ANDREW MORRIS KILLS 10-YEAR-OLD SON IN COUPAR ANGUS AND PERTH

In a tragic and shocking incident that unfolded in the early hours of November 11, 2018, in the town of Coupar Angus, a man named Andrew Morris, aged 38, committed a brutal act of violence that resulted in the death of his young son, Kane. The horrifying events took place inside a residential property in Coupar Angus, where Morris inflicted multiple stab wounds upon his 10-year-old son, striking him six times—once in the chest and five times in the back. Despite these grievous injuries, Kane demonstrated remarkable bravery and selflessness by staggering into the bedroom of an eight-year-old girl, who was also present in the house, in an effort to provide her with help and protection.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the young girl suffering from stab wounds to her abdomen and limbs. She was found lying collapsed outside her bedroom, where she had been sleeping. The girl’s injuries were severe, including a collapsed lung, and she required intensive medical treatment, spending four weeks in hospital to recover. Tragically, Kane succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 3:24 a.m. The scene was one of chaos and heartbreak, with the young girl fighting for her life and Morris himself suffering from multiple self-inflicted injuries.

Following the attack, Morris turned the violence inward, stabbing himself multiple times. He also jumped from the roof of the house, sustaining five stab wounds, a fractured left femur, a fractured pelvis, and rib injuries—all of which were self-inflicted. The aftermath of the incident saw Morris’s body found at a different location, on Union Street in Perth, where he was discovered after the attack.

In the subsequent legal proceedings, Morris admitted to the culpable homicide of his son and also faced a charge of attempting to murder the eight-year-old girl. Initially, he was charged with murder, but prosecutor Alex Prentice QC accepted a plea of culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Morris is currently detained at the State Hospital in Carstairs, where he is awaiting sentencing scheduled for August 12.

During police interviews, Morris expressed disturbing sentiments, stating, “I was taking them to a better place away from evil,” and later admitted, “I’ve done a horrible thing.” The court heard that Kane was stabbed six times—once in the chest and five times in the back—and, despite his injuries, he showed extraordinary bravery by attempting to help the young girl before collapsing. Judge Lord Mulholland described the actions as horrific and praised Kane’s bravery, noting, “It seems to me that Kane showed incredible bravery and self-sacrifice rather than thinking of himself. His concern was for the eight-year-old girl. For a 10-year-old boy to do that shows incredible bravery.” The judge also commended the girl for her own courage during the ordeal.

Prosecutor Prentice revealed that during psychiatric assessments, Morris claimed he acted to protect himself and his family from an unspecified, impending mortal danger. The court was also informed that Morris, who served five years in the Army and worked as a farm hand in his family’s business, was under significant emotional strain following the death of his stepfather in an industrial accident on the farm in May 2018. Witnesses testified that shortly after midnight on the day of the incident, friends visited Morris, leaving him watching football and drinking tea. Around 1:52 a.m., Morris’s niece, Iona McPherson, made a brief, drunken phone call to him, which was played in court. During the subsequent minutes, Morris carried out the violent acts, killing his son, severely injuring the young girl, stabbing himself, and then jumping from a third-floor window.

Paramedics responded swiftly to the scene, finding Morris injured and lying in the street. He admitted to stabbing two children, although he claimed to have no memory of the events, describing his actions as blurry and stating that he thought he heard his niece, Iona, laughing on the phone call. The police found the young girl with stab wounds to her abdomen and limbs, and Kane’s body outside his bedroom. The investigation revealed that Morris had barricaded the front door, complicating rescue efforts. The court heard that Morris’s mental health was fragile, compounded by the loss of his stepfather and ongoing emotional struggles. Family members of Kane, present in the courtroom, were visibly distressed, sobbing as the facts were read out. A family statement issued after Kane’s death described him as a “popular young boy,” “full of energy,” and “deeply loved by all,” emphasizing the profound loss experienced by his loved ones.