Man guilty of killing Australian journalist in Broxburn

Published on 28/11/2012 16:33

A MAN who knifed a journalist to death in a drunken street brawl was today convicted of culpable homicide.

First offender Montgomery, of Winchburgh, West Lothian, had denied murdering Thomas Allwood, 56, after a late-night booze session on June 21.

A jury at the High Court in Livingston took four-and-a-half hours to find 24-year-old Kyle Montgomery guilty of the lesser charge.

Sentence was deferred until December 20 at the High Court in Edinburgh for background reports.

Giving evidence in his own defence, Montgomery claimed he’d grabbed the knife to scare off Mr Allwood after being attacked by him at a house in Broxburn, West Lothian.

He said the killing was an accident and that he did not know the blade had sliced through the victim’s chest and severed a major artery as he struggled with the victim.

Police who were called to the scene followed a trail of blood from Mr Allwood’s body to Montgomery’s father Robert’s house.

The found the knife, still stained with blood, in a cutlery drawer. Montgomery was detained as he returned to the house from a nearby shop.

Mr Allwood was a photo-journalist with the Australian-based INL News Group.

Although he was born in Scotland, his family emigrated when he was a baby and he spent most of his life Down Under.

He was involved in producing a TV show called ‘Fringe Shows Have Talent’ to showcase entertainers that perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He also acted as tour manager for Irish band Halcyon Daze and was involved in a civil court case over a farm.