Drug user killed vulnerable man who asked him to stop rapping

A drug user killed a vulnerable man in an attack after the victim became annoyed by his rapping and asked him to quieten down, a court has heard.

Steven Leask pinned Martin Forgie down on a sofa and repeatedly punched him in the face before pausing to smoke a crack cocaine pipe and then taking a run and kicking him on the head.

The victim lost consciousness during the assault at his home in Ellon, in Aberdeenshire, and Leask phoned his father and said: “I think I’ve killed someone.”

Leask, 45, admitted killing Mr Forgie on October 9, 2024, in Ellon, by pinning him to a couch, putting an arm across his throat, repeatedly punching him to the head and kicking him on the head, when he appeared by video link to prison at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Advocate depute Margaret Barron said Mr Forgie, 36, lived alone at the address and was regarded as vulnerable. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis, anxiety, depression and ADHD.

Convicted drug trafficker Leask, formerly of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was known to a neighbour of Mr Forgie’s and on the day of the killing visited him.

Leask and the neighbour left his flat in Ellon, and as they passed Mr Forgie’s window, he asked them to buy him a bottle of whisky, which they agreed to do.

They returned to the neighbour’s flat and were drinking before they visited Mr Forgie, where Leask smoked crack cocaine, and Mr Forgie drank whisky.

The prosecutor said: “The accused began to sing rap, which annoyed Martin Forgie, and he told [the neighbour] the accused was getting out of hand. Martin Forgie asked the accused to quieten down.”

The neighbour left and went to his own flat, and when he returned to his neighbour’s home, found Mr Forgie and Leask arguing.

Ms Barron said: “Martin Forgie was sitting on the sofa in the living room. The accused then pinned Martin Forgie to the sofa. The accused was seen to have his left forearm across Martin Forgie’s throat.”

“The accused was heard to repeatedly say to Martin Forgie ‘apologise’ to which he replied a couple of times ‘I am not apologising’,” she said.

She told the court: “Whilst still being held down by the accused with his arm across his throat, Martin Forgie was seen to be choking and was unable to move as the accused was on top of him.”

The advocate depute said: “The accused then repeatedly punched Martin Forgie to the face. The accused was described as angry and being ‘tunnel visioned’ on Martin Forgie.”

She said Leask continued to punch his victim, causing his eyes to swell and blood was seen coming from his mouth.

Ms Barron said: “Martin Forgie was slumped in the corner of the sofa. The accused smoked what was left in his crack pipe and then took a run up and kicked Martin Forgie in the face, which landed square on his chin. Martin Forgie lost consciousness.”

Two others arrived at the flat and found Leask on his knees. They saw a significant amount of blood on the floor, and that Leask was holding a crack pipe in one hand and his other hand was gashed.

One asked what happened, and Leask claimed that Mr Forgie attacked him and he gave him “a few smacks”.

Ms Barron said: “The accused was described as heavily intoxicated and motioned to show he was throwing punches.”

One made a 99 call for an ambulance, and when a crew arrived, CPR was begun on the attack victim with no result, and he was pronounced dead.

Leask was traced by police the following day and told they wanted to speak to him about an incident involving Mr Forgie, who was dead. He responded: “There was a carry on at the address.”

He told officers: “He punched me so I then punched him back and cut his lip.”

The judge, Lord Summers, deferred sentence on Leask for the preparation of a background report. The killer’s remand in prison was continued.