Teenager accused of murdering 14-year-old boy says he never meant to kill
Justin McLaughlin was fatally stabbed in the heart at High Street station in Glasgow in 2021
Last updated 21st Jun 2023
A teenager accused of murdering a 14 year-old boy at a railway station claimed he had only meant to injure him.
Daniel Haig today admitted killing Justin McLaughlin as he gave evidence at his trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The 18 year-old told jurors how he then fled the city's High Street station before disposing of the knife in a bin.
Justin never recovered having been stabbed in the heart.
READ MORE: Court hears of dying schoolboy's final moments after railway stabbing.
The boy's family were in court as Haig stated to them from the witness box: "I just feel bad. I would like to apologise to them."
But, prosecutors went on to claim Haig was a "liar" and said he had been intent on "serious damage" as he chased Justin and his friends on the platform that afternoon.
The teenager denies murdering the schoolboy on October 16th, 2021.
He was initially quizzed today by his defence KC, John Scullion.
Sequence of events
Haig told the lawyer how he had been at the station that day having swapped jogging bottoms with a friend.
He accepted he had a knife in his rucksack for "protection" having allegedly been attacked the day before.
Haig recalled Justin and other youngsters coming into the station.
They were said to have shouted towards Haig and his friend.
He knew who the 14 year-old was, but had never met him.
Haig claimed he was concerned they had followed him and his friend there.
The teenager admitted that shortly after, he took the blade from his bag and put it in his waistband.
He claimed he planned to "chase" the group away, but he dropped the knife, which fell onto the tracks.
Haig ended up involved in a "fight" and feared boys in the other group could be armed.
After the rammy broke up, CCTV played earlier in the trial showed Haig jumping onto the tracks to retrieve his knife.
He then went after the other youngsters, who ran down the platform.
Mr Scullion asked: "Did you have any plan what you were going to do?"
No intention to kill
Haig: "No."
Justin went on to trip and fall before Haig caught up and stabbed him.
The defence KC: "Did you try to strike him in a particular area?"
Haig: "I tried to aim for the lower abdomen. I thought (he would suffer) a minor injury."
Mr Scullion: "Did you think he would die?"
He replied: "No."
The lawyer: "Were you trying to kill him?"
Haig again denied he was.
He claimed not to have realised he had "gone through skin" until he spotted blood on the weapon.
Mr Scullion: "How do you feel that you killed Justin McLaughlin? His family are in the courtroom."
Haig: "I feel really bad about it. I would like to apologise to them. It was never my intention to kill anyone."
Prosecutor Steven Borthwick KC later put to Haig that after the fight stopped on the platform, he was under "no threat".
Mr Borthwick said Haig instead got his knife from the tracks and chased the group.
The advocate depute: "You were intending on doing serious damage to one of them."
Haig: "No."
Mr Borthwick: "You have seen the video - it looks very much exactly what you were intending to do."
Haig replied: "No."
The teenager then refuted the suggestion he was a "liar".
The trial, before judge Lord Clark, continues.