Girvan murderer jailed for life in retrial over party killing

Father-of-four John Kiltie, above, died in his mother's arms after Adam Lundy stabbed him through the heart. Picture: Police Scotland

Adam Lundy, 28, was convicted last month of murdering John Kiltie, 44, outside a house in Girvan, South Ayrshire, on 28 May 2016.

Bus driver Mr Kiltie, who was stabbed four times, collapsed and died in his mother Georgina Kiltie’s arms after saying: “Help me, mum.”

Lundy’s appearance in court today was the second time he has stood trial for Mr Kiltie’s murder. He was convicted in December 2016, given a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 19 years in prison.

The High Court in Glasgow, where Lundy was jailed for life

But the conviction was quashed by the appeal court and a re-trial was ordered.

At the High Court in Glasgow judge Lady Stacey told Lundy: “I’m going to impose the same punishment part as was imposed in the first trial.”

She backdated the punishment to December 2016 when he was originally sentenced.

Lady Stacey said: “You took the life of a man who was a well-loved son, partner, brother and father.

“You did so in the course of a violent attack with a knife, following a disturbance started and caused by you and your friends.

“In doing so you have left his family broken-hearted, life will never be the same again for them.”

The judge said that Mr Kiltie’s youngest child is “too young to remember him”.

Prosecutor Iain McSporran previously read out parts of impact statements provided by Mr Kiltie’s family for the judge to consider.

He said: “Mr Kiltie’s father John senior said his son’s murder ‘destroyed everyone in the family’ and added: ‘There is no joy in my life’.

“He said he is sad that his son’s youngest child will never know his father. He says his son was a good father and that his family meant the world to him and he to them.”

The court was told that Mr Kiltie’s mother is “broken hearted and unable to cope” and describes herself as “a broken woman”.

Mr Kiltie’s partner Sharon Tweedie said in a letter to the judge: “He was my best friend and partner for 23 years who was always there for me and the children. I don’t think the pain will ever go away.”

The court heard Mr Kiltie was targeted after phoning the police about a noisy party in Park Road, Girvan.

He had lived in the street with his partner, 39-year-old Ms Tweedie, for 20 years.

The couple were concerned that there was a four-year old child in the party flat and called the police who left after finding no child in the property.

A woman who lived at the house then began shouting and swearing at Mr Kiltie and accused him of being a “police grass”.

She also shouted “go and do him in”.

Minutes later Mr Kiltie was stabbed in the rear garden of the house.

Lundy claimed that Mr Kiltie came at him swinging a baseball bat and he stabbed him in self defence, but the jury did not believe him.

In evidence, Lundy revealed that before going out into the garden he put a kitchen knife down the back of his trousers.

Mr McSporran asked: Why did you take a knife from the kitchen?”

Lundy replied: “I just panicked. It was the worst thing I’ve even done. I just wanted to scare him.”

At the time of the murder Lundy was out of prison on bail for possession of a knife and carrying out racially aggravated assaults on two people. He has previous convictions for violence and carrying a knife.

Defence counsel Thomas Ross QC said: “Mr Lundy acknowledges the harm he’s done.”