Killer kept ear of victim in jar after brutal murder

Published on Thursday 2 April 2009 09:52

A KILLER kept an Edinburgh man's sliced-off ear after slashing, battering and setting fire to his victim before abandoning him in woods during a brutal murder.

Stuart McKelvie, who is now facing a life sentence for the crime, later produced the macabre memento and waved it about saying: "He'll no hear again."

McKelvie, 27, and his girlfriend Fiona McKay, 42, sat smiling at times in the dock at the High Court in Edinburgh as details of the murder he committed were revealed today.

McKelvie told a witness that he had stripped James Taylor and put petrol over him in a bid to get him to admit stealing his girlfriend's purse and some valium.

The victim's body was found by children in woodland near Nethan Street, Motherwell, in Lanarkshire, last year.

McKelvie admitted murdering Mr Taylor on October 18 by punching, kicking and striking him, removing his clothing, dragging him along the ground, hitting him with a stick, repeatedly striking him with a knife, cutting off his ear, pouring petrol over him and setting fire to him.

McKay, who shared her home in Hailsland Gardens, Wester Hailes, in Edinburgh, with McKelvie, was also originally charged with the murder.

But the Crown accepted her guilty plea to a reduced charge of assaulting the victim to his injury. She kicked him on the head and groin during the attack.

Advocate depute Leanne Cross told the court that Mr Taylor, 29, had a very keen interest in football as a youngster, but received a playing ban and became involved in drug abuse after leaving school.

He was released from a two year jail sentence for housebreaking offences the day before he was murdered.

Mr Taylor, from the Wester Hailes area, had visited the home of McKay and McKelvie and a witness later heard allegations that her purse and valium had been stolen from her house.

McKelvie, who comes from Bellshill, later told him he was going to Lanarkshire to get more of the drug and agreed to sell him 1000 valium for 300.

The murderer, his girlfriend and the victim all travelled to Holytown, in Lanarkshire, by train together. The trio, along with McKelvie's brother, Christopher, were later caught on CCTV footage in Motherwell near to the murder scene.

Miss Cross said: "There is no independent eye witnesses to the attack upon the deceased."

But she said it appeared they had gone into the heavy cover of the woodland and that the victim was knocked unconscious by blows to the head.

"He then drifted in and out of consciousness during which time other injuries were inflicted over a prolonged period. The deceased's clothes were removed down to his underwear. Towards the end of the attack, petrol was poured over him and his underpants were set alight," said the prosecutor.

McKelvie later phoned an acquaintance arranging to get picked up from the Holytown area. During a journey back to Edinburgh the car driver heard McKelvie state he had "cut his ear off".

When they arrived back at the Hailsland Gardens flat the driver asked if they had really cut someone's ear off.

Miss Cross said: "Stuart McKelvie then produced a clear glass jar containing an ear shaped object floating about in the liquid within the jar."

McKelvie later said they had taken the victim "down the woodland and gave him a good beating".

"He then reached into his pocket and brought out a piece of ear which he waved about while stating 'He'll no hear again' and 'That's what you get for stealin'," said the prosecutor.

The killer later revealed to another witness that he had the victim up against a tree, burned the lower half of his body, slashed him in the face, stabbed him and hit him with a stick.

The victim's body was found the day after the murder by children and police were called in.

Pathologists who carried out a post mortem found a total of 57 injuries, including 14 wounds to the face which had likely been inflicted with a knife.

Burns covered 30 per cent of the body and an examination showed features that were consistent with him being alive at the time they were sustained.

He was also found to have four stab wounds to the left thigh and blunt force injuries to the head and face. He had also developed hypothermia after being left in the secluded location.

McKelvie and McKay were later detained at their home. After McKelvie was charged with murder he told police "Ah didnae kill him."

The judge, Lord Kinclaven, deferred sentence on both accused for the preparation of background reports. They were led off to the cells with calls of "scum" coming from the public benches of the court.