Man bled to death in the street after being stabbed by neighbour, court hears

A Mablethorpe man bled to death in the street on a Bank Holiday afternoon after he was stabbed by a neighbour, a court heard.

James Adam, 46, is alleged to have murdered James Rudd, 37, following an “innocent and trivial” remark about who was walking a dog.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Mr Rudd collapsed in Victoria Road, Mablethorpe, shortly before 1pm on Monday, August 28 last year after suffering two stab wounds.

An air ambulance was called to the scene but efforts to save Mr Rudd failed and he was pronounced dead at 1.51pm.

It is alleged Adam, known as “Scottish Jamie”, stabbed Mr Rudd with a knife that he had been carrying in his trouser pocket after the two men were involved in a physical argument at the home of a friend, Wayne Pemberton, at 65 Victoria Road.

Peter Joyce QC, prosecuting, said another friend of Mr Rudd, Shaun Bodham, reported the stabbing in a 999 call.

Mr Joyce told the jury: “In that 999 call he said ‘it was Scottish Jamie’, the defendant, who lived at 69A Victoria Road, who had done it.

“At that time Jamie Rudd was lying bleeding to death in the street, Victoria Road.”

Mr Joyce said when police first arrived at the scene members of the public were trying to help Mr Rudd, who lived nearby at the Old Police House, and Mr Bodham was pointing towards the launderette where Adam was coming out between two parked cars wearing a Celtic football shirt which he had changed in to after the stabbing.

The jury heard Adam was detained by a police officer armed with a taser. Mr Joyce added: “He was arrested and said it was self defence.”

It is alleged the knife used to stab Mr Rudd was found in a green bin outside the launderette.

A post mortem found Mr Rudd had suffered a slash wound under his left arm pit which would not have proved fatal and a second stab wound which entered the left ventricular of his heart.

Mr Joyce said Mr Rudd’s death arose out an incident of such “innocence and triviality” which happened the day before when Adam’s then partner, Helen Witney, was dog walking near the seafront with Mr Pemberton and another woman.

The jury heard Mr Rudd’s partner, Kirsty Owens, was passing in a car being driven by Shaun Bodham and had called out to Mr Pemberton, whose dog was pulling him along, “who’s taking who for a walk.”

Mr Joyce said Mr Pemberton laughed and replied “I know”, but the next day Adam confronted Mr Rudd over the remark, taking great offence that his partner, Helen Witney, had been called a dog.

“It was nothing of the sort,” Mr Joyce told the jury. “For that Mr Rudd ended up dead ”

Mr Joyce said Adam punched Mr Rudd and the incident escalated after both men went to Mr Pemberton’s home at 65 Victoria Road.

The jury heard Mr Rudd called Adam a “bully, and petty,” and punched him three or four times.

Mr Joyce told the jury: “Adam pulled the knife which he had with him. Mr Rudd suffered two knife wounds ”

The alleged stabbing was not caught on CCTV but Mr Rudd could be seen on camera as he came out of the alley way from 65 Victoria Road, and fell to the ground in the middle of the road before getting up and finally collapsing on the pavement.

Adam, 46, of Victoria Road, Mablethorpe, denies the murder of James Rudd on 28 August last year and a second charge of possessing an offensive weapon on the same date.