Jury expected to start considering verdict in pub death case

A jury is expected to start considering its verdict tomorrow on whether a man who killed a publican after driving over him in his wife's car committed murder.

Lee McNamara, 24, admitted killing Steven Curran, 47, on 20 October last year at The Dolphin Inn, Whitecraig, in East Lothian, but after the Crown rejected his plea to culpable homicide is standing trial denying that he murdered him.

McNamara, of Carberry Court, Whitecraig, had been drinking at the bar before attacking Mr Curran in the car park and taking keys to the Toyota Celica and getting in the vehicle which ran over him.

Advocate depute Andrew Miller told jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh that the Crown case was that the death of Mr Curran was murder.

He said that for "no good reason" McNamara had lay in wait for Mr Curran, ambushed him and carried out an assault which left the victim behind the car and then reversed the vehicle.

The prosecutor said it was "inconceivable" that he could be unaware that he had run over something substantial.

Defence counsel Shelagh McCall said Mr Curran's death was "awful and undeserved" and McNamara accepted he was responsible, but should be convicted of culpable homicide.

She maintained that McNamara was making his getaway in the car and not committing an assault .

"I suggest the death of Mr Curran came as a total shock and he had no idea he had run him over," she said.