A MAN who was incriminated in a murder trial today admitted carrying out a violent assault yards from the scene of the fatal attack.
James Kelbie was blamed for the murder of James Getty during the trial of Jamie Cumming — dubbed Britain’s most feckless father after having 17 children with 15 different women.
Mr Getty was stabbed to death by Cumming outside the Maltman pub in Dundee’s Mains Road in June 2012.
But, during his trial the following year at the High Court in Dundee, Cumming tried to pin the blame on Kelbie, claiming he had struck the fatal blows outside an event that was being held for Kelbie’s 50th birthday.
A jury rejected that claim and Cumming was later sentenced to life in jail.
However, today Kelbie appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court where he admitted carrying out a violent attack on a pub landlord at a bar yards from the Maltman.
The court was told Kelbie had been barred from the Bowbridge Bar in Dundee’s Main Street, fewer than 200 yards from the scene of Mr Getty’s murder.
He went back on December 8 last year and asked licensee Steven Tosh to come outside for a chat.
Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said as soon as Mr Tosh got into the pub’s vestibule Kelbie launched his attack.
She said: “The complainer assumed the accused may have wanted to apologise for the behaviour that got him barred. On entering the vestibule of the locus the accused punched the complainer on the head.
“That was unexpected. The complainer was told to leave and the accused punched him again. A passing motorist saw the disturbance and contacted police. The complainer retaliated, knocking the accused to the ground before going back inside.”
Kelbie, 53, of The Willows, Dundee, pleaded guilty on summary complaint to a charge of assault.
Defence solicitor George Donnelly said: “The complainer is no shrinking violet and landed a beauty of a punch on Mr Kelbie, who was clearly under the influence of drink.
“He does have a record but the last analagous conviction is some eight years ago.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael imposed a community payback order with 80 hours’ unpaid work on Kelbie.