Man was stabbed 'in self defence'

The Anderson brothers are on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh

A man accused of murder admitted to police that he had stabbed a father-of-three in an Aberdeen street, a trial has heard.

John Anderson, 29, denies murdering Willie Reeve, 41, in February.

Mr Anderson said he was only acting in "self defence", the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Mr Anderson and his older brother George, 33, also deny charges of assault and breach of the peace. The trial continues.

The jury heard a part of the transcript of John Anderson's police interview where he was asked: "You say you stabbed him?"

Mr Anderson replied: "But it was self defence and it was self defence because they came at us with meat cleavers."

'A scuffle'

His mother told the court she did not see the fatal stabbing.

Lynda Anderson said she thought Mr Reeve had fallen and was only told later that he had been stabbed.

The court heard Mrs Anderson was about 20ft away from the incident in question but did not see any punches and did not see a knife in her son's hand.

Mrs Anderson told advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, that she also saw her son John Anderson and Mr Reeve "in a scuffle".

Mr Prentice asked: "We have heard that Mr Reeve was stabbed - and will hear in due course that he was stabbed in the heart. Can you explain how that happened?"

"No" replied Mrs Anderson, describing how Mr Reeve had walked away "then stumbled and fell".

Earlier, witness Jimmy Graham told how his friend Mr Reeve had turned and said: "They got me, Jim" before collapsing, fatally injured.

The trial continues.