Fraserburgh fishing boat worker stabbed 13 times in violent row

A man has plead guilty to stabbing a Fraserburgh man during a violent row last year.

Alfie Whelan, 20, attacked fishing boat worker Michael Jenkins, 24, at a flat in the Aberdeenshire town on June 4 2023.

The 24-year-old stumbled out onto the street screaming for help, but collapsed and never recovered from his injuries.

Today, at the High Court in Glasgow, Whelan faced a murder allegation when he appeared in the dock.

However, prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Whelan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 15 October in Edinburgh.

"Violent altercation"

Mr Jenkins had gone to Whelan's flat that day with a woman he knew.

The court heard the property was in an "untidy state" including an axe and a dagger on the living room floor.

Mr Jenkins and the woman left, but returned around 6pm.

Prosecutor Chris McKenna said a "violent altercation" then occurred between Mr Jenkins and Whelan.

Mr McKenna: "During the course of this, Whelan stabbed him 13 times with a dagger."

Mr Jenkins was said to have picked up the other bladed weapon in the flat.

The victim was spotted leaving the close with no top on and obviously hurt.

Other residents rushed to his aid before mercy crews arrived.

Mr McKenna said "extensive efforts" were made to save him, but Mr Jenkins passed away.

Police had followed a trail of blood back to the flat and found a "highly agitated" Whelan still there.

He was later charged and stated: "I thought I was going to die."

The weapons involved were also found and each were heavily bloodstained.

In prison calls to a female friend, Whelan told her: "The guy tried to kill me."

He stated he had also been badly injured later concluding: "I was not going to die. It was either me or him."

Mr McKenna said the culpable homicide plea was accepted on the basis of provocation.

The court was told Whelan, originally from Sutton, South London, had a previous conviction for possession of a knife.

His lawyer said he had a "disrupted and challenging childhood".

Mark Stewart KC, defending, added there had been a disagreement over money on the night of the killing which "spilled into violence".

The advocate stated what took place was "clearly not a one-sided incident", but that self-defence could not be put forward as to what then happened.

Mr Jenkins was from Workington in Cumbria and had been part of the crew of a fishing boat berthed at Peterhead Harbour before his death.

Family pay tribute

Police Scotland issued a statement from Mr Jenkins' brother after the killing.

It read: "I am so grateful that you were such a massive part of my life for so long. 

"I feel honoured and privileged to be able to call you my brother.

"There is a whole town in mourning. The saddest part of all is you probably did not realise how loved you were."

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