Johnathan Mackinnon hit Liam, court told 28/5/13
Johnathan Mackinnon punched Liam Aitchison in his face for no reason, a trial has
heard.
Stefan Millar and Johnathan Mackinnon, 22, of Stornoway, deny murdering the 16-year-old
from Lochboisdale in a derelict house in Steinish outside Stornoway.
The three friends were listening to music upstairs in Mr Mackinnon’s bedroom at his
address in Plasterfield, outside Stornoway on the evening 22 November 2011.
Stefan Millar agreed with his defence QC Frances McMenamin that Mr Mackinnon’s mother
was complaining about the loud music.
He agreed Liam and Mr Mackinnon were consuming the most vodka and drinking it straight
from the bottle. There was also wine.
They were smoking ordinary cigarettes in the room and he was using his mobile phone,
he agreed.
Mr Millar said Mr Mackinnon’s mother was “shouting at Johnathan for the music being
too loud and making so much noise.”
Mr Mackinnon told Liam she was shouting at him. He agreed Liam then tried to jump
out the window and had one leg out when Mr Millar “grabbed him and pulled him onto
the floor.”
“I said don’t be an idiot, you can’t jump out the window.”
They were all drinking in Mr Mackinnon’s room and using their mobile phones - expect
for Liam who had no credit left in his handset, he outlined to the court.
Later, Mr Millar explained that Mr Mackinnon hit Liam in the face in the room.
He told the court that Mr Mackinnon’s is “on the phone to someone and he turns round
and said to Liam that he said to whoever was on the phone he would punch you and
Liam said OK.”
Liam “laughed it off,” he said to the court.
Mr Millar explained attempts were made to get hold of some cannabis.
He texted a female friend asking her for a number for a Polish guy who sold the substance
in Stornoway.
Eventually they received a telephone number and they all planned to go together to
get some cannabis.
They left the house around half past midnight into Wednesday 23rd November and Bella
Mackinnon, Mr Mackinnon’s mother texted Mr Millar at 00.29 asking where they were
going.
Ms McMenamin said: “The next text from you is at 02.02.49.”
She asked of he could explain his long gap of non-activity on the phone.
Mr Millar said he never used the phone in the rain as it would just get soaked.
Ms McMenamin said: “There’s this complete communication silence - but you say its
because the phone gets soaked out of your pocket.”
Mr Millar said he did not remember getting the text from Bella which read: “Txt me
to tell me where you are.”
He said: “Jonny often wouldn’t tell his mother where he was going so she’d often
ask me.”
A number of calls from Mr Mackinnon’s phone to “this Polish guy” they wanted cannabis
off were highlighted by the QC.
Ms McMenamin said that Steinish resident “Donalda Kennedy said she saw three people
walking along the road . Two had dark clothes and one had on a white top and all
three had hoodies.”
Mr Millar said: “I had on my striped hoodie and the other two had dark hoodies I’m
sure.”
The lawyer said Johnathan Mackinnon, in his statement to police on 1st December 2012,
said Liam “was wearing a white top, a white hoodie when he went out.”
Mr Millar said: “It could have been but I think it was a dark one.”
The trial continues.