Man jumped to death from 12th-floor flat to escape 'friend' after days of torture

A man was forced to jump to his death from a 12th-floor flat to escape a “friend” who had spent two days torturing him, a court has heard.

Lee Smith, 37, abducted Jamie Forbes, also 37, and held him against his will at his flat in Elphinstone Court, Aberdeen, on January 14 and January 15, 2024.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Smith repeatedly struck his victim with a hammer and punched and kicked him during the assault.

Judge Lady Hood heard how the abuse inflicted on Mr Forbes was so bad that he had no other option but to jump out the window.

His lifeless body was found on the ground shortly afterwards at 3.25pm on January 15, 2024.

On Wednesday, prosecution lawyer Leanne McQuillan told judge Lady Hood of how police officers attended at the house shortly afterwards.

They found that the lock to the house had been “reversed” which would have prevented Mr Forbes from leaving.

They found Smith, who suffers from Obssessive Compulsive Disorder, washing up in his kitchen – they also found bloodstains throughout the house.

Ms McQuillan said: “The accused’s behaviour began to fluctuate dramatically. One minute, he would be extremely agitated, then the next, docile, eating chocolate and drinking milk.

“In discussion with police and in answer to their questions, the accused informed the officers that he was refusing to clean up the blood in the living room as it wasn’t his and he was waiting for the deceased to do it.

“The accused became upset and went through to the kitchen attempting to clean further, stating he had OCD and had to be restrained briefly by PC Stevenson to stop.

“It was then decided the accused was to be arrested.”

The story emerged after Smith, now a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pleaded guilty to being responsible for Mr Forbes’ culpable homicide.

Ms McQuillan said that Mr Forbes was last captured on CCTV entering the block on January 14, 2024.

Ms McQuillan said that at 8.15am on January 15, a contractor working nearby heard a “male voice” shouting for the police. He thought it was coming from between the tenth and 16th floor of the block.

At the same time a nearby resident also reported hearing a male repeatedly shouting for help but wasn’t sure where it came from. She called 999.

Lady Hood heard how just after 10am, a resident of the tenth floor heard a male voice repeatedly shouting “please help me”.

He went out onto the balcony to try and work out where it was coming from but could not see anyone. He believed the shouting was coming from above him.

Two residents who lived directly above the accused also heard shouting for help. They looked down and saw the window below was open. They saw a male shouting for help and the police.

A number of other witnesses saw a male at a window of the flat with blood on his face, calling for help. More calls were made to the police.

Ms McQuillan said: “Police officers attended and made door-to-door enquiries on the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors but were not able to trace the source of the shouting.

“They left the locus advising the construction workers to call back if the shouting started again.”

The court heard that two witnesses went into to the accused’s flat, arriving at 12.16pm and noticed the front door handle looked wrong and appeared to have been reversed.

Ms McQuillan said: “The accused became angry and told the witnesses that the deceased was within.

“He told them he had reversed the lock on the front door to keep him there.

“He said the deceased had stolen £40 from him, and he was keeping him there for three days so he could ‘atone’ for what he had done.

“He also said he had ‘battered’ the deceased because of the stolen money.

“The deceased was seen by the witnesses to be lying on the living room floor in a pool of blood.

“He had multiple visible injuries, including bruises and lacerations, and his face was bloodstained.

“He appeared to have soiled himself. The accused began to shout at the deceased and carried him into the bathroom.”

The court heard that the witnesses heard the deceased screaming from the bathroom.

The accused had put Mr Forbes into the bath and told one of the witnesses to watch him while he put his clothes in the washing machine.

Smith then helped him out of the bath, wrapped him in a towel and took him into the bedroom where he lay on the bed shivering. The court heard he began punching and kicking the victim while one of the witnesses tried to stop him.

The witnesses then left.

The court heard that Mr Forbes then jumped from the property shortly afterwards.

Ms McQuillan said a post-mortem was carried out on Mr Forbes and found injuries that were “significant and catastrophic”.

He had blunt force injuries, including bruises, abrasions and lacerations to his head, face, body and all four limbs.

He also had incised wounds to his hands, which were consistent with defensive wounds from a short object.

The court heard that Smith had served several previous jail sentences for offences.

Defence advocate Mark Stewart KC said that Smith and Mr Forbes had been “friends” with each other and were “habitual drug users”.

He said: “The taking of drugs do not provide an excuse but an explanation in this case.”

Lady Hood deferred sentence for the court to obtain reports. She told Smith, who observed proceedings via video link that he would continue to be remanded.

Smith will be sentenced at the High Court in Inverness on November 29, 2024.