Repeated Cries for Help Before Fatal Fall
Screams for help were repeatedly heard before a man fell to his death from a 12th floor flat in Aberdeen, an inquiry has revealed.
Jamie Forbes, aged 37, was held against his will in a flat at Elphinstone Court for two days in January 2024 before he fell from a window.
Despite police conducting door-to-door inquiries, they were unable to determine the exact source of the pleas for help.
Witnesses testified during the first day of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) in Aberdeen that they contacted emergency services after hearing calls for assistance, including shouts of "somebody help me".
Perpetrator Sentenced for Culpable Homicide
Lee Smith, 37, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2024 after pleading guilty to culpable homicide.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lady Hood was informed that the abuse inflicted on Forbes was so severe that he felt compelled to jump from the window.
Police later found that the lock on the flat's door had been tampered with, making the window the only possible escape route.
Officers discovered Smith washing dishes in the kitchen and noted bloodstains throughout the flat.
Smith had repeatedly assaulted Forbes with a hammer and had punched and kicked him during the attack.
Witness Accounts of Distress Calls
The first witness, Gail Thomson, 27, told Gavin Burton, representing the Crown, that she called 999 on the morning of 15 January 2024.
Her 999 call was played in court.
"I do not know what was going on but I cannot walk by and not say anything," she said during the call, explaining she could hear repeated screams for help coming from six floors below the top of the 18-floor building.
The call handler informed her that another caller had reported a man shouting for help.
Another witness, Lindsay Barrett, 47, testified that she also called 999 after hearing a man's voice shouting for help "numerous" times.
She described the shouts as "distressed" and "desperate".
Additional Witness Testimony and Location Details
Victoria Esan, 40, described hearing screams of "call the police" and said the man sounded "really stressed, like he was in danger."
She reported that the man shouted he was in flat number 47 and later provided this information to police officers, who had received conflicting reports about the flat number.
Agreed evidence at the start of the FAI confirmed the incident involved flat 47 at Elphinstone Court.
Fatal Fall and Post-Mortem Findings
The inquiry was informed that the victim was seen falling from a window to his death on the afternoon of the day when the 999 calls were made.
A witness covered the victim's body with a duvet that had also fallen from the window.
A post-mortem examination revealed multiple internal injuries consistent with a fall from height.
There were also sharp force injuries to Forbes's hands, described as "classic defence-type injuries." Some relatives of the victim were excused from the courtroom before these details were presented.
Inquiry Proceedings
The FAI is being conducted in the civil annexe of Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
It is expected to last approximately four days, followed by later submissions before Sheriff Principal Andrew Miller makes his determination.
