Sister of murder accused takes to stand at Surjit Singh Chhokar trial in Glasgow
The sister of murder accused Ronnie Coulter today told a jury he claimed he had got away with the perfect murder.
The sister of murder accused Ronnie Coulter today told a jury he claimed he had got away with the perfect murder.
Margaret Chisholm, 57, was giving evidence at the trial of Coulter, 48, from Wishaw, who denies murdering Surjit Singh Chhokar – known by everyone as Chhokar - in Garrion Street, Overtown, North Lanarkshire on November 4, 1998 by stabbing him.
She told prosecutor Alex Prentice QC that hours after her brother was cleared of murdering Chhokar in 1999 he came to her home in Overtown, Lanarkshire.
At the High Court in Glasgow Mr Prentice asked her: “Why was he there,” and Mrs Chisholm replied: “Because he'd just been found not guilty. He was sitting on the floor in the living room leaning against a radiator.”
The prosecutor then asked: “What did he say,” and she replied: “ He said 'I've just got away with the perfect murder.'”
Mrs Chisholm also told the court that her brother said: “He took one off me, so I took one off him.”
She said she believed this was a reference to God and the fact that Coulter had a baby girl that was stillborn.
Mr Prentice also asked her about a visit she made to her brother in Barlinnie while he was on remand for murder in 1998 or 1999.
He asked if she had asked him anything and Mrs Chisholm replied: “If he done it. If it was him that done Chhokar..”
Mr Prentice said: “Did he answer,” and She replied: “He said 'Mmhmm.' He never said aye or nah.”
She said that was all she could remember about their conversation in the prison.
Mr Prentice showed her a transcript for her son's Andrew Coulter's murder trial in 2000 in which she had said her brother told her he had stabbed Chhokar.
He then asked: “Did you tell the truth on oath when you gave evidence in that trial,” and she answered: “Yes.”
Mrs Chisholm told the jurors that Coulter phoned her from prison while he was on remand and asked her to search for a tammy with a knife wrapped inside it on the old railway line between Overtown and Gowkthrapple.
She said: “I went with my daughter Rona and my son Andrew, but with no intentions of finding them. It was freezing. We took the dog for a walk.”
Mrs Chisholm claimed that in an earlier phone call her brother asked her to go to Wishaw market, along with his former girlfriend Alexandra Tierney, and purchase a box of knives.
She was asked what she was to do with the box of knives and replied: “Take the smallest one out and put it in Ronnie's cutlery drawer.”
The court was told she never did this, but kept the box of knives.
The jury has heard that Coulter, his nephew Andrew Coulter and David Montgomery went to Chhokar's home at Garrion Street, Overtown, around 11.30pm to speak to him about a Giro cheque which had allegedly been stolen from him.
Ronnie Coulter was tried for Chhokar murder in 1999 and cleared and the other two were tried in 2000 and cleared.
Ronnie Coulter has lodged a special defence to the murder charge blaming his nephew Andrew Coulter and David Montgomery.
Both men have given evidence in which they deny having anything to do with the killing of Chhokar.
Ronnie Coulter denies all the charges against him.
Under cross-examination by defence QC Donald Findlay, Mrs Chisholm denied that she was making up lies about her brother Ronnie Coulter to help her son Andrew.
Mr Findlay said: “You would be anxious to do all you could to protect your boy,” and Mrs Chisholm replied: “No , if he had killed him I'd be standing in this box saying my son did it.”
Referring to her evidence the QC added: “This is just a concoction of lies to get Andrew off at Ronnie's expense,” and Mrs Chisholm replied: No.”
Mr Findlay asked why she had not phoned the police when Coulter allegedly mentioned the knife in the tammy.
He went on: “Why did you not tell the police anonymously about this,” and Mrs Chisholm responded: “It would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The QC then said: “One explanation might be that you were terrified in case it was Andrew's DNA or fingerprints on it,” and she replied: “No.”
Mr Findlay added: “Your evidence has been a pack of lies from beginning to end,” and Mrs Chisholm said: “I'm not a liar. I'm not lying in court.”
The trial continues.