A lady on trial for allegedly murdering a schoolgirl in 1996 had threatened to “batter” her for spending time with a youth she was additionally seeing, a courtroom has heard.
Tracy McFetridge, 44, informed police she heard Donna Marie Brand – one in all three folks charged with Caroline Glachan’s homicide – utter the risk in a dialog with one other buddy weeks earlier than the 14-year-old was discovered lifeless.
The High Court in Glasgow heard Ms McFetridge made the accusation in a press release she gave to police throughout a reinvestigation in 2020 – 24 years after Caroline was discovered lifeless within the River Leven.
Brand, 44, together with Robert O’Brien, 45, and Andrew Kelly, 44, are on trial accused of murdering the schoolgirl on 25 August 1996.
Prosecutors allege they organized to satisfy {the teenager} at a bridge close to a towpath beside the river between Renton and Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire.
They are then alleged to have assaulted her, shouted and swore at her and repeatedly kicked and punched her on the pinnacle and physique.
It is claimed the trio threw bricks or “similar instruments” inflicting blunt drive accidents to her head and physique earlier than pushing or inflicting her to fall into the river, and finally murdering her.
O’Brien, Brand and Kelly have all pleaded not responsible and lodged a particular defence of alibi.
Ms McFetridge informed the courtroom Caroline had been spending time with O’Brien, however on the identical he had additionally been seeing Brand who was not proud of the scenario.
Asked by Advocate Depute Alex Prentice if there had been a dialog involving Caroline and a suspected being pregnant, Ms McFetridge replied: “Yes. She said she had missed her period and she might be pregnant.”
She went on to inform the courtroom that the schoolgirl was conscious O’Brien was seeing Brand and that she had suggested her to not say something concerning the potential being pregnant round Brand.
“Donna said she was not happy and said she was going to batter her. I told her ‘[No], you [can’t] do that, she is only 14’,” she mentioned.
Questioned by O’Brien’s lawyer, Ian Duguid KC, Ms McFetridge mentioned she initially didn’t consider Caroline when she mentioned she could be pregnant, including: “She told wee white lies.”
She then informed the courtroom she accompanied the schoolgirl as she took a being pregnant take a look at, which returned constructive.
However, forensic pathologist Dr Marjorie Turner mentioned there was no signal {the teenager} was pregnant on the autopsy examination.
Read extra from the trial:
Three on trial over 1996 homicide of schoolgirl
Teen ‘suffered a minimum of 10 blows to go earlier than drowning in river’
Giving proof, Ms McFetridge added: “[Brand] was angry, as you would be if someone was seeing your partner at that age.”
Ms McFetridge additionally informed the courtroom Caroline had visited her at her father’s home on the night time earlier than her demise, however this was one thing she solely felt assured revealing in the course of the reinvestigation into her demise in 2020.
Asked by Brand’s solicitor, Thomas Ross KC, why she had made “absolutely no mention” of the go to in three separate statements she made to police within the three months after the schoolgirl’s demise, she mentioned she was “scared” of repercussions.
O’Brien faces a separate cost alleging that on numerous dates between 1 June 1996 and 25 August 1996, he assaulted {the teenager} at places together with Balloch Country Park, Renton, Vale of Leven and “elsewhere in Dunbartonshire”.
It is alleged O’Brien assaulted {the teenager} by punching her face, putting his arms round her neck and compressing her throat. He denies the cost.
The trial, earlier than choose Lord Braid, continues.
Source: information.sky.com”