Kirkcaldy Murder Trial: '˜Victim showed gunshot wounds in pub'

Barmaid Stephanie Ewing (21) said Alex Forbes (25) spent the night of January 1 2017 ‘bothering’ some of the customers who were drinking at the Windsor Bar in Kirkcaldy, Fife,.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Monday that Mr Forbes had gone for a night out at the bar with his 24-year-old friend Mark Docherty.

The court heard that Mr Forbes was related to a family from Edinburgh called the Kelbies.

The court heard that Mr Forbes was heard telling people in the pub that he was “quite well known in Edinburgh” and that they should search for him on the Internet.

Ms Ewing, who now works as a quantity surveyor, told the court that Mr Forbes unbuttoned his shirt to show off a scar on his stomach to fellow drinkers.

The court heard that Mr Forbes described the scar as being a “gunshot wound”.

And Ms Ewing said that at closing time, he told her that he didn’t want to leave the pub and then asked her a question.

She said: “He said to me ‘do you know who I am? Do you know what I could do to you? I could damage you.”

Ms Ewing was giving evidence on the first day of proceedings against 51-year-old Adrian Hynd, of Kirkcaldy, Fife,.

Prosecutors claim Mr Hynd murdered Mr Forbes on January 2 at a house in Kirkcaldy after the pair met the previous evening in the Windsor Bar.

Mr Hynd denies the charge and claims he acted in self defence after Mr Forbes attacked him.

On Monday, Ms Ewing told the court that she spent the evening of January 1 working in the Windsor Bar.

She told prosecution lawyer Alan Cameron that she thought Mr Forbes was drinking spirits.

She said: “He said he was from Edinburgh. He said that he was only recently out. He was saying that he had a wound on his stomach and he was showing that off. It was just a scar.

“A few of the customers said he was bothering them.”

She also told the court that she could remember the word ‘gangland’ was being used in connection with Mr Forbes’s activities.

The court heard that Mr Forbes allegedly told customers to search for his activities on the Internet.

Ms Ewing told the court that at the end of the evening, she told Mr Forbes to drink up and that he replied that he didn’t want to leave the pub. She said that he told her that could “damage her.”

She said: “I didn’t react the way he wanted to. I said okay and I just continued to clean up. I didn’t want to entertain him.”

Ms Ewing’s colleague Shanice Huey (25) told the court that Mr Forbes had unbuttoned his shirt and was showing off his “wounds” during the night out in the pub.

Defence advocate Mark Stewart QC asked Ms Huey: “Did you understand he was from a hardy family from Edinburgh showing off his gunshot wounds?”

Ms Huey replied: “Yes that’s right.”

Stephen Whyte (25) told the court how played a game of pool against Mr Forbes during the evening. Jurors were shown CCTV footage during Mr Whyte’s evidence.

The footage showed Mr Whyte meeting Mr Hynd. The accused is seen to hug Mr Whyte whilst Mr Forbes continues to play pool.

Mr Whyte told the court that during the game, Mr Forbes spoke to Mr Hynd.

The court heard that Mr Forbes allegedly said to Mr Hynd ‘do you know who I am?”

Mr Whyte told the court that Mr Hynd allegedly replied: “No disrespect. I’ve got a name myself.”

It then emerged in court that Mr Forbes had a number of previous criminal convictions for racially aggravated breach of the peace and assaults.

Mr Stewart then said that his client had convictions for convictions for speeding. He also had to perform 120 hours community service for an offence under social security legislation.

Mr Forbes’s friend Mark Docherty told the court that they had both gone to the pub after spending the day drinking vodka.

The court heard that Mr Docherty had earlier told police that he and Mr Forbes had also taken cocaine.

Mr Docherty said his friend was related to a family from Edinburgh called Kelbie.

Mr Stewart asked Mr Docherty whether his friend worked as somebody who used physical violence against other people.

Mr Stewart said: “Was Alex an enforcer?”

Mr Docherty replied: “No.”

Prosecutors claim that on January 2, 2017 at 80 Victoria Road, Kirkcaldy, Mr Hynd assaulted Mr Forbes, of Cakemuir Gardens, Edinburgh.

It is alleged that Mr Hynd struggled with Mr Forbes, seized hold of his neck, repeatedly punched him on the head and body before butting him on the head.

The Crown alleges that Mr Hynd then repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a knife and that he “did murder him.”

Mr Hynd has pleaded not guilty. His legal team has lodged a special defence which states that their client acted in self defence having been first attacked by Mr Forbes.

The trial, before judge Lord Ericht, continues.