Margaret Fleming carers were not the “right” people, court hears

Two carers were not the “right” people to look after a woman they allegedly murdered, a jury was told.

The claim was made by Jean McSherry - the fiancee of Margaret Fleming's late father.

77 year-old Edward Cairney and 59 year-old Avril Jones are on trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Miss McSherry said she did not like Cairney, who apparently once told her Margaret did not want to speak to her after she moved in with the duo.

They deny murder at their house in Seacroft, Inverkip between December 18 1999 and January 5 2000.

Margaret – who would now be 38 – has allegedly not been seen for more than 19 years.

66 year-old Miss McSherry had been in a two year relationship with Margaret's lawyer dad Derek Fleming before he died of cancer in 1995.

The couple had previously spoken of getting married and that she would be “a sort of step mum” to Margaret.

She also told of meeting Cairney and Jones through her fiancee.

Prosecutor Iain McSporran QC asked Miss McSherry if there were plans for Margaret should anything happen to her dad.

She said: “He spoke to me about Eddie and Avril before we got serious and that, if anything happened, it was going to be them who would look after young Margaret.

“This was because his parents were old. He (Derek) later said he would change that when we spoke about marriage, but it never was.”

Mr McSporran: “What were your plans for Margaret?”

Miss McSherry: “I would like to have looked after her, but he already had his will written out.”

The advocate depute: “That contained provisions as to where Margaret was to be looked after?”

The witness: “Yes.”

Margaret eventually moved in with Cairney and Jones after her dad died.

Miss Cairney told jurors of later phoning to talk to Margaret.

But, she recalled: “I spoke to Eddie and he said she did not want to speak to me. He said Margaret did not want anything to do with me. I felt gutted.”

Mr McSporran: “How did you feel about Margaret getting looked after by them?”

Miss McSherry: “I did not think it was right...just a gut feeling. I did not like Eddie, Avril was alright.”

She also felt Margaret needed cared for by “someone more outgoing” to “take her places and show different things”.

Miss McSherry had no further contact with Margaret from then.

She only learned Margaret was reporting missing when police spoke to her in November 2016.

Cairney and Jones also deny defrauding £182,000 in benefits and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by claiming Margaret was alive.

The trial, before Lord Matthews, continues.