A man dubbed ‘Britain’s most feckless father’ after fathering 17 children by 15 different mothers is facing life behind bars after he convicted of murdering a man in brutal knife attack.
Jamie Cumming stabbed James Getty to death outside The Maltman pub in Dundee’s Mains Road – causing ‘lethal’ injuries to his heart, lungs and liver.He denied the attack – which took place in front of a string of witnesses – and tried to shift the blame onto a mutual friend of his and Mr Getty’s.But a jury took just two hours to reject Cumming’s story and convict him of murdering Mr Getty by a majority verdict.After the verdict was delivered, advocate depute Gillian Wade told the court that Cumming had 19 previous convictions – including one for assault to injury.
And she added: ‘The accused is in a relationship and has three children from that union.’But it is believed he has another 13 children from various other relationships.’A nine-day trial at the High Court in Dundee heard how Cumming had clashed with Mr Getty in the toilets of The Maltman bar during a mutual friend’s 50th birthday party.Mr Getty was seen with blood coming from a wound above his eye as he left the toilets – before he followed Cumming outside the pub, where a ‘scuffle’ broke out.
The fight moved into neighbouring Mid Road, with James Kelbie – who’s 50th birthday the pair had been attending – getting between the pair trying to ‘separate’ them.Witnesses told the court they then saw Cumming repeatedly strike Mr Getty in the chest in a ‘stabbing motion’.He was then seen to ‘stagger’ backwards with a ‘stunned’ look and blood ‘gushing’ from his chest.Mr Getty walked back into Mains Road before collapsing, with Mr Kelbie trying to put pressure on his wounds as an ambulance rushed to the scene.
The court heard that Mr Getty suffered ‘lethal’ stab wounds to his heart, lungs and liver – and ‘would have died even if he had been stabbed in the hospital car park’, according to a medical examiner.He died around an hour and a half after the attack at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.Meanwhile, Cumming fled, jumping into a taxi and making his way to meet notorious Dundee underworld figure George Kerr – who has links to Glasgow gangster Paul Ferris.Kerr later burned Cumming’s blood spattered t-shirt, and told the court he drove Cumming around various streets in Dundee while Cumming sat with a snake around his neck.
Cumming sent a string of texts to former partners in the minutes after the attack – telling Chelsea Anderson, 21, the mother of his 16th child, who was born in November 2011, that ‘it wasnae for nothing’.He told another that he had ‘done someone’.Cumming was arrested the following day, on June 2 last year, in his grandfather’s car – with a bag containing his bloodstained shoes and clothes.He told cops ‘I’ve thrown my life away’ as they took him to Tayside Police HQ in Dundee city centre.
A forensic examination of his clothes found Mr Getty’s blood inside the pockets of his jeans and inside his shirt.Cumming, 36, a prisoner at HMP Perth, denied that he had murdered James Getty by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife or similar instrument.Cumming has lodged a special defence of incrimination on the murder charge, alleging that James Kelbie committed the crime.But a jury of eight men and seven women took just over two hours to find him guilty of murder by majority.
Donald Findlay QC, defending, said he would reserve his plea in mitigation until a later sentencing date.Judge Lady Clark of Calton said Cumming faces a life sentence when he appears at the High Court in Edinburgh on April 3.She said: ‘The penalty for murder is of course prescribed by law.’But I require a report before I can sentence.’Cumming showed no emotion as the verdict was read – but bowed his head as he was led in handcuffs to the cells.No-one from either family made any comment as they left the court. – DailyMail
