Murder accused Jordan Johnstone told a jury he carried his dead sister “like a child” for nearly two miles along a darkened Perthshire road.
The 25-year-old said he left Annalise’s blood-soaked body behind a drystone wall, because he was worried former co-accused Angela Newlands was going to arrange for the corpse to be chopped up and disposed of.
Giving evidence on day eight of the murder trial at the High Court in Livingston, he said he wanted to put his sister’s body somewhere it would be easily found.
And he said he agreed to cover up the killing because Ms Newlands threatened to report him to police for rape.
Ms Newlands, who was acquitted of murder on Wednesday, was found not guilty of the single remaining charge against her.
Johnstone denies he murdered his sister in the early hours of May 10 last year and told the trial that Ms Newlands was responsible.
He said earlier that day he used a Ford Galaxy to pick up a caravan from Irvine and drove it back to Ms Newlands’ parents’ home in Inchture.
He said Annalise, Ms Newlands and Ms Newlands’ four children were passengers in the seven-seater.
Johnstone said Ms Newlands suggested going to her house at Auchterarder – which had flooded, forcing them out, weeks earlier – to collect mail and clothes for the children.
He said after visiting the house at Auchterarder, they set off back to Inchture. Johnstone wanted Ms Newlands to drive, but decided she was too “stoned” and drove himself.
He said Annalise and Ms Newlands were making “passive aggressive” comments to each other.
He said Ms Newlands began talking about the Maggie Wall witch memorial.
“Annalise was into witches and paranormal stuff, so she automatically jumped at the chance to go and see it.”
Johnstone pulled up near the memorial and sat in the driver’s seat, while Annalise and Ms Newlands went outside and after a few minutes, Ms Newlands got back in the car.
“I hadn’t seen her in that state before,” he said.
“It was like she was someone else.
“I saw her holding a Persil soap pod. She burst two of them on her legs and was rubbing her hands with it.
“I asked: Where’s Annalise? She said, ‘She’s over there – everything got out of hand’.”
Johnstone said he got out of the car and walked to the memorial where he said he found his sister lying face down.
He said: “I shook her and turned her over. I thought it was water on my hands, but I could see it was blood. She was seriously struggling to breath, she was gasping for air.”
Johnstone said he took off his T-shirt and tried to staunch the flow of blood.
He said: “I sat with her on my arm trying to put pressure on her.
“My sister died in my arms.”
The trial before judge Lady Scott continues.
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