Ex-partner of murder accused tells court he ‘stabbed’ Dundee man

The former girlfriend of a murder accused told a court that her ex stabbed a friend in her home following a confrontation.

Shannon Beattie said that she and then boyfriend Robbie Smullen had rowed on the day Barry Dixon died, after she suspected Smullen was the father of another woman’s baby.

After drinking, Miss Beattie said she and Smullen were “physically fighting”.

She said: “We were punching each other, we were pushing each other.”

The evidence came on the second day of the trial at the High Court in Edinburgh into the alleged murder of Dundee man Barry Dixon.

The 22-year-old was taken from a house in Perth to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with a stab wound to the chest on June 4 2019 and later pronounced dead.

Yesterday, Miss Beattie told the High Court that she told Smullen and two of his friends to leave the flat she shared with him in Wallace Court, in Perth, and they eventually did.

The 25-year-old said she and the others were drunk and she also left to go to another address, seeking a cigarette.

After she did not get an answer she moved on to another house where she met friend Barry Dixon and they went to a shop before going to a woman’s home where they were drinking.

She said Mr Dixon returned to her home with her and they were drinking and having a laugh.

Miss Beattie was asked if she and Mr Dixon were romantically involved that evening and she replied: “As far as I can remember, no. We kissed but nothing sexually from what I can remember.”

She said when Smullen later returned to the flat she and Mr Dixon were in the living room.

She told the court: “Barry was in his boxers for some reason.

“I don’t remember doing anything sexually. I think he was in his boxers just to get comfy.”

She heard a noise from the lock of the flat door and Smullen came into the flat behind her.

She said: “Barry said ‘calm down. I haven’t been with your bird’.”

The two men began fighting and she tried to split them up, but was shoved out the way, she said.

Miss Beattie said Smullen stabbed Mr Dixon before leaving.

She added: “I remember screaming out ‘what have you done? what have you done?’ I must have said that two or three times.”

She told the court that she and Smullen had been in a relationship and have a child together.

She said: “We were on and off. I would say a difficult relationship.”

She was asked if she still considered herself to be in a romantic relationship with Smullen and answered: “I love him, but no.”

Smullen, 23, has denied assaulting and murdering Mr Dixon by striking him on the body with a knife or similar instrument at 25 Wallace Court on June 4 2019.

He has also denied assaulting Paul Booth at Nimmo Avenue, in Perth, on June 3 2019 by challenging him to fight, chasing him, fighting with him and punching head.

He has lodged special defences of self defence to both of the charges.

Smullen faces a further charge of failing to comply with a bail condition on June 3 and 4 2019 that he remain within 25 Wallace Court between 7 pm and 7 am.

His mother Mary Theressa Smullen, 46, is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice on June 4 2019 on various occasions at Wallace Court, Craigie Place and Perth Police Station, all Perth.

It is alleged that knowing her son had stabbed Mr Dixon she pretended to police that the crime was committed by Shannon Beattie.

The trial before Lady Carmichael continues. repeatedly him on the