Woman committed for trial over death of Ayrshire woman

A 28-year-old woman has been fully committed for trial after making a second appearance in connection with the alleged murder of Annalise Johnstone beside a witch monument.

Angela Newlands is alleged to have murdered the 22-year-old by slitting her throat next to the Maggie Wall's Memorial near Dunning, Perthshire, on 9th or 10th May this year.

Newlands, from Inchture, was remanded in custody after appearing in private at Perth Sheriff Court on a murder petition earlier.

She is alleged to have assaulted Miss Johnstone, from Ayrshire, by repeatedly striking her on the neck with a sharp implement.

It is alleged she cut her victim's neck and murdered her by the memorial adjacent to the B8062 road between Auchterarder and Dunning.

Newlands, who is the second person to face a murder charge in connection with Miss Johnstone's death, was fully committed for trial.

Jordan Johnstone, 24, has already been fully committed for trial in connection with an identical charge relating to the murder of his sister Annalise.

Johnstone, made a second appearance in private at Perth Sheriff Court on 1 June and made no motion for bail. He was remanded in custody.

The petition against him alleged that he repeatedly struck his sister in the neck with a sharp implement at the witch's monument.

Johnstone, who had been living in Perthshire, also faced a second charge alleging he had stolen a caravan in Irvine, Ayrshire, on 9 May.

His court appearance came after a major fortnight-long police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Miss Johnstone's body.

Maggie Wall's Memorial, on the outskirts of the village, was infamously visited in the 1960s by Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

The body of Annalise, from Ardrossan in Ayrshire, was discovered on the B8062 Auchterarder to Dunning road on Thursday 10 May.

The monument - which is shrouded in mystery - purportedly represents a woman who was killed as a witch, but no record of her actually exists.

It is regularly daubed with slogans in paint under the cover of darkness.