- Ben McCulloch drove Stephen Quigley, 26, to hospital after stabbing him in the head.
- He abandoned him outside a locked ward and he was discovered dead the next morning.
- The 27-year-old could have survived if he had received timely medical attention.
A guy has admitted to stabbing his friend and then abandoning him in the grounds of a Paisley hospital.
Ben McCulloch, 27, drove Stephen Quigley, 26, to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in March last year after stabbing him in the head during an argument.
He abandoned him outside a locked ward. Mr. Quigley attempted to walk to A&E for assistance but was discovered dead the next morning.
According to the High Court in Glasgow, he could have survived if he had gotten timely medical attention.
McCulloch, who was charged with murder at first, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
He stated that he kept his companion away from A&E because he did not want to reveal the nature of the injuries.
On the day of the incident, the two friends were drinking in McCulloch’s flat in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, according to the court.
They were having fun while uploading video snippets on social media.
“McCulloch and Mr Quigley became involved in a confrontation,” said prosecutor Angela Gray.
“During this, McCulloch grabbed possession of the knife and hit Mr Quigley in the head, inflicting the long-incised cut on the right side of his head.”
McCulloch dropped the bleeding victim near the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s closed mental health unit.
Mr Quigley, who was “unsteady on his feet” due to a head injury, was seen on CCTV walking for assistance.
He was discovered dead outside the unit by nursing staff at 7:00 a.m. the next morning.
“The injuries to his skull would have been survivable if timely medical assistance had been acquired,” Miss Gray stated.
McCulloch was apprehended after being tracked down to a short-term rental house in Newcastle.
Ian Duguid QC, defending, told the court: “He knows the fact that his friend died in such circumstances is a matter of considerable difficulty for his family and he wishes to express his apologies.”
Judge Lord Mulholland told McCulloch: “Be under no illusions, you were responsible for this man’s death and you accept that you inflicted a significant injury to this man with a knife.
“You can expect a lengthy period in prison.”
Det Supt Scott McCallum said: “I would like to thank all those who assisted us with our investigation.”
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