Rapping drug user jailed for killing man who said 'quieten down'

A man has been jailed for killing an acquaintance who asked him to "quieten down" his loud rapping while he was high on drugs.

Steven Leask, 45, held down 36-year-old Martin Forgie and repeatedly punched him in the face and kicked him in the head in October 2024.

Leask paused during the assault to smoke crack cocaine. His victim lost consciousness at his home in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and the attacker later said: "I think I've killed someone."

Leask - who pled guilty to culpable homicide last month - was sentenced to five years and four months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Advocate depute Margaret Barron previously told the court how the victim lived alone at an address on Gordon Place, and was regarded as vulnerable.

Leask - formerly of Peterhead - knew a neighbour of Forgie, and was visiting him.

As they passed Forgie's window, he asked them to buy him some whisky, which they agreed to do.

They later went to his house, where Leask smoked crack cocaine and the victim had the whisky.

The prosecutor said: "The accused began to sing rap, which annoyed Martin Forgie."

She said Forgie said it was getting out of hand, and he asked Leask to quieten down.

The advocate depute told the court: "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'.

"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 prosecutor 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.

"Martin Forgie was slumped in the corner of the sofa," she told the court.

"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."

Emergency services were called and an ambulance crew performed CPR on Forgie, but he could not be saved.

Leask was traced by police and told officers: "There was a carry on at the address."

Defence counsel Mark Stewart KC said that for a period of years Leask was "hiding in drink and drugs", but had found since his time in custody that he could cope without them.

He told the court: "He does not seek to evade justice. He understands that he deserves justice. This was an incident where the accused acted in a way that he accepts was criminal."

Lord Summers told Leask: "He was a vulnerable man and when you attacked him you subjected him to a violent assault."

The judge said he was willing to accept that Leask was now remorseful for what he did.

Lord Summers said that given the sustained nature of the attack and the outcome he considered that an eight-year sentence was appropriate, but that would be reduced following Leask's guilty plea.

Relatives of the victim - who was from Maud in Aberdeenshire - said in a statement at the time: "Martin was a much loved son, brother, father, nephew, grandson and uncle. He will be greatly missed."