Steven Donaldson's body set alight after being placed beside burning car, court hears

A forensic scientist has told a murder trial how a 'fire damaged' body had been 'dragged' across a car park and placed beside a car which was set on fire.

Louise Sonstebo, 44, went to the Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park in Kirriemuir, Angus, hours after a body was discovered there on June 7 2018.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Ms Sonstebo saw blood staining on the grass verge at the entrance to the car park.

She then noticed marks on the ground to indicate that the human remains were left beside a car which was set alight.

Ms Sonstebo, who works for the Scottish Police Services Authority, said the body had sustained fire damage.

And she concluded that the body had caught fire as a consequence of being placed close to a vehicle which was set ablaze.

Ms Sonstebo told prosecution lawyer Ashley Edwards QC: "The body has become fire damaged because it was placed so close to the car.

"It was caused by the body being in quite close proximity to the car."

Ms Sonstebo was giving evidence on the seventh day of proceedings against Tasmin Glass, 20, Steven Dickie, 24, and Callum Davidson, also 24.

The trio, who are all from the Kirriemuir area, deny murdering Miss Glass's former boyfriend Steven Donaldson, 27, at locations in their hometown between June 6 and June 7 last year.

On Tuesday, Ms Sonstebo said she attended the car park on June 7 to assist police who were investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a body there.

She said that the attended the scene and noticed blood staining at the entrance of the car park and marks which indicated the body had been 'dragged' along the car park.

She added: "The body was dragged along the ground."

Ms Sonstebo also told the court that the body had been damaged by fire. The court heard that both legs of the corpse had been "completely charred".

Ms Sonstebo said that she and her police colleagues removed the body from the scene.

She added: "It took me and three others to lift him from the ground to take him to the undertaker's van."

The court also heard that the corpse weighed approximately 81 kilos and was 5ft6 inches in height.

Jurors were also shown aerial footage of the body lying beside a burned out vehicle.

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 and June 7 2018, Mr Dickie, Mr Davidson and Miss Glass arranged to meet Mr Donaldson, of Arbroath, Angus, at the Peter Pan Play park in their home town and assaulted him there by repeatedly striking him with "unknown weapons".

It's alleged that Mr Donaldson was then "incapacitated" - the trio are then alleged to have taken him to the nearby 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 on Wednesday.