Man blames ‘provocation’ for knife murder

David Nairne made his confession just nine days after the charred body of Alan Ross was found in a burning flat in Pilton.

But Nairne, 26, claimed his actions were a direct result of “provocation” by his victim.

He said he fell asleep on the sofa of the flat in Pilton Drive North and wakened to find Mr Ross performing a sex act on him.

The blade attack, in which Mr Ross received 11 stab and slash wounds to his head and neck, was a “direct result” of that provocative act, the High Court in Livingston was told.

Mr Ross, who was openly gay, died from a 9cm deep knife wound which penetrated his neck, slicing through the left and right jugular veins and his carotid artery.

Nairne, who is originally from Inverness, denies murdering Mr Ross in February this year. He also pleads not guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by setting fire to the corpse, making a microwave bomb with aerosols of household chemicals and disposing of evidence, including clothing and the murder weapons.

The Crown today/yesterday dropped an allegation that Nairne head butted Mr Ross in Mathers Bar, Edinburgh, seven months before the killing.

Nairne was also acquitted of stealing a jacket belong to Mr Ross and using it to conceal his blood stained clothing.

The trial continues.