Darren Adie murder trial: jury set to consider verdict

The jury in the Darren Adie murder trial will begin their deliberations on Monday.

The crown and defence gave their closing speeches today. The jury will be addressed by the judge Lord Uist on Monday before considering their verdict.

Gordon Coventry denies that on 28th May last year at Spey Avenue, near its junction with Napier Street, he assaulted Darren Adie by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife or similar instrument, murdered him and did this having previously evinced malice and ill-will towards him.

Coventry (52), from Overton Mains, Kirkcaldy, has admitted being involved in a struggle with 42-year-old Mr Adie, a father-of-two.

However, he claims it an aggressive and drunk Mr Adie who pulled out the knife and that he was stabbed “by accident” during the struggle which followed.

Mr Adie walked away after incident but collapsed and died in a street nearby.

Coventry disposed of the knife, his clothing and his mobile phones over the following days, saying he was “in a panic”.

Advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith told the jury that evidence from witnesses suggested that Mr Adie was “very drunk, intoxicated but in good spirits” in the hours before his death.

He went on, “He was six feet tall, around 17 and a half stones, heavily built. He was also a rather vulnerable man, obese, staggering about the streets of Kirkcaldy.”

Mr Niven-Smith said it had been said by a witness that Mr Adie’s “paranoia was getting worse” in the period before his death.

“It seems his perception was people were saying nasty things about him. We heard from the evidence of David Taylor there was someone saying nasty things about him in the weeks before he died.”

He continued that the person involved was Gordon Coventry who, according to his former friend Mr Taylor, had called Mr Adie a “beast” and a “grass” in the weeks before the stabbing.

Mr Niven-Smith also highlighted the evidence of Mr Taylor about a comment allegedly made by Coventry just two or three days before the death: “See that f****** Darren Adie, I’m going to do him.”

Defence solicitor Gordon Martin told the jury they must put aside understandable sympathies for Mr Adie’s family and friends.

He also admitted that his client, a self-confessed drug dealer, may not the type of person most people would want as their next door neighbour. However, “it’s not a popularity contest” he added.

“Much has been made of the vulnerability of Darren Adie that early evening. Much has been made about him being under the influence of alcohol, staggering,” said Mr Martin.

“Does the cloak of alcohol make it impossible for him to be aggressive. Are there no staggering, aggressive men in Scotland’s streets.

“Just because he was staggering, doesn’t mean he didn’t do what Gordon Coventry said.

“This was a man who earlier that day argued the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ as his mother-in-law described herself.

“Security staff at Aldi came out of the shop and asked him to go away.

“Do you think it’s impossible that may have been aggressive? Do you think it’s impossible he was the one shouting at Gordon Coventry? That he was the one who was acting aggressively?”

Lord Uist will deliver his charge to the jury on Monday morning.