Murder trial hears victim 'ate from dog bowl'

A police officer told a jury that the man accused of killing missing Margaret Fleming told him: "This is going to end up in a murder charge."

Constable Jonathan Gilmour told the High Court in Glasgow that Edward Cairney made the comment after he and a colleague went to Seacroft in Inverkip looking for Margaret on October 28, 2016.

PC Gilmour was giving evidence at the trial of Margaret's carers Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 58, who deny murdering Margaret when she was 19 at the home they shared at Seacroft, Main Road, 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.

When Margaret's father lawyer Derek Fleming, who had cared for her, died in October 1995, she stayed with her mother Margaret Cruikshanks for a couple of years, then was cared for by Cairney and Jones.

The court heard that concerns were raised after Jones filled in a benefits claim for Margaret in September 2016. In this she claimed that Margaret ate food from a dog's bowl, would cut her palms with a knife when anxious and had picked a hole in her forehead.

Inverclyde Council social worker Veronica Bennett initially spoke to Jones on the phone and then visited Seacroft with a colleague.

Miss Bennett said: "Avril Jones said that Margaret would eat out the dog bowl and when she got anxious she cut the palms of her hands with a knife. She also said Margaret had picked a hole in her forehead and when I asked what the doctor said she hadn't taken her to a GP."

The social worker was so concerned by this conversation that she and a colleague drove to Seacroft and when she saw the property , which she described as being in a very poor state, she called in the police.

Constable Gilmour and a colleague turned up to investigate and were told by Cairney and Jones that Margaret had fled out the back door when she heard the police.

They said that Margaret and Cairney had been to Wemyss Bay and back to buy a Mars Bar and had returned just as the police turned up.

The police officer told the jury that as they questioned the pair Cairney became aggressive.

PC Gilmour said: "He said You can see where this is going Avril , she's away. This is going to end up in a murder charge."

The jury heard that PC Gilmour asked for items of Margaret's which may have her DNA on them.

He was given a tartan jumper, a blue T-shirt, a toy penguin and a quantity of socks.

Prosecutor Iain McSporran QC asked: "Were there any personal items, make up, a hair brush,”"and PC Gilmour replied: “no.”

Mr McSporran then said: "Can you remember what happened when the socks were produced," and the police officer replied: "Avril said 'now I've got no socks left.' She told me they shared socks."

PC Gilmour also said that Jones told him Margaret was 'doolally.'

Cairney and Jones deny murdering Margaret by means unknown. They also deny claiming £182,000 in benefits fraud by pretending she was alive.

The trial before Lord Matthews continues.