Paterson ‘sent death threat texts’

A MAN accused of trying to murder three pregnant women revealed his true nature in a string of threatening text messages sent to one of his alleged victims, a court heard yesterday.

Jurors heard closing speeches in the trial of James Paterson 23, who is also alleged to have raped two of the women and attacked two babies.

Advocate depute Kath Harper told the jury that text messages retrieved from the phone of James Paterson’s third alleged victim by forensic officers at Fife Constabulary were “highly significant” in the case. One of eight messages said, “I will slit your fat face wide open” and another read, “I will kill you with my bare hands.”

But defence agent Gordon Martin said Paterson had admitted sending the messages to the woman but did not intend to harm her. He said: “He should be ashamed of the things he said in these texts. That does not mean he is going to do it.”

Paterson, of Cardenden, Fife, denies trying to murder three women, endangering their lives and leaving them severely injured and permanently disfigured during a string of attacks in Fife and Edinburgh.

He faces 11 charges which date from between January 2006 and July last year.