Witness tells of fatal stabbing

Published on Friday 11 December 2009 21:42

THE father of a three-month-old baby was stabbed to death when he went to his next door neighbours' house to complain about eggs being thrown at his windows, a court was told yesterday.

Alexander Sharp, 17, admits killing 35-year-old Lithuanian Viaceslav Tomasevic in Borrowstoun Crescent, Bo'ness, on 31 January, but denies murdering him.

Sharp, of Alexandra Avenue, Boghall, Bathgate, who is represented by Neil Murray, QC, has offered a guilty plea to culpable homicide, but this has been rejected by the Crown.

He is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of murdering Mr Tomasevic by repeatedly striking him with a knife.

The jury heard that a noisy, drunken party was held at a house in Borrowstoun Crescent, attended by about 30 teenagers.

Michael Taylor, 18, told prosecutor Gary Allan, QC, that he had invited friends round because his mother was out working.

He said: "The Slovakian guy came to the door. He said something about somebody flinging eggs at his windows. He was quite angry."

Mr Taylor said that Sharp, whose nickname is Zander, was arguing with the man. He added: "The Slovakian man tried to grab Zander. Zander went back to the house and got a knife from the kitchen."

When asked by Mr Allan: "What did Zander do with the knife?" he replied: "He ran into the garden. Zander had the knife so the Slovakian backed off a bit. Zander stabbed him in the chest."

Mr Taylor told the court he thought that Mr Tomasevic was stabbed more than once.

The court was told that Mr Tomasevic staggered to the front gate before collapsing. His wife was down on the ground comforting her dying husband.

When asked what he did Mr Taylor said: "I told everybody to get out my house. They left by the front door and the back door."

Seconds later he said that Sharp gave him the knife, which was still covered in blood and asked him to get rid of it.

Mr Taylor hid the knife in nearby woods.

Mr Taylor agreed with defence counsel Mr Murray that he had told police that Sharp and Mr Tomasevic were punching each other before the knife attack.

The trial, before Lord Brailsford, continues.