A SAINSBURY'S worker killed a colleague in a knife attack after a "childish and petty" row in the supermarket canteen, a court heard yesterday.
Robert McCulloch, 35, and Roman Romasov, 28, had argued a few days earlier while stacking shelves on the night shift.
The ill-feeling continued as they pushed a table back and forwards at each other in the canteen, and deepened after a chance mee
ting in the toilet.
McCulloch then took a knife from a shelf. He chased and stabbed Mr Romasov, and continued the attack even after his manager rugby-tackled him and tried to pin him to the ground.
Mr Romasov suffered seven wounds to his body, one striking the heart, and died on the floor of the Sainsbury's store in Berryden Road, Aberdeen.
Mr Romasov's mother, Elena Vaickuviene, 51, came from Lithuania to attend the court. Speaking through an interpreter, and fighting back tears, she said: "It is horrible what happened. He (McCulloch] is evil. He does not deserve love or hate."
McCulloch, of Farmer's Hall, Aberdeen, admitted murdering Mr Romasov on the night of 15-16 April. Advocate-depute Alex Prentice, QC, said McCulloch took particular care with his work, but sometimes his attitude would create issues with his colleagues.
The pair argued because Mr Romasov dropped crates, and McCulloch did not like the way he was going about his work.
A couple of nights later, the men were in the canteen.
Mr Prentice said: "They were seen to be arguing and pushing the table they were sitting at backwards and forwards. This argument is described by other members of staff as 'childish' and 'petty'."
Later in the shift, the men met by chance in the toilet, and McCulloch told colleagues that Mr Romasov had punched him and said he was going to kill him, and if he did not, he knew people who would.
McCulloch was seen going to a display of knives and heard to state: "Time to make a life-changing decision."
His manager, Trevor Bowden, saw McCulloch remove the wrapping from a knife, and shouted: "Stop him, he's going to f****** kill him."
McCulloch ran into the aisle where Mr Romasov was working and struck out with the knife. Mr Romasov fled towards doors leading to a storage area and fell. McCulloch chased him and was rugby-tackled by Mr Bowden. They fell beside Mr Romasov.
"Mr Bowden had hold of the accused round the waist and was trying to restrain him, but the accused managed to free both of his hands. He was then seen to stab Mr Romasov a number of times," said Mr Prentice.
Another worker prised McCulloch's hand from the knife, which remained in Mr Romasov's body. McCulloch was restrained. "He appeared to be laughing," said Mr Prentice.
"He commented, 'I got Roman before he got me'. He is described as calm and perfectly clear."
In an interview, McCulloch said he had told Mr Romasov to do his job properly during the first argument, and Mr Romasov later threatened to kill him.
"I was just off my head and I was looking at the knives and went and done it. I ran up to him and I told him he was finished and I stabbed him," said McCulloch. "I was terrified… I didn't want to die."
McCulloch will be sentenced next month.
The full article contains 566 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
