Son who fatally stabbed his father to be held in Carstairs

Derek Main (37) plunged the scissors about 12 centimetres deep into his victim’s neck before claiming: “My dad’s gone AWOL. He said he did not want to live so he started hitting himself.”

Main, who killed his 57-year-old father Andrew’s home in Corrie Avenue on July 7, 2014, appeared at High Court in Edinburgh today, he was sentenced to be held in Carstairs state hospital under an order which requires the Scottish government to agree to any future release.

He was originally charged with murdering his father but the Crown earlier accepted his guilty plea to the reduced offence of culpable homicide on the basis of diminished responsibility.

Main admitted assaulting his father by repeatedly punching, kicking and striking him on the head and body and killing him with a pair of scissors. The only child also admitted assaulting his father to his severe injury at his home on October 14, 2012 after attacking him with a knife.

Main’s not guilty pleas to further charges alleging he had assaulted his parent on various occasions between January 2010 and July 2014 by punching, kicking and hitting him and that he had attacked him earlier in 2014 by reversing a car and striking him with the vehicle were accepted by the Crown.

Psychiatrists agreed that his behaviour was substantially impaired because of “abnormality of mind” at the time of the killing.

Following psychiatric evidence Lord Ericht said he was satisfied a compulsion order and a restriction order should be made in the case. The judge said this was particularly because of the issue of public protection.

The court heard prior to the killing Main had been at his father’s home where he was drinking. His father was out for the evening with friends and was described as being “in good spirits”.

After midnight Mr Main senior, who worked in the construction industry, got a taxi back home from Falkirk town centre and he seemed to be his “usual self and appeared happy”.

The father later contacted a taxi firm and asked for a cab to come to his home and said the destination was “The Valley” where his son lived, advocate depute Angela Gray said.

But eight minutes later a further call was made by the son asking for a taxi or an ambulance to attend.

The prosecutor said: “During that eight minute window, between the two calls to the taxi company, we can deduce the fatal attack on the deceased took place. There are no witnesses to the assault.”

When a taxi turned up at the house the son got in.

“The driver saw that he had a large amount of blood on his hands and on the areas of his top and trousers, as if he had wiped his bloody hands,” said Ms Gray.

Main junior was told to get out the cab, which he did, and the driver contacted his call handler who alerted police.

The son then made his first of two calls to the emergency service asking for an ambulance.

He said: “My dad’s gone AWOL, he said he didn’t want to live so he started hitting himself. I think he’s dying, can you hurry up, he’s dying. He’s locked the front door and being a weirdo.”

He stopped the call but rang back minutes later and said he was drunk and added: “He said he didn’t want to live. I am sick of this, I’m not bothered.”

Police arrived at the address and found Mr Main senior lying on the living room floor, heavily bloodstained, with a stab wound to the neck.

Attempts at resuscitation were made and it was noticed he had a pair of scissors in his hand.

The court heard that after the fatal attack on his father Main was at first considered to be fit to plead, but following further psychiatric assessment it was decided he was not fit for trial last year.

He was sent to the State Hospital at Carstairs and was found to be suffering from psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.