THE TRIAL of local dad Sam Johnston has heard how he said he'd been stabbed before collapsing at a party in Saltcoats last year.

Leona Conn told the murder trial that the dad-of-one told her : “Oh no they've got me” before collapsing to the ground covered in blood.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Stuart McCulloch, 18, from Saltcoats, Fergal Morgan, 22, from Drumchapel, Glasgow, and Allan Carey, 19, from Ardrossan, who deny murdering Samuel Johnston at 36 Parkend Gardens, Saltcoats, on October 26, last year.

Miss Conn, who studied law at Edinburgh, said: “Sam was standing at the doorway to the living room and he had been injured. He was bleeding profusely. He had a wound to his torso.” She told advocate depute Sheena Fraser, prosecuting, that she had invited a number of people to her flat on October 25, last year.

These included Mr Johnston and the three accused.

Miss Conn said that initially the evening had been a pleasant one. But, then Ross Johnston, Sam's brother was injured.

She said: “I tried to get everyone to leave by grabbing and pushing, but they weren't leaving. I went to ring the police because I couldn't control the situation.

“I turned back round and Sam was injured. Someone was calling an ambulance and I went towards the kitchen and I noticed there was a large knife and two spots of blood on the kitchen floor just in front of the fridge.” The jury was played a 999 call in which the operator advises the caller Ross Wilson to place a clean cloth of towel over Mr Johnston's wound to try to stem the bleeding.

In the background shouting and screaming can be heard.

Alleged murder victim Sam Johnston said: “I've been stabbed” before collapsing, a court was told today.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Mr Johnston was covered in blood.

Witness Michael McAtee, 19, said: “He had blood coming from his chest.” He told the court that he knelt down beside Mr Johnston and applied a towel to his wound to try to stem the flow of blood.

It is alleged that 22-year-old Mr Johnston was repeatedly punched on the head and body as well being struck on the chest with a knife or similar instrument.

The trial before judge Bill Dunlop QC continues