Murder trial jury told to put sympathies aside

Accused denies stabbing man to death

The jury in the Darren Adie murder trial will begin their deliberations next week.

The Crown and defence gave their closing speeches yesterday. The jury will be addressed by the judge Lord Uist on Monday before considering a verdict.

Gordon Coventry denies that on May 28 last year at Spey Avenue, near its junction with Napier Street, he assaulted Darren Adie by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife or similar instrument, murdered him and did this having previously evinced malice and ill-will towards him.

Coventry, 52, from Overton Mains, Kirkcaldy, has admitted being involved in a struggle with 42-year-old Mr Adie, a father of two.

However, he claims it was an aggressive and drunk Mr Adie who pulled out the knife and that he was stabbed “by accident” during the struggle which followed.

Mr Adie walked away after the incident but collapsed and died on a street nearby.

Coventry disposed of the knife, his clothing and his mobile phones over the following days, saying he was “in a panic”.

Advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith told the jury that evidence from witnesses suggested that Mr Adie was “very drunk, intoxicated but in good spirits” in the hours before his death.

He went on: “He was six feet tall, around 17 and a half stones, heavily built. He was also a rather vulnerable man, obese, staggering about the streets of Kirkcaldy.”

Mr Niven-Smith said it had been said by a witness that Mr Adie’s “paranoia was getting worse” in the period before his death.

“It seems his perception was people were saying nasty things about him.

“We heard from the evidence of David Taylor there was someone saying nasty things about him in the weeks before he died.”

Defence solicitor Gordon Martin told the jury they must put aside understandable sympathies for Mr Adie’s family and friends.

He said: “Much has been made of the vulnerability of Darren Adie that early evening.

“Much has been made about him being under the influence of alcohol, staggering,” said Mr Martin.

“Does the cloak of alcohol make it impossible for him to be aggressive. Are there no staggering, aggressive men in Scotland’s streets?

“Just because he was staggering, doesn’t mean he didn’t do what Gordon Coventry said.”

A witness said Darren Adie’s paranoia was getting worse.