Teenager '˜didn't mean to stab' Bailey Gwynne, court hears

Bailey Gwynne's father John Henderson leaving Aberdeen High Court. Picture: PA

Bailey Gwynne, 16, died from a single knife wound after a fight at Cults Academy on 28 October last year. A 16-year-old youth denies murder and is on trial at the city’s High Court, where the jury was shown an interview he gave to police the day after.

He told officers: “I saw him [Bailey] coming round the corner so I took out my knife to scare him. I wasn’t going to stab him.”

The accused, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said he was carrying a knife and a knuckleduster because he never fitted in and “was just trying to be cool”.

He told police: “I had them just to act tough.”

The teenager is accused of murdering Bailey by striking im on the body with a knife and being in possession of knives and two knuckledusters on various occasions between August 1 2013 and the day of the pupil’s death.

On day three of the trial, the jury was shown the full interview he gave at Kittybrewster police station on 29 October.

He said Bailey had made a comment about someone not wanting to get any fatter and he [the accused had said “like your mum”.

The accused told police Bailey came towards him with a clenched fist “looking pretty angry” and “as he approached me, I pulled out a knife, opened it out and tried to scare him away with it”.

He said: “He got in the way and it stabbed him.”

The court heard he bought a knuckleduster and knife online “because they don’t check if you’re 18 or not”.

A laptop used by the teenager also revealed an internet search for “how to get rid of someone annoying”.

Forensic computer analyst Charles Bruce, 52, told the court he examined an Acer laptop handed to police by the youth’s father the day after the alleged murder.

Mr Bruce noted the search term “difference between a homicide and a murder” on 15 April last year and “illegal knives UK” on 13 August.

The laptop examination revealed a search for “Aberdeen stabbings deaths per 1,000” on 27 September and on 7 October, the words “how to get rid of someone annoying” were used in a search, the court heard.

A YouTube video with the title “14-year-old Bronx student stabs bully to death outside school” was also revealed.

This data was passed to the team investigating the alleged murder, Mr Bruce said.

The High Court previously heard evidence that the row between the two boys broke out after a squabble over a packet of biscuits.

This led to a verbal exchange of insults, during which Bailey’s mum was called “fat”.

The youth is accused of striking Bailey on the body with a knife during a fight and being in possession of knives and two knuckledusters on occasions between 1 August 2013 and the day of the alleged murder.

The trial before Lady Stacey continues.

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