Amelie
10-01-2003, 06:16 PM
A MURDER accused who told police he had drunk his victim’s blood believed he was a character from a vampire film, his father said.
Thomas Menzies, 49, told the High Court in Edinburgh that his son Allan, 22, of Fauldhouse, West Lothian, was fascinated by violent films and games.
In the months leading up to the killing of his friend, 21-year-old Thomas McKendrick, he had become withdrawn and taken to talking to, and even shouting at himself, in his bedroom.
Mr Menzies said his son would sometimes watch the same film 20 times - up to three times a day - and had changed his name by deed poll to Leon after watching the film of the same name. He denies murdering Mr McKendrick on December 11 last year and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of his body in a wheelie bin and burying him in a shallow grave.
Menzies had offered a plea of guilty to culpable homicide for reasons of diminished responsibility, but the plea was rejected by the Crown at the start of his trial on Monday. The court was told that Menzies allegedly told police he had drunk his victim’s blood and ate part of his head.
Yesterday, the jury heard that the victim was hit over the head with a hammer-like object and stabbed 42 times in the head, neck and body.
Giving evidence on the second day of the trial, Mr Menzies told how his son believed he was a character from one of the vampire films he would watch in his room.
"He started to watch more horror films, films that were a bit bloodthirsty," Mr Menzies said. "I thought it was a bit strange, but that was like Allan. All his games were about fighting."
Link here (http://www.edinburghnews.com/index.cfm?id=1087122003)
Thomas Menzies, 49, told the High Court in Edinburgh that his son Allan, 22, of Fauldhouse, West Lothian, was fascinated by violent films and games.
In the months leading up to the killing of his friend, 21-year-old Thomas McKendrick, he had become withdrawn and taken to talking to, and even shouting at himself, in his bedroom.
Mr Menzies said his son would sometimes watch the same film 20 times - up to three times a day - and had changed his name by deed poll to Leon after watching the film of the same name. He denies murdering Mr McKendrick on December 11 last year and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of his body in a wheelie bin and burying him in a shallow grave.
Menzies had offered a plea of guilty to culpable homicide for reasons of diminished responsibility, but the plea was rejected by the Crown at the start of his trial on Monday. The court was told that Menzies allegedly told police he had drunk his victim’s blood and ate part of his head.
Yesterday, the jury heard that the victim was hit over the head with a hammer-like object and stabbed 42 times in the head, neck and body.
Giving evidence on the second day of the trial, Mr Menzies told how his son believed he was a character from one of the vampire films he would watch in his room.
"He started to watch more horror films, films that were a bit bloodthirsty," Mr Menzies said. "I thought it was a bit strange, but that was like Allan. All his games were about fighting."
Link here (http://www.edinburghnews.com/index.cfm?id=1087122003)