Edinburgh trip was for cannabis not car, court told

A WOULD-BE drug dealer has admitted that the real reason he travelled to Edinburgh before he was stabbed through the heart was to buy cannabis for £6500.

Police at the Wardieburn crime scene. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Peter Stewart, 44, confessed he was shopping for five kilos of “rocky” resin only after he was granted immunity from prosecution at the High Court in Livingston today.

Peter and his brother James, 46, both from Aberdeen, previously claimed they had driven south from the Granite City last April to buy a second-hand car.

James stuck to the car story as he completed his evidence on Tuesday, but his younger brother set the record straight as soon as he took to the witness box.

He said the drug deal involved buying cannabis as well as a used car and claimed his brother only been told about the drugs after they had set out for Edinburgh last April.

Asked why he became involved in the scheme, Peter said: “To be honest to try and make some money. I’d not long been introduced to that side of things, a matter of eight months or so.”

He told the jury they did not know that the man giving them directions to where the exchange was to take place was calling from inside Shotts Prison.

He said a 17-year-old – who he identified as “number one” of the two men on trial for attempted murder – had led them into the close of a block of flats in Edinburgh before spinning round and attacking his brother.

He said: “All I saw was the glint – definitely metal – and my brother falling to one side.

“As soon as I saw it happening I moved forward to try and defend my brother.

“I put myself between him and Number One. Number One stabbed me through the lung into the heart severing the right ventricle.

“Two men came out at either side of the landing ion the ground floor and proceeded to join in on the action. It was like it was already exactly set up. They both came out at the same time and focussed on me.

“By this time I’d known that I’d been stabbed because I slipped on my own blood. I remember I felt something push and then pull within my chest.

“I just got out and my legs gave out on me. I didn’t know but I’d lost a tremendous amount of blood.”

He said ‘Number One’ had left by the rear door while the other two followed him outside. One of them rifled through his pockets and robbed him of his mobile phone, laughing.

He went on: “The stockier of the two gentlemen grabbed me by the front. I was wearing a woollen jumper and it was also red. I said: ‘I’ve been stabbed. I’m dying’.

“The stocky man looked down and saw the blood coming out and he let me go. I was just grateful at the time that he let me go.”

Mr Stewart said he turned round and saw his brother running away down the street.

He said: “I shouted: ‘James I’ve been stabbed. I’m dying’ but he kept running.

“Afterwards I talked to him and I forgave him. I said it was a very scary situation no-one should have been in and I forgave him.”

Ryan Ellis, 31, and the 17-year-old teenager – who can’t be named for legal reasons – deny seriously assaulting James and robbing and attempting to murder Peter in Wardieburn Street West, Edinburgh, on 8 April last year.

The trial, before Lord Glennie, continues.

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