Plumber tells murder trial he saw fatal fire take hold of Fraserburgh flat 20 years ago

A plumber’s told a murder trial that he saw a small fire in a close as he drove along Fraserburgh High Street 19 years ago.

Jackie Senic, 38, was giving evidence at the trial of Barry Henderson, 42, who denies murdering 43-year-old Gordon Graham and attempting to murder his wife Anne by torching their Fraserburgh home on May 3, 1998.

Mr Senic told the High Court in Glasgow: “I saw something on fire in the close. It was only small with flames about two to three feet high.”

He told the jury that the fire appeared to be in front of a wheelie bin, but the bin was not on fire.

Mr Senic said that he drove round in a circle and back to the High Street, which took about a minute and a half to two minutes. By the time he returned he told prosecutor Jim Keegan QC the close was well ablaze.

He said: “I parked on the opposite side of the street. And saw the fire had spread quickly. I don't know if anyone would have been able to get down or up the stairs. “

Defence QC Brian McConnachie asked Mr Senic: “What did you see the second time ,” and he replied: “It was a big fire. It was a lot larger than it was the first time. The stairway was full of fire.”

He was then asked if he could tell where the fire was situated in the close and replied: “It seemed to be right at the back. The whole hallway was on fire and there were flames.”

The court heard that Mr Senic saw police officers drive up in a police van and help Anne Graham , who was hanging out of her kitchen window, on to its roof and then on the pavement and safety.

Earlier former taxi driver Stewart Hosie, 52, said that he was driving back into Fraserburgh when he saw what he described as “an orange or reddish glow” in the common close at the Graham's flats in the High Street .

He flagged down a passing police car and reported it and then drove back round again.

He said: “It was about 2am. When I drove round again there was smoke coming out of the roof and the kitchen window and Anne Graham was at the window. I remember the smoke coming out the kitchen window was fearsome.

“Anne was getting helped onto the police van and then onto the pavement.

“After getting her out of the flat the police left her to try and get in at the back of the flats.”

Mr Hosie said that Mrs Graham was in shock and told him her husband was in the burning building.

He said that he went to Mrs Graham's daughter house in Marcon I Road, Fraserburgh, and told her about the fire.

Mr Hosie added that when he finished work at 5.15am he went back to Marconi Road to see if there was any news and was told that Gordon Graham had been found dead in his flat.

The night of the fire he was sleeping in the upper flat and his wife was in the lower flat. He often slept in the upper flat when he had been drinking.

Henderson is also accused of assaulting a woman in a nightclub in Fraserburgh, by kicking her on the leg and attempting to punch her, and of committing a breach of the peace at a nearby car park on May 3, 1998.

He also faces another charge that he behaved in a threatening manner on a bus between Crimond and Fraserburgh last November.

Henderson denies all the charges against him and has lodged special defences of alibi and incrimination.

The trial before Lord Ericht continues