A THUG who stabbed and killed his friend after he flirted with his mum has been jailed for 10 years.
Alan Leishman, 31, turned on Ross Adams 36, at a property in Denny, Falkirk, on September 5 2023.
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Leishman was enraged after Mr Adams was “jokey and flirtatious” with his 57-year-old mum Helena Wotherspoon.
Mr Adams refused to leave after he fell asleep on the couch and wrongly claimed Miss Wotherspoon wanted him to stay.
Leishman lashed out at Mr Adams and stabbed him on the upper thigh with a knife.
When police later attended the property, Leishman told officers that he cut up the dad-of-one “like a fish.”
Leishman pled guilty today at the High Court in Glasgow to culpable homicide.
The court heard that the pair arrived at Miss Wotherspoon’s home while drunk.
The reason why I done it was because he was giving me cheek, thought he was a bit of a hard man. I cut him up like a fish
Alan Leishman
Leishman was described as being in a mood but Mr Adams was in “good spirits.”
The men had a drink with Miss Wotherspoon and Leishman’s then-partner Laura Horner.
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Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel said: “Mr Adams was sitting on the sofa with Miss Wotherspoon while Leishman was on the other sofa.
“Mr Adams was being jokey and flirtatious with Miss Wotherspoon which appeared to annoy Leishman.”
Mr Adams fell asleep on the couch and Miss Wortherspoon told Leishman to get him to leave as she had to get up for work early the next day.
Leishman was able to rouse Mr Adams who told him: “Don’t wake a drunken man from a deep sleep.”
Mr Adams was then asked to leave.
Miss Dalziel said: “Mr Adams did not wish to leave, saying that Helena wanted him to stay which she did not.”
Miss Horner meantime left the room to go into the kitchen when she heard Miss Wotherspoon shout: “He’s just stabbed him.”
Miss Horner found Mr Adams on the couch holding his left thigh which was bleeding.
A 999 call was made and neighbours overheard Leishman say: “I’ve stabbed someone, I’m going to get done for murder.”
Paramedics found Mr Adams unconscious, breathing but with a weak pulse.
It is a picture we see more and more – an afternoon that’s ordinary and should have come to nothing ends up in tragedy
Donald Findlay KC
A specialist team attended and did CPR for 30 minutes using a device which re-established Mr Adams’ pulse.
Mr Adams was taken to hospital for surgery but he remained critically ill and succumbed to his injuries on September 11.
His cause of death was determined as “multi-organ failure, cardiac arrest and stab wound of left thigh.”
Leishman was found at the scene meantime by police who made admissions that he stabbed Mr Adams.
He said: “The reason why I done it was because he was giving me cheek, thought he was a bit of a hard man.
“I cut him up like a fish.”
Donald Findlay KC, defending, told the court that his client is “deeply sorry” for what happened.
The advocate said: “It is a picture we see more and more – an afternoon that’s ordinary and should have come to nothing ends up in tragedy for reasons not clear to anyone.
“It seems there was an argument between them as Mr Adams had an interest in his mother which Mr Leishman disapproved of.
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“As said in the narrative, the woman did not want Mr Adams to stay and it was not her offer or intention.”
When jailing Leishman, Judge Lord Arthurson told him that it was a “grievous crime” and Mr Adams was “so unfortunate to come into contact” with him.