Coatbridge man on trial accused of murdering his brother and partner

A man from Coatbridge has gone on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, accused of the double murder of his brother and partner.

Peter Duffy, 47, is accused of killing John Paul Duffy, 51, between March 29 and April 10 2022 at his home in High Coats.

John Paul is said to have been hit repeatedly with a knife.

Peter Duffy is separately charged with also murdering his partner Emma Baillie, 26, between March 4 and April 12 2022 at a property in Calder Street in the town.

It is claimed he compressed her neck and repeatedly struck her on the head and body with a knife.

Forced entry

Today jurors heard how the body of John Paul was found under a pile of rubbish with his brother, Peter, lying nearby.

Peter had initially claimed his sibling was a "hermit" and must be in his bedroom

PC Emma Gibney was the first witness in the trial today.

The officer and a colleague went to John Paul's home on April 10 after concerns were raised that no one had heard from him for a number of days.

The police turned up at his door and were met with loud music from inside.

They clocked someone in the flat approach, but then "scarper" away.

The officers eventually had to force entry after failed attempts to get an answer. A bike was found to have been pushed behind the door.

'State of disarray'

PC Gibney told prosecutor Angela Gray how she found the flat in a "state of disarray".

The constable added: "We walked down the hallway and we observed a deceased cat on the floor in a pool of blood.

"It looked as if it had been there for a period of time."

They then went on to spot Duffy wrapped up in a sleeping bag on a couch in the living room.

PC Gibney initially believed he was sleeping adding: "I continued to call on him, shook him.

"I pulled the sleeping bag off and observed significant injuries to both sides of his neck."

She got a towel for the wounds before Duffy started to talk.

PC Gibney: "He was not really making much sense. I asked him where John Paul was.

"He responded: 'He will be in his bedroom. He is a hermit'."

PC Gibney's sergeant then also turned up at the flat.

Body hidden under litter

There had been another couch in the living room which was initially thought to be just piled high with litter.

PC Gibney recalled: "I was alerted by my sergeant that she had discovered John Paul's body sitting on the couch hidden under the rubbish that we first observed."

The constable said the amount of litter had been such that John Paul had not been "noticeable" initially.

PC Gibney: "His skin was grey, eyes white and he looked as if he had been there for a period of time due to the state of decomposition."

Duffy denies the charges and the trial, before judge Lord Scott, continues.

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