A woman linked to a gruesome unsolved murder has been left with severe injuries after allegedly being attacked in her own home by an armed man.
Angela Newlands was allegedly assaulted to her severe injury by former partner Tommy Doyle after he forced entry to her Perthshire home on Valentine’s Day.
It is alleged Ms Newlands, who recently gave birth, was hit on the head and body with an unknown weapon during the incident in Duchlage Road, Crieff.
Man facing assault charges
Doyle, 40, of no fixed abode, appeared in private at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday on a petition alleging assault to severe injury of his former girlfriend.
He is alleged to have forced entry to the address and assaulted Ms Newlands with an unknown implement before trying to force an object into her mouth.
Doyle is also accused of pouring alcohol over her head and face, causing her severe injury, when he was already subject to a court bail order.
He is further said to have tried to pervert the course of justice by giving police officers a false name and date of birth when he was stopped on an unnamed road near Pittenzie Street, Crieff.
The petition further alleges he acted in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by shouting, swearing and uttering racist remarks towards the police officers.
Doyle entered no plea and was remanded in custody by Sheriff Gillan Wade while the case against him was continued for further examination.
Ms Newlands, who was cleared of the murder of Annalise Johnstone, was due to give birth to her fifth child on January 8.
Annalise Johnstone case
Annalise’s body was found dumped at the Maggie Wall’s Witch Monument in Dunning, Perthshire, in May 2018. Her throat had been cut and she sustained unsurvivable injuries.
Ms Newlands was cleared of the murder after a judge at the High Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict her of the crime.
Her then partner Jordan Johnstone – who admitted carrying his dead sister’s body for two miles and dumping her by a roadside – was also cleared of murder after the jury returned a not proven verdict.
When he gave evidence after his partner was cleared at the murder trial, Mr Johnstone blamed Ms Newlands for the killing and told the jury she had blackmailed him into covering it up.
Police Scotland confirmed at the end of 2019 that a new search had been carried out near the monument as part of a continuing investigation into the killing.
Mr Johnstone, 27, told the High Court he cradled his younger sister in his arms and had tried to staunch the flow of blood from a wound.
He said Ms Newlands cut his sister’s throat with a craft knife after going to look at the monument which marks the spot where a woman is said to have been burnt as a witch in 1657.
He told the court he remained in the car with Ms Newlands’ sleeping children.
He said he later carried his sister’s body for around 40 minutes before dumping it behind a wall about two miles away because he feared Ms Newlands’ father was going to “chop my wee sister up and throw her away”.
The prosecution and defence had confirmed that Mr Johnstone’s car was near the Maggie’s Wall Memorial at the time Miss Johnstone was attacked. No murder weapon has been found and the case remains unsolved.
