Pair jailed for killing man in botched robbery in Dundee

Thomas Henderson and Michael King have been jailed over Lee Small's death

A man who murdered a father-of-two during a botched robbery in Dundee has been jailed for at least 18 years.

Thomas Henderson and co-accused Michael King killed Lee Small after gaining entry to his flat by pretending they wanted to buy drugs.

A court was told that Henderson stabbed Mr Small in the neck severing both his jugular vein and his carotid artery.

King, 29, was jailed for 10 years and nine months after admitting a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Henderson, 31, had admitted murdering Mr Small in September 2021.

Judge Lord Mulholland told them at the High Court in Edinburgh: "By your actions you have taken the life of another man and you will both pay a heavy price for that."

A previous court hearing was told that the incident lasted as little as 30 seconds before the pair fled the property in Ballindean Terrace.

They were spotted disposing of the knife and their bloody clothing in a wheelie bin and nearby garden.

When he was detained by police, King said: "I'm not going down for this. I'll tell you who did this.

"I'll take you to the knife. He wrapped something round the handle and his fingerprints will be on the blade."

A court heard Lee Small sustained unsurvivable injuries in the attack

He told officers that they plotted to rob Mr Small because they knew he kept money and pills in open view, and that they had been "excited" beforehand.

Advocate depute Chris Fyffe told the court that CCTV was recovered which showed the duo walking to Mr Small's flat and stopping outside shops.

He said: "Both men were shadow boxing as if they were preparing for a physical altercation."

He said neither of the accused called for an ambulance and both made efforts to cover their tracks by disposing of their blood-soaked clothing.

Mr Small died after sustaining an "unsurvivable" wound to his neck which resulted in blood loss and cardiac arrest.

The judge said that after the fatal attack the killers fled "thinking only about yourselves" and failing to call for an ambulance.

Defence counsel Mark Stewart KC, for King, said his client understood the loss, damage and injury that had been caused.

Iain Paterson, solicitor advocate for Henderson, said he had difficult childhood experiences and struggled to come to terms with the death of his father when he was aged 22.

He said: "He entirely accepts his responsibility for causing the death. It is clear he is deeply remorseful."