Liam Fee murder trail jurors urged to convict mum and partner
The trial at the High Court in Livingston continues
The jury in the trial of two women accused of murdering a toddler has been told there is enough evidence to convict them.
In his closing speech to jurors, Advocate Depute Alex Prentice QC urged them to find that Rachel Fee or Trelfa and her civil partner Nyomi Fee had carried out a course of violent and cruel'' treatment towards three children.
They deny murdering two-year-old Liam Fee at a house near Glenrothes in Fife by repeatedly inflicting ''blunt force trauma'' to his head and body, as well as ill-treating two other young boys in their care, one of whom they blame for the toddler's death on March 22, 2014.
Mr Prentice told the jury the case had been harrowing'', adding:You would really have to be made of granite not to have been moved by some of what you have heard.''
He urged them to put aside any feelings of sympathy and judge the two women based on the evidence led over more than six weeks at the High Court in Livingston.
He said: What I ask you to do is to find both the accused guilty of everything that is on this indictment.That's my invitation to you. You are entitled to do that. There is sufficient evidence led in this case which justifies the charges as they are.''
Mr Prentice said that while the case was circumstantial, there was clear and compelling'' evidence against the two women, including that given by the two other young boys in a series of video interviews shown to the jury.
He said: If you stand back and look at all that it would entitle you to then consider that there has been an overall course of criminal conduct and it is that the accused together embarked upon a course of violent and cruel treatment towards the children.''
He added: There's a clear and compelling picture that emerges of the boys being ill-treated in a way that is completely unacceptable.''