Woman accused of Steven Donaldson murder was trying for baby with him, court hears

A woman was "actively" trying to get pregnant by the boyfriend she allegedly murdered, a court has heard.

Tasmin Glass,20, was trying to start a family with Steven Donaldson,27, in the months before he lost in life in Kirriemuir, Angus, in June 2018.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Donaldson's friend Martin Johnstone,49, say on Thursday that Miss Glass told him about how she wanted a baby.

Mr Johnstone, of Arbroath, Angus, said the conversation took place after his pal said he thought Tasmin was expecting a child.

He told prosecution lawyer Ashley Edwards QC: "She said she was actively trying to get pregnant. She never used the word beneficial but she said it would bring her and Steven closer together and that was a good thing."

Mr Johnstone, an offshore worker, was giving evidence on the fourth day of proceedings against Miss Glass, Steven Dickie,24, and Callum Davidson, also 24,.

The trio - who all come from the Kirriemuir area - deny murdering Mr Donaldson in the town between June 6 and June 7 2018.

On Thursday, Mr Johnstone described Mr Donaldson, who lived in Arbroath, as being a close "trustworthy" friend who he would trust with "everything".

He said that between Christmas 2017 and springtime 2018, Steven bought Miss Glass a Volkswagen Scirocco car. The court had earlier heard that the car was written off after being involved in a collision.

Mr Johnstone said: "He asked me if wanted to go to England to pick up the car. I said no because I had just got home from being offshore and I wanted to see my wife and children.

"I asked him why he got the car. He told me that Tasmin wanted a car so he got her it. It was diesel and it would get her running about."

He said that Steven was in a relationship with Tasmin but the pair had an argument shortly before Mr Donaldson's death.

Mr Johnstone said that the last time he saw Steven alive was the on the night before his body was discovered at a nature reserve at Kirriemuir.

He said that he had getting dinner for his family from a chip shop in Arbroath when Steven drove past him in his car and gave him a thumbs up sign.

Mr Johnstone said that on the morning of June 7, he became aware that a body had been discovered in Kirriemuir,.

He been in contact with a mutual friend of Steven's called John Ryan who had been in contact with Miss Glass.

Mr Johnstone said he then got in touch with Miss Glass and that he spoke to her by telephone on three occasions.

He said that Miss Glass sounded upset on the first two occasions that he spoke to her. But he said that she didn't sound upset on the third time he spoke to her.

He said: "It was like night and day."

Mr Johnstone said he thought "something was up" and that he and a group of friends drove to Kirriemuir. He found the scene where the body was discovered and spoke to police.

Another friend of Mr Donaldson's John Ryan,24, told the court that he spent two hours with him on the night before his body was discovered.

He said they met in Arbroath and Mr Donaldson told him he was going to meet Tasmin later in the evening.

Mr Ryan, also of Arbroath, said: "He said that Tasmin was coming to his house. They weren't getting on and they had not been seeing each other."

Mr Ryan, a a roofer, told the court that Tasmin had been spending time in Glasgow and that she owed her boyfriend money from the car she wrote off.

He added: "He knew that Tasmin was coming through with the money she owed that night. I knew that he was due the money and that she was going to bring it through.

"I knew that she had been putting it off and off and off and off and off."

Mr Ryan said the sum owed was around £3,500 but that his friend didn't appear to be interested in having the money paid back.

He added: "He was more interested about the relationship and where it was going to go. The money didn't faze him."

Mr Ryan said he was expecting to be contacted the following day from Mr Donaldson. However, Mr Donaldson didn't get in touch. A friend went to Mr Donaldson's house in Arbroath but there was no answer.

He said he contacted Tasmin to ask what had happened to Mr Donaldson. She said that Mr Donaldson told her he was coming to see her in Kirriemuir but didn't arrive.

He added: "She said that he was going to come through. She told him she didn't want to him to go through to her house.

"She thought he had fallen asleep and didn't bother going through."

He also said that Miss Glass's family were the "biggest fans" of Steven.

The court heard that on the day after Steven's body was discovered, Miss Glass sent a text message to Mr Ryan.

The jury were shown the message. It read: "I really can't believe this. I keep thinking we will wake up and all this nightmare. I'm devastated and completely heartbroken."

Prosecutors claim that between June 6 2018 and June 7 2018, Mr Dickie, Mr Davidson and Mr 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 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."

The 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.

• steven donaldson