Legal News
Man Jailed Over Fatal Stabbing (25 October 2011)
Date: 25/10/2011
A 29-year-old man who killed a father-to-be in East Lothian has received a 15-year jail sentence. James Purves told the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh that he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed Paul Scott in the chest in February of this year. The jury cleared Mr. Purves of murder yet found him guilty of culpable homicide. The trial was told that just two months after the fatal stabbing, Mr. Scott's son, Jared, was born.
The judge claimed that while culpable homicide was a lesser criminal charge, the crime that Mr. Purves committed was still “dreadful and appalling”. The trial heard that Mr. Purves' on-off girlfriend had visited the flat in Tranent shortly before 4am. She had brought with her two taxi-loads of men and women, including Mr. Scott. She let her guests into the flat using keys she had secretly had cut. Mr. Purves was relaxing in the flat with his friend and two girls following a night out in Edinburgh. Mr. Purves, who was furious over the guests invited into his flat, started yelling and swearing and struck Mr. Scott with at least three blows using a large kitchen knife. Witnesses claim that Mr. Scott's failed to defend himself against 19-stone Mr. Purves yet Mr. Purves claimed that he was not the man in possession of the knife on the night of the incident and that he disarmed the yielder of the knife and acted in self-defence.
Duncan Lewis’ criminal law solicitors protect the rights of those accused of criminal offences. The department can provide legal advice in police stations and courts of law.