Steven Donaldson murder accused messaged him hours after his body was found, court hears

A murder accused messaged her former boyfriend to say she was "worried" about him just hours after his body was discovered at a car park, a court heard.

Tasmin Glass,20, sent Steven Donaldson,27, an iMessage asking him if he was okay on the morning of June 7 2018.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Miss Glass had sent Mr Donaldson another message the previous evening telling him to meet at a hill in Kirriemuir, Angus, or "not at all".

The court had previously heard that the remains of Mr Donaldson, of Arbroath, Angus, had been discovered on June 7 at the Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park in Kirriemuir.

Prosecutors allege that Miss Glass, Steven Dickie,24, and Callum Davidson, also 24, murdered Mr Donaldson, an offshore worker.

On Wednesday, Detective Constable Stewart Woodhouse,31, told prosecution lawyer Ashley Edwards QC that he examined Miss Glass's iPhone during the investigation into Mr Donaldson's death.

The Police Scotland officer said he found a "great deal" of text messages on Miss Glass's phone which were of interest to his colleagues.

He also said he found a number of iMessages - the name given to Apple's messaging service - on Miss Glass's handset which were of interest to investigators.

Jurors were shown some of the messages. They were told that on the morning that Mr Donaldson's body was discovered, Miss Glass sent her former partner an iMessage.

The jury were shown the message. It read: "morning are u okay? Not heard from u and I'm getting worried now."

The evidence was led on the 12th day of proceedings against the three Kirriemuir residents who deny murdering Mr Donaldson in their home town between June 6 and June 7 2018.

On Wednesday, jurors heard that Miss Glass and Mr Donaldson sent each other a number of iMessages messages on June 6.

The court had earlier heard that at the time of Mr Donaldson's death, Miss Glass spent part of the week living at a flat in the west end of Glasgow.

On June 6, Miss Glass sent Mr Donaldson messages telling him that she was leaving Glasgow to come back to Kirriemuir.

Mr Donaldson asked to meet her. At 9.39am on June 6, he sent her a message which read: "Are u okay? You wanna go somewhere so we can chill x"

Later in the day, the jurors were shown a number of text messages. The jury had heard previously that Miss Glass owed Mr Donaldson money.

Mr Donaldson sent a message which read: "You bringing my money?"

Miss Glass replied: "I'm bringing everything that ok?"

Mr Donaldson then replied: "So it must be over then?"

Miss Glass replied: "not saying that but if we argue u can have all your stuff back."

The jury heard that later in the day Miss Glass told Mr Donaldson that she'd meet him at a location in Kirriemuir called "the hill".

She said that she didn't want to meet him at her mother's house in Kirriemuir.

She sent a message to Mr Donaldson which read: "U either meet me up the hill or not at all."

Jurors then saw a message which Mr Donaldson sent to Miss Glass which said 'okay."

The jury were then told the last message between the two was sent at 10.38pm on June 6. It was from Mr Donaldson to Miss Glass and it read: "I've left.'

The jury then heard that the next message exchanged between the pair came the following morning at 9.29am. It was Tasmin asking Mr Donaldson if he was okay.

Detective Constable Woodhouse also told the court that he examined Mr Davidson's phone during the investigation.

He said that the phone's internet browsing history showed that the user had visited a shopping website called wish.com.

DC Woodhouse said that the user had used the search expressions 'wheapons'. The user had also visited a page on wish.com for an item called 'Cold Steel Latin D-Guard Machete 24"'

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 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 weapons".

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

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

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 Thursday.