Steven Donaldson murder accused borrowed baseball bat on night of death, court hears

A man accused of murdering his co-accused's boyfriend told his uncle in a 1am phone call 'he's left him for dead', a court has heard.

Michael Davidson, 30, told police officers that his nephew Callum, 24, 'borrowed' a baseball bat from him on June 6 2018.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday that Callum told his relative he had some "bother" with a "guy" called Steven Donaldson.

Michael told police officers that Callum said that Mr Donaldson was a loan shark and that he was coming to Kirriemuir, Angus, to assault Tasmin Glass because she owed him money.

The court heard that Michael told the police that Mr Donaldson had assaulted Miss Glass before.

And Michael told police that he next heard from Callum in a phone call which was made at 1.05am on June 7 2018.

Describing what happened in the phone call, Michael told officers: "It was Callum on the phone. I do remember Callum saying something like 'he's left him for dead' when I asked him what the craic was."

The evidence was led on the afternoon of the fourth day of proceedings against Tasmin Glass, 20, Callum Davidson, 24, and Steven Dickie, 24,.

The trio, who all come Kirriemuir, Angus, deny murdering 27-year-old Mr Donaldson, of Arbroath, in their home town between June 6 and June 7 2018.

On Thursday afternoon, Detective Constable David Budd, 40, told the jury he interviewed Michael Davidson on June 27 2018.

Detective Constable Budd then read the statement that Michael Davidson gave to investigators.

In the statement, Mr Davidson told the police that his nephew borrowed a baseball bat because he had trouble with Mr Donaldson.

Mr Davidson said that the following day he discovered that a body had been found in Kirriemuir and he asked Callum whether he had anything to do with it.

His relative told officers that Callum said no but admitted to assaulting Mr Donaldson.

Michael told police officers: "Callum said he had punched the guy a couple of times and he had been scratched a couple of times on the nose."

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 and June 7 2018, 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 instruments.

It's alleged that Mr Donaldson was then "incapacitated" - the trio are then alleged to have taken Mr Donaldson to the nearby Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park.

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

The trio are then alleged to have struck Mr Donaldson on the head and neck with an "unknown heavy bladed instrument."

They 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.

The trio have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial, before judge Lord Pentland, continues.