Murder accused tells jury: ‘If it wasn’t him, it would have been me’

ADundee man has told a jury he stabbed Arbroath dad Frankie Melvin “a number of times” during a fight that ultimately killed him.

But Jackie Doig, 42, still denies murdering the 34-year-old.

Giving evidence at his trial in the High Court in Dundee, Doig said: “If it wasn’t him, it would have been me.”

The jury was sent out to deliberate yesterday afternoon after five days of evidence.

Doig, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh, has lodged a special defence of self defence.

Taking the witness stand, Doig accepted he had stabbed Mr Melvin five times.

During the trial the court has been shown footage of Doig chasing Mr Melvin around Newbigging Drive and Spitalfield Place in Arbroath.

Asked by defence solicitor Iain Paterson why he pursued Mr Melvin, Doig claimed the father of four had stolen a bag of street valium from him.

“I wanted my stuff back,” he said. “I was absolutely raging at him at the time.”

Doig told the court he felt “gutted” when he was told by police Mr Melvin had died and that until that “day of violence” the pair had been friends.

Mr Paterson asked Doig if he accepted he was “responsible” for Mr Melvin’s death.

Doig responded: “Yes, but if it wasn’t him, it would have been me.”

Advocate depute William Frain-bell asked if Doig had “lost control” when he stabbed Mr Melvin five times. Doig denied he had, but had tried to “get him below the waist”.

Mr Melvin died from a stab wound to the buttock, which severed his superior gluteal artery in his pelvis, causing catastrophic

internal bleeding. Doig then accused all of the crown witnesses who provided evidence to the court of “telling lies”, claiming they had “gotten together” to conspire against him.

In his closing speech for the Crown, Mr Frain-bell said: “The accused claims he acted in self defence.

“There is no evidence he was acting in this way. The Crown position is there was no risk to Jackie Doig’s life or limb.

“The accused chased Frankie Melvin. The court heard Frankie Melvin’s screams (on video).

“He was trying to get away from Doig.”

Mr Frain-bell said: “Doig’s actions had nothing to do with his own safety.

“He could have walked away at any time.

“He tried to conceal the knife. His actions were extreme.

“The reality is Doig was raging. He said: ‘that’s what you get for robbing me’. It was not self defence. It was a brutal and deliberate act on a man who was trying to get away.”

For Doig, Mr Paterson told the jury their decision must be made “without emotion and without feeling sorry for anyone”.

He added: “It is not up to Mr Doig to prove he acted

in self defence. He accepts he repeatedly stabbed Mr Melvin. He isn’t trying to gild the lily. It is up to you (the jury) to decide.

“Doig was provoked. He was pushed. He had treatment for injuries.”

The jury is expected to return a verdict this week.

Doig, formerly of Dundee, is accused of assaulting Mr Melvin in Newbigging Drive and Spitalfield Place, Arbroath, on August 26.

It is alleged he repeatedly punched and kicked him on the head and body, pursued him while armed with a knife and repeatedly stabbed him on the body and murdered him.

“It

was a brutal and deliberate act on a man trying to get away

DELIBERATIONS: Jurors in the trial of Jackie Doig, pictured, are expected to reach a verdict this week.