a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. She is accused of pretending to police officers that Mr Dixon had been stabbed by another person, Shannon Beattie, knowing this was false.

It is alleged she did this to conceal her son’s involvement and to impede, obstruct or hinder the police investigation. Both mother and son deny all charges against them.

Lord Matthews was told Smullen had lodged a special defence of self defence.

Prosecutors said they had prepared CCTV which illustrated the movement of certain witnesses.

A trial, which is expected to last for seven days, will get under way at the High Court in Edinburgh in September.

Around 200 people attended Mr Dixon’s funeral at the St Leonards in the Field Church in October.

At the time, his family described the former Braeview Academy pupil as “such a kind person, so funny and full of character”.

They said: “Our loss is immeasurable and we will never get over Barry’s death”.

Barry’s name has also been added to a new RNLI craft at Invergordon Lifeboat station. The new boat will be launched later this year.

A police vehicle outside Wallace Court in Perth, where Mr Dixon was found in June last year.

Ex-Braeview pupil Barry Dixon.