Murder accused Tasmin Glass was “actively trying” to get pregnant by boyfriend Steven Donaldson in the weeks before his death, a court has been told.
Mr Donaldson had confided in one of his closest pals that he thought Ms Glass was expecting, the court heard.
The fourth day of the trial of 20-year-old Glass and 24-year-olds Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson at the High Court in Edinburgh heard evidence from Martin Johnstone, 49, an offshore worker from Arbroath, who described Mr Donaldson, 27, as one of his closest friends.
“I could trust Steven with anything,” said the witness.
He told the trial he had met Glass with Mr Donaldson a number of times and said in the early part of 2017 he was sure their relationship was “100% on”.
“Steven had told me he thought Tasmin was pregnant,” he said.
He told advocate depute Ashley Edwards: “Tasmin had said she was actively trying to get pregnant and Tasmin thought it would be – she never used the word beneficial – but it wouldn’t have been a bad thing, it would have brought her and Steven closer together.”
The evidence then moved to June 7, the day Mr Donaldson’s body was found at Kinnordy Loch, and the witness said he became worried when his friend did not answer his calls.
He then learned about a body being found near Kirriemuir and contacted Glass through Facebook Messenger.
“I had the impression Tasmin was worried about something and was upset. I told her not to worry,” he said.
Glass replied: “I hope so, I’m worried sick Marty”, followed by two sad face emojis. The court heard of further messages between the pair, including one in which Mr Johnstone asked Glass if they had been arguing.
“She said they had but it was on the telephone and nothing serious,” he said.
Mr Johnstone said he pressed Glass on that and asked her when she had last seen Steven. She told him it was “way before” a motorcycling event some weeks previously.
“That is when I started thinking something wasn’t right,” said Mr Johnstone.
Glass also told Mr Johnstone that Mr Donaldson had been coming to see her in Kirriemuir the previous night but didn’t turn up at the top of Kirrie Hill, the court heard.
When he asked her where the body had been found, she said it was “about half an hour away” from the place they had been due to meet.
“I couldn’t comprehend why this could be connected, but Tasmin wouldn’t tell me where the top of the hill was,” said Mr Johnstone.
The trial continues.
The charges
The charge faced by all three accused – Tasmin Glass, Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson – alleges that between June 6 and 7 2018 at the Peter Pan playpark, Kirriemuir, and Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park, they arranged to meet Mr Donaldson with the intention of harming him and assaulted him.
Once there, they repeatedly struck him on the head and body with unknown instruments whereby he was incapacitated.
Thereafter, they took him to Loch of Kinnordy where they repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a knife and baseball bat or similar instruments, then repeatedly struck him on the head and neck with an unknown heavy bladed instrument and set fire to him and his motor vehicle, registered S73 VED, and murdered him.
Dickie and Davidson face four other charges including one of behaving in a threatening manner towards two men between January 2014 and June 2018 by making threats, following them on foot and in a motor vehicle.
They are also charged with putting a kitten in a bag in Main Street, Lochore, Fife, during an incident between February 1 and May 31 2017, swinging the bag about and punching and kicking the kitten.
Another charge includes behaving in a threatening manner towards a man in St Malcolm’s Wynd, Kirriemuir, and elsewhere between December 1 2017 and February 28 2018 by following him on foot and in a vehicle, and threatening him with weapons.
Both also deny following and staring at a woman and kicking her car in Kirriemuir between August 1 2017 and April 31 2018.
Davidson faces a further charge of assaulting a man between June 1 2017 and December 31 2017 at a house in Glengate, Kirriemuir.
He allegedly pushed him to the floor and threatened to punch him.
Dickie is also accused of assaulting a woman at the Ogilvy Arms pub in Kirriemuir between February 1 and 28 last year.
He allegedly seized her by the wrist and neck and threatened her with violence.
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