Man killed neighbour after saying ‘love you’

A man who murdered his neighbour just hours after meeting him told police he did not know what had come over him.

The High Court heard that Frost said he didn't know what came over him. Picture: Bill Henry

The High Court in Edinburgh heard HGV driver Harvey Frost, 47, killed Craig Stewart, 24, after saying he did not like violence and believed people should help their neighbours.

Frost hugged Mr Stewart and said “love you man” before returning from his kitchen armed with a knife and stabbing him in the chest.

He later told detectives: “I don’t know what’s came over me.”

Mr Stewart died in hospital eight days after the fatal attack at Frost’s home in Magdalene Drive on February 10 this year.

Frost now faces a life sentence after admitting the murder. Lord Jones deferred sentence in the case until next month for a background report.

Advocate depute Douglas Fairley QC said that Frost and Mr Stewart lived in next door flats but did not know each other before the day of the incident.

Mr Stewart had been having a drink with his flatmates, Dean Robertson and Lauren Andrews, and later went outside to get some air before coming back into the flat with Frost who he introduced to Mr Robertson saying: “This is my neighbour. I’ve just met him.”

The four of them played cards and later went to Frost’s flat for a drink.

The advocate depute said at one stage Frost stood up and began repeating the words of a song that was then on the television.

“The accused hugged the deceased and said “love you man” and the deceased hugged him back and repeated this,” said the advocate depute.

After the song ended Frost went into the kitchen. He returned expressionless but holding a knife and walked over to where Mr Stewart was sitting on a couch and stabbed him in the chest, inflicting a heart wound.

Mr Robertson jumped up from where he was sitting and saw Frost take the knife out of his victim’s chest.

He and Ms Andrews struggled with Frost and managed to get the weapon off of him.

“They then helped Mr Stewart to get up and walk back to his own flat taking the knife with them,” said Mr Fairley.

The stabbing victim collapsed at his home and emergency services were called. Frost was taken into custody after the attack and said: “Somebody said to me I’m gonna kill your son and the only way I could stop it was to kill him.”

Mr Fairley said neither of the eyewitnesses, Mr Robertson and Ms Andrews, reported hearing Mr Stewart say anything about an intention to kill Frost’s son.

Frost told police he did not why he would do this, adding he had never done anything like it before and said: “I don’t know what’s came over me.”