Ex Policeman Walks Free After Being Cleared Of Renfrewshire Murder

A FORMER policeman walked free from court after being cleared of murdering drug dealer Martin Toner. At the High Court in Glasgow a jury found the charge against 50-year-old Douglas Fleming not proven. It was alleged that Mr Fleming had stabbed Mr Toner 12 times on the body and then and cut his throat at Gleddoch Estate , Renfrewshire, on June 29, 2004. Mr Fleming, who was staying at the coach house at Gleddoch Estate at the time, was also alleged to have dumped Mr Toner's body in a field in Langbank between June 29 and July 13, 2004. He has always denied any involvement and claimed the last time he saw Mr Toner he was walking towards Langbank railway station. As the verdict was announced Mr Toner's brother James shouted to the jury: "You made a mistake a big mistake. He's a murderer. He murdered him." And his widow Michelle sobbed and said to the jurors: "You are wrong.." After Mr Fleming was acquitted of charges of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice he turned to the jury and said: "Ladies and gentlemen you did not make a mistake. You can be assured of that." Suspicion fell on Mr Fleming, who served as a constable with Central Scotland Police from 1985 to 1988, when he admitted to police he gave Mr Toner a lift to Langbank the day he went missing. Mr Fleming, who was at the time company director of Paisley-based Delta Construction said he had met Mr Toner in the Fit for Life Gym in Pollokshields, Glasgow, around 2.30pm on June 29, 2004. Fleming said that he had gone to the gym around 2pm to speak to one of the directors John - known as Ian - McDonald to discuss possible renovations at the gym. Mr McDonald was also accused of the murder of Mr Toner, but walked free halfway through the trial after the Crown withdrew the charge against him. Mr Fleming said he offered Mr Toner a lift to Langbank in his Mercedes G Wagon because he had lost the keys to his silver Saab He insisted that he dropped Mr Toner close to the railway station and that was the last he saw him. Leisure manager Ross Agnew, 38, whose sister is in a relationship with Mr Fleming alleged that he saw him with a shirt "saturated in blood on the day Mr Toner was murdered. The High Court in Glasgow heard that he only made the allegation 10 years after Mr Toner's death when police questioned him in Spain. Mr Agnew told the court: "Mr Fleming said he had vehicle problems and asked me to drive in my works van to the top of the driveway at Marr Hall. "I drove up and met him. I exited my van and he exited his blue Mercedes G-wagon. He opened his black leather jacket to reveal a shirt absolutely drenched, saturated in blood." "His first words to me were 'the f* tried to stab me.' " Mr Agnew said that he drove Fleming to Greenock where he bought him a new shirt and tie to replace the blood soaked ones. In evidence Mr Fleming described Mr Agnew as a liar and a fantasist and denied being a murderer. He said: "I had no reason to kill him (Toner) - I had nothing to do with it whatsoever." Mr Fleming branded Ross Agnew a "feckless wastrel" who would "put the blame on anyone". The ex-police officer went on: "He is a self-obsessed person, who does not care about the consequences of his actions. Other people clear up his mess. "Ross Agnew is the most unreliable person I know. To think he would not tell anyone for 10 years (about the evidence) is absolutely ridiculous." Mr Toner had been due to go on trial at the High Court in Glasgow for drug offences when he disappeared. He and Mr Fleming had been involved in property development in Bearsden. His body was found dumped in a field by a farmer 14 days after he went missing.

Judge Lord Armstrong told Mr Fleming: "The jury have acquitted you of the charges you faced."