Murder accused told mum she still loved ex-partner after his death

A woman told her mum she thought she still loved the man she's now accused of murdering, a court has heard.

Wendy Glass, 54, said her daughter Tasmin, 20, told her the news whilst she spoke to police investigating the death of her former boyfriend Steven Donaldson, 27.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the freelance journalist say that she accompanied her daughter to a police station in Dundee to give a statement to detectives.

She had gone there after Mr Donaldson's remains were discovered in the car park of a nature reserve in Kirriemuir, Angus, on June 7 2018.

Mrs Glass, also of Kirriemuir, told prosecution lawyer Ashley Edwards QC that she comforted Tasmin as she spoke to officers.

She added: "She was upset. We were both upset."

Mrs Glass said that she had tried to reassure Tasmin about what was going on.

She added: "She said to me, I think I still love him."

Mrs Glass was giving evidence on the afternoon of the sixth day of proceedings against her daughter and her co accused Steven Dickie, 24, and Callum Davidson, also 24.

The trio, who all come from the Kirriemuir area, all deny murdering Mr Donaldson, of Arbroath, Angus, in their home town between June 6 and June 7 last year.

On Monday, Mrs Glass told the court she is currently helping to look after her daughter's 13 week old baby.

She said that on June 6, Tasmin told her she was going out with Steven Dickie and a couple of friends.

Mrs Glass said she had been in contact with her daughter to find out when she was returning home.

Mrs Glass said she had waited up for her and said that Tasmin looked normal when she returned home.

She said: "She was quite happy, relaxed, chatty."

She went to bed and her daughter stayed up to watch some TV. Mrs Glass said she was dozing and heard her daughter go to her bedroom later.

She also said she had seen her daughter the following morning and said she was awake and on her phone.

The court heard that Tasmin left for work and then called her mother to wish her parents a happy 30th wedding anniversary.

Mrs Glass said she had spotted something on Facebook about a body being discovered in Kirriemuir.

She said: "I was quite shocked because things like that don't happen in Kirriemuir."

Mrs Glass said that she later got a phone call from her daughter who was in a police car because officers thought that Steven Donaldson's body had been found at Kinnordy Loch in the town.

Mrs Glass said: "She was very upset."

Mrs Glass said her daughter later told her she was supposed to meet Mr Donaldson at a location in Kirriemuir but that he did not turn up.

She said that in the days following, they had spoken to her about Mr Donaldson's death. Mrs Glass said: "There is no way my daughter could have been involved in this."

Mrs Glass also said that her daughter's relationship with Mr Donaldson had been a "very equal" relationship.

But she thought that it was over by the time of Tasmin's 19th birthday in March 2018.

But Mrs Glass said that the pair remained in contact with each other.

She said: "I knew she still had feelings for him. I knew she was still in contact with him."

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 2018 and June 7 2018, Mr Dickie, Mr Davidson and Miss Glass arranged to meet Mr Donaldson at the Peter Pan Play Park in Kirriemuir and assaulted him there by repeatedly striking him with "unknown instruments".

It's alleged that Mr Donaldson was then "incapacitated" - the trio are then alleged to have taken Mr Donaldson to the Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park.

Once at the park, the Crown claims that Mr Donaldson was struck on the head and body with a knife, a baseball bat or similar instruments.

The trio are then alleged to have struck Mr Donaldson on the head and neck with an "unknown heavy bladed instrument".

They are then alleged to have set fire to Mr Donaldson and to his car.

Mr Dickie and Mr Davidson also face a number of other charges including assaults and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The trio have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial, before judge Lord Pentland, continues.