Murder accused saw body and went to bed

TRIAL: Lee Winters told police investigators he panicked and took some Valium

A man accused of murdering a Dundee fatherof-five told police he discovered his alleged victim’s body but did not phone 999 immediately because he went back to bed.

Lee Winters said he found the unresponsive body of Dundee man John Donachy in the hallway of his Alyth house on Saturday March 3.

Winters told detectives he saw Mr Donachy’s body in the afternoon, after leaving him the night before with co-accused Murray

Fotheringham.

He explained to officers investigating the death he panicked, took some Valium and went back to bed.

When he eventually woke later that evening, he called 999 in a state of distress, sobbing while asking for police to “hurry”.

Fotheringham, 36, and Winters, 37, both deny murdering Mr Donachy.

The trial continues.

A man accused of murdering a Dundee father told police he found his alleged victim’s body in his hallway, but went back to bed for hours before calling 999.

Lee Winters is accused, alongside Murray Fotheringham, of killing John Donachy at his house on Hazel Court, Alyth, in March of this year.

The High Court in Edinburgh was played a 999 call made by Winters on the evening of Saturday March 3, when he informed police a man named John was lying face down in his hallway.

Police arrived at the scene shortly before 10pm, where they discovered Mr Donachy unresponsive and with multiple puncture wounds on his back.

Yesterday PCs Gavin McAdam and Lesley Murray and DC Nicola Annan gave evidence to the jury.

Winters answered the door to the officers, both of whom described him as extremely upset, visibly agitated and very emotional.

PC McAdam told the court there was a large amount of blood surrounding Mr Donachy’s body and on the nearby walls and door frame.

Winters voluntarily told the officers he had earlier that day split up a fight between Mr Donachy and the co-accused, Fotheringham.

Winters told police he had cut his hand trying to grab a blade which had been in Mr Donachy’s possession.

The officers recalled he told them he had gone to bed thinking the issue had been resolved and had woken up to find the Dundee father-of-five face down in his hallway.

Winters was taken to Bell Street HQ to give a statement later that day.

DC Annan told the court Winters had told her he had cut his hand while trying to stop John Donachy and co-accused Fotheringham from having a fight.

He told her Mr Donachy had brought a red knife to his house and had confronted Fotheringham, asking him “what was he playing at”.

Thinking he had split the fight up, Winters said he went to bed after taking a number of sleeping tablets.

Both Winters and Fotheringham had been drinking together in Alyth the night before Mr Donachy was found.

Winters’ statement said Mr Donachy had come to his house on the Friday night, when Fotheringham had also been drinking.

He said he woke on the Saturday afternoon when he discovered the lifeless body of Mr Donachy.

He took Valium tablets and other sleeping pills and went back to bed.

He then told police he woke up later that evening, before making his 999 call.

DC Stuart Martin told the court co-accused Fotheringham appeared at the front desk at police HQ on Sunday March 4.

He made some comments to DC Martin, while under neither caution or arrest, in which he said: “It is what it is, I’m handing myself in.”

Fotheringham, 36, a prisoner at Perth, and Winters, 37, a prisoner at Edinburgh, both deny killing Mr Donachy.

It is alleged that they attacked Mr Donachy on March 3, by punching him and repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a baseball bat or rod, a knife or similar weapon.

Fotheringham is further accused of assaulting another man, Callum Duncan, on Airlie Street, Alyth, the day before. That same day, it is alleged that both Fotheringham and Winters also assaulted Richard Long.

It also is alleged that after Mr Donachy’s death, the two men disposed of clothing and a weapon or weapons, namely a knife, in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.

Fotheringham faces a further charge of possessing Diazepam.

The case continues before Lord Beckett at the High Court on Monday.

Lee Winters is charged with killing Dundee father-of-five John Donachy, above, at his house in Alyth in March this year.