Emma Caldwell suspect admitted lying to police about not knowing her

The Emma Caldwell murder suspect told police he once had sex with her despite her telling him to stop, jurors at the High Court in Glasgow heard.

Iain Packer also confessed that he had earlier lied to detectives about not knowing prostitute Miss Caldwell.

The 51 year-old further stated he had driven other sex workers outside of Glasgow to a quiet area in South Lanarkshire.

He denies a total of 46 charges involving multiple women and includes the murder of 27 year-old Miss Caldwell at Limefield Woods in Biggar on April 5 2005.

The trial at the High Court in Glasgow previously heard Packer told police weeks after Miss Caldwell's body was found that he had never picked her up in the past.

Jurors today/yesterday heard he gave a further statement in August 2006.

In it, Packer said: "I have been asked if I have any information in relation to the Emma Caldwell inquiry.

"In my previous statement, I have told police that I did not know her.

"That is a lie. I did know her. I have been with her 10 or 11 times...maybe more, maybe less."

Packer said the first time was around two years earlier. He described her as "quite pretty".

He went on to recall one time he picked her up in the city's east end.

Packer made a particular sexual request, which Miss Caldwell was said to have initially agreed to. They then went together to nearby spare ground.

Describing what he was doing, Packer went on: "Emma called out and said that she did not want to do it any more.

"I continued to hold on to her waist..I was saying: 'We agreed before we started. I have paid for this'."

Miss Caldwell got away and was said to be "upset" before walking off.

Packer drove away in his van.

Packer went on to state to police that he later tried to "find" Miss Caldwell to "apologise".

He said: "I told her that I was really sorry for not stopping when she wanted me to."

Packer claimed the last time he saw Miss Caldwell was early 2005.

He said he had never taken her "anywhere outside of Glasgow", denied ever asking her to strip or that he had "stalked" her.

But, Packer added: "She was one of the prostitutes I specifically looked for when I was trying to pick someone up."

He claimed at one stage that he got a "thrill" and "a buzz" from using sex workers.

Jurors went on to hear how he did drive three other women outside of Glasgow after picking them up.

He spoke about the "Biggar area of Lanarkshire".

Packer added: "I did not know the Lanarkshire area well at all. It is not an area I have worked in or one that I went to as a child with my family."

The trial, before judge Lord Beckett, continues.

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