Man 'killed over football songs'

Mr Massie died of his injuries after the attack in Forfar

A teenager beat a man to death after being told to stop singing football songs, a court has heard.

Garry Stewart, 19, repeatedly stamped on Alexander Massie's head during the attack in Forfar.

The 48-year-old father-of-two died after the incident in the Angus town in December 2005.

First offender Stewart admitted murder at the High Court in Aberdeen, and sentence was deferred until 27 April for background reports.

Advocate depute Angus Stewart said Mr Massie had been playing dominos with friends at the Strathmore Arms.

However he came across Stewart singing loudly in the street while urinating and asked him to stop or quieten down.

Repeatedly stamping

Stewart was then seen repeatedly stamping on the victim's head or upper body.

The alarm was raised and despite attempts by paramedics to revive him he was pronounced dead.

Stewart returned home and, when asked him why he was covered in blood, he replied: "Two fools told me to stop singing and we were fighting."

Mr Stewart did not envisage he had inflicted that amount of injury Mark Stewart Defence advocate

When his mother discovered a man had died she took her son to the police station.

He told police the victim had told him to stop singing, they had had words, then the male had "gone mental and tried to hit me so I hit him back".

Pathologists concluded that the death came about due to blunt force neck and head trauma and inhalation of blood.

But no injuries were found on Stewart who had claimed Mr Massie had provoked the attack by throwing the first punch.

Defence advocate Mark Stewart said: "Mr Stewart did not envisage he had inflicted that amount of injury.

"And he had no understanding that the victim would suffer any serious or long term harm as a result of the encounter."