Man in court accused of Haymarket Station stairs death push

A man has denied killing a 58-year-old by pushing him down a flight of stairs at Edinburgh’s Haymarket railway station.

The steps at Haymarket Station

Marc McKinnlay, 36, from Cowdenbeath, Fife, is accused of the culpable homicide of Donald Maguire by pushing him on the body causing him to fall down stairs and strike his head on the ground.

The offence is alleged to have been committed at the station on February 20, 2020.

McKinnlay, who is on bail, was not present at the High Court in Glasgow, but his defence counsel Tim Niven-Smith entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Mr Niven-Smith said: “The accused relies on a special defence of self defence.”

Mr Maguire died at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh from his injuries on March 4, 2020.

McKinnlay offered to plead guilty to a charge of assaulting Mr Maguire's son Brian Maguire, by kicking him on the body, striking him on the head with a bag containing cans of alcohol, pushing him to the ground and repeatedly punching him on the head and body to his severe injury.

However the plea was not accepted by the Crown.

McKinnlay is also accused of resisting or wilfully obstructing two British Transport Police officers by falling to the ground and refusing to walk.

He denies the charges against him.

Prosecutor Margaret Barron said that the trial is expected to last four days.

However, due to Covid restrictions, no trial could be set and judge Lord Matthews ordered a further hearing to take place in August.

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