Mother heard son beg for his life over phone as he was being hacked to death
A MOTHER heard her son pleading for his life as he was brutally stabbed to death by a stranger.
Margaret Smith was on the phone to her 28-year-old son Paul when he was attacked by George McAdam in May this year.
The IT analyst at Edinburgh University was stabbed with scissors 32 times by McAdam, who had been freed from jail only two weeks earlier.
Mr Smith had been returning from a lunchtime break when the 40-year-old struck near the capital’s busy Princes Street Gardens.
Prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC told the High Court in Glasgow: ‘He was still chatting to his mother by telephone.
‘She then describes hearing “a horrific scream”. She heard her son saying “Help me...need police, need police”.’
She immediately yelled to her husband Ian to dial 999.
But their son never survived the attack close to Edinburgh Castle.
A judge heard McAdam initially fled the scene – but was rugby tackled by a brave passer-by at a nearby car park and restrained until police arrived.
McAdam yesterday faced a murder charge but was formally acquitted after prosecutors accepted his not guilty plea on the basis that he ‘lacked criminal responsibility’ at the time due to a mental disorder. He is now in the State Hospital at Carstairs.
The court heard how McAdam had been sleeping rough at the time. He had a lengthy list of convictions in both Scotland and England, including possession of a knife and assault.
He had been freed from HMP Edinburgh on May 15 – just over a fortnight before the killing.
Graduate Mr Smith was attacked after visiting a KFC restaurant for lunch. He was on a call to his mother as he returned to work around 1.45pm on May 30. Miss
Edwards said: ‘His mum immediately told her husband to call police as their son needed help.
‘She stayed on the phone to her son.’
The court heard McAdam had grabbed Mr Smith, who tried to defend himself.
Miss Edwards said: ‘McAdam repeatedly stabbed him in the chest area. Mr Smith shouted “He’s stabbed me” and fell to the ground.’
McAdam then dragged Mr Smith down a steep embankment while continuing the attack.
Members of the public heard Mr
Smith’s cries, but the court heard McAdam appeared ‘oblivious’ to a crowd that was gathering.
Miss Edwards said: ‘Given the steep incline, witnesses felt unable to reach Mr Smith.
‘One threw a stone at McAdam in an attempt to scare him.’
Blood-soaked Mr Smith, of Balerno, Edinburgh, repeatedly raised his hands to try and keep his attacker away.
He also kicked out at McAdam, who eventually raced out of Princes Street Gardens.
Mr Smith ended up rolling down the steep hill before emergency services arrived. Police and paramedics spent more than 30 minutes trying to save him. He was found to have suffered 32 stab wounds mainly in the neck area.
Miss Edwards: ‘His injuries would not have been survivable even with medical intervention.’
The court heard that McAdam was later seen by psychiatrists and was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
Lord Turnbull yesterday ordered McAdam to be detained at Carstairs on an interim compulsion order. The case will call again in February.