Abused woman stabbed ‘kind, caring’ friend 26 times

Melanie Stevenson had been a victim from an early age and was left with a legacy of severe psychiatric problems. In a deluded state she attacked Robert Brereton and inflicted 26 stab wounds to his body.

Mr Brereton from Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire, was a former partner who had continued to be Stevenson’s friend after they separated, and she had only kind words for him, the High Court in Edinburgh was told yesterday.

“Her opinion of him is that he was a caring and kindly man who was gentle and decent to her. That makes it all the more difficult that this gentleman was the victim of this attack,” said Stevenson’s QC, Mark Stewart.

Stevenson, 45, was charged with murdering Mr Brereton, 47, following his death in her home in Myre Road, Forfar, Angus, on 31 March. However, psychiatrists reported that she had “an abnormality of mind” at the time, and the charge was reduced, because of diminished responsibility, to culpable homicide. She admitted the offence.

It was the second homicide in Mr Brereton’s family. In 1996, his niece, Angela Hunter, 18, of High Bonnybridge, was strangled by Peter Schroder, 29, who was jailed for life for her murder.

The court heard yesterday that Mr Brereton and Stevenson had a two-year relationship which ended some years ago, and they remained friends.

He visited her on the evening of 30 March, and neighbours heard banging and thuds from her flat in the early hours of the morning. Stevenson jumped from a window 15ft to the ground and fractured her pelvis. She rambled incoherently about aliens to a neighbour, and the police were called.

Officers found Mr Brereton’s body. A wound to the neck had severed the carotid artery, and the aorta, the major artery from the heart, was perforated.

Mr Brereton had been drinking heavily, but Stevenson’s alcohol count was little more than the legal limit for driving.

“She was taken to Forfar police office where she talked freely, albeit she seemed confused,” said the advocate-depute, Jennifer Bain.

Stevenson said: “I didn’t want him to touch her like he touched me, so I stabbed him. I really didn’t do anything wrong, I just defended myself. I just wanted it to stop. I don’t even know who I’ve stabbed. How people can be so sick and so cruel. ”

Mrs Bain said Stevenson had first been referred for psychiatric help at age 20 and was diagnosed with anorexia. Her history since then was of alcohol dependence, depressive illness and overdoses. From her records and the accounts she had given to psychiatrists, she had suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of several men in her youth and during adult relationships.

“There is no history of abuse by the deceased. She described him as her friend and said he was kind and caring,” said Mrs Bain.

The psychiatrists did not believe drink had contributed to Stevenson’s out-of-character violence that night.

Mr Stewart said it was no part of the defence case that any criticism should be directed at Mr Brereton. He quoted from one of the psychiatric reports which stated: “She appears to have relived aspects of abusive relationships at the time of the offence, but discharged her aggression towards a man with whom she previously had a supportive relationship.”

Lord Kinclaven remanded Stevenson in custody to await sentencing next month.