Man accused of Steven Donaldson murder lied to avoid being called a 'grass'

A murder accused has told a court that he lied to police because he didn't want to to be "labelled a grass" and cause trouble for his friend.

Steven Dickie,24, told a jury on Wednesday that he was also untruthful because he didn't want to land his friend and co-accused Callum Davidson,24, in trouble.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Dickie say he didn't tell the truth to detectives investigating the circumstances of the death of Steven Donaldson,27, in Kirriemuir, Angus, last year.

He told his lawyer Ian Duguid QC that there were inaccuracies in the statements he provided to Police Scotland officers.

When Mr Duguid asked him why he did this, Mr Dickie said: "I didn't want to be labelled a grass.

"I didn't want him knowing that I was talking to the police. I didn't want him to call me a grass. I didn't want to open my mouth and get anybody into trouble."

Mr Dickie, of Kirriemuir, Angus, was giving evidence on the 15th day of proceedings against him, Mr Davidson and Tasmin Glass,20,.

The trio, who all come from Kirriemuir, deny murdering Mr Donaldson, of Arbroath, at locations in their home town between June 6 and June 7 last year.

On Wednesday, Mr Dickie told the court that he was now telling the truth.

Speaking about his police statements, Mr Dickie said: "There was dishonesty there."

When Mr Davidson's advocate Jonathan Crowe asked him if there were lies in the statement, he replied: "Yeah. Purely so I didn't get labelled a grass."

Mr Dickie, who is currently on remand at Perth Prison, also said that he now wished that he told the truth.

He said: "I suffered from that when I was in prison. After I got to the jail, I sort of wish I had spoken up because of the hassle I got. "

Mr Dickie also told Mr Crowe that even although he repeatedly had sex with Miss Glass, he wasn't involved in a relationship with her.

The court previously heard that at the time of Mr Donaldson's death, Mr Dickie's co-accused Miss Glass was pregnant with the Arbroath man's baby.

When Mr Crowe asked him whether he became enraged at Mr Donaldson upon discovering Miss Glass's pregnancy, he said no.

He added: "I didn't actually know she was pregnant."

The court heard that on the night of the alleged attack, Mr Dickie and Mr Davidson were sitting in Miss Glass's Vauxhall Corsa.

The jury heard that she was on her way to meet Mr Donaldson and that she allegedly asked the two men to step out of the car because "she didn't want the boy to see us in the car".

Mr Dickie said on Tuesday that he and Mr Davidson walked to where Miss Glass was meeting with Mr Donaldson who was sitting in his white BMW car.

On Wednesday, Mr Dickie told Mr Crowe that Tasmin made a phone call to his phone and screamed "he's here".

Mr Dickie told Mr Crowe that he saw Mr Davidson dive into Mr Donaldson's car. He said the white BMW shot back and did a "J turn" type of thing before driving away.

He said Mr Davidson was in the car at the time.

He added: "I didn't really think he was going to disappear in the car."

Mr Dickie told the court on Tuesday that Callum later told him he gave "the boy a hiding".

Mr Dickie agreed that with Mr Crowe when he said it was unlikely that Callum Davidson was unlikely to be driving at the time the BMW shot back.

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 and June 7 last year, Mr Dickie, Mr Davidson and Miss Glass arranged to meet Mr Donaldson at the Peter Pan play park in Kirriemuir and assaulted him there by repeatedly striking him with "unknown weapons".

It's alleged the trio then took Mr Donaldson to the nearby Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park.

Once at the car park, the Crown allege that Mr Donaldson was struck on the head and body with a knife, a baseball bat, or a similar instrument.

The trio are then alleged to have set fire to Mr Donaldson and to his car.

Mr Dickie and Mr Davidson also face a number of other charges including assaults and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Mr Dickie and Mr Davidson also face a number of other other charges including assaults and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The trio have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial, before judge Lord Pentland, continues