Woman admits stabbing man to death with pair of scissors

A woman has admitted killing a man by stabbing him with a blade from a pair of scissors.

Jayney Sutherlay, 46, attacked 40-year-old Alistair MacFadyen at a flat in Paisley in the early hours of June 13 last year.

Mr MacFadyen had only been out of prison for a matter of days when the attack happened.

He was found seriously injured and rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley shortly after 2am, but medical staff were unable to save him.

Sutherlay, who is also known as Mains, pleaded guilty to culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow. She was originally accused of murder.

Sutherlay admitted killing Mr MacFadyen by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a blade from a pair of scissors or similar shaped bladed implement.

No narration of the events surrounding Mr MacFadyen’s death was given in court.

Prosecutor Lindsay Dalziel said: “The narrative was agreed and it will be read at the next calling of the case in the hope that Mr MacFadyen’s family may attend at that stage.”

His family was not able to be in court because attending there is not considered to be an essential journey during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sutherlay, who was represented by QC Donald Findlay, appeared via a video link from prison.

Judge Lord Matthews called for a background report to be prepared on Sutherlay. He told her: “In the circumstances I will simply adjourn the matter until July at which time I will hear the agreed narrative.”

Sutherlay was also accused of being concerned in the supply of heroin, cocaine and Diazepam from a flat in Paisley between January 1 and June 13, last year.

Her pleas of not guilty to those charges and a further charge of behaving in a threatening manner at the flat on June 13, last year, were accepted by the Crown.

Sutherlay will be sentenced for the killing on July 6.