On the third anniversary of her death, we speak to those who were closest to the tragic 22-year-old who was killed in the most brutal fashion in Perthshire.
Selfie-loving church-goer
Glued to her lime green iPhone, constantly taking selfies and sharing them on social media, Annalise Johnstone appeared to the outside world like a confident, carefree young woman.
But the 22-year-old, who was bipolar, led parallel lives with two families who were worlds apart.
It was difficult to say who the real Annalise was. She changed her hair colour – black, blue, red – as often as she changed her surname – McDonald, Donald and Johnstone.
Born in Coatbridge, and raised in a travelling community, her world fell apart in November 2006 when her mother Kathleen died of a heroin overdose.
She went to stay with her grandmother at a council-run Traveller camp in Ayrshire.
Her father Gordon later turned his back on the Traveller lifestyle.
“I’m a housie now,” he said.
“I get called a bug because I stay in a house. But I’d rather have a power shower than wash myself in a bucket.”
Mr Johnstone, admitted he and Annalise had parted “on bad terms” but insisted he still loved her.
The trial heard father and daughter became distant after Annalise confided to her family she was gay.
“I never cut her off,” said Mr Johnstone. “I just didn’t approve.
“I took it badly, but when I think about it, I should have stuck beside her, and told her: Well, it’s your life.”
Annalise believed she was no longer welcome in her Traveller community, because many people had a problem with her sexuality.
Mr Johnstone said his daughter, at 5ft 3in, was no shrinking violet.
“She could hold herself in a fight,” he told the trial. “She could be wily.”
Like her father, Annalise decided to become a “housie” and started a new life for herself in Ardrossan, on the North Ayrshire coast, in 2016.
She never ventured outside without her smartphone and was often seen around the town wearing her favourite black, woollen hat – with a V on the front – and using her bus pass to get about.
She loved music and frequently walked through the streets plugged in to her headphones.
Annalise was also a fan of tennis, and used to play regularly at the Magnum Leisure Centre in Irvine.
Neighbours near her home in Nursery Place said they often saw Annalise walking her beloved lhasa apso dog, Sadie, although she did not like going out after dark.
It was in Ardrossan that Annalise found her other family
Unemployed and living on benefits, she began volunteering at the Ardrossan Church of Nazarene and became a regular at the group’s weekly meetings.
She also helped out at the local foodbank that the church hosts.
There, she met her “church Nana” Helen Banks and her “Papa” James Donald who helped support her when they could, and occasionally bought her clothes.
She took selfies with them and posted the images on Facebook, often with the caption: “My family.”
Reverend Nathan Payne said Annalise was popular among the other church-goers.
“Annalise was one of those people who had such a good heart,” he said at the time of her death.
“She was very well liked by people in the church. While she was not a formal member, she attended weekly services.
“The church hosts a cafe a couple of times a week and Annalise would regularly go to that too.
“She was well-known in the church and very friendly.”
Battled against poor mental health
On the surface, she was a committed Christian, dedicated to her church and her new family.
But there was a dark side: Annalise was in a constant battle with her demons.
Best friend Donna Paton described her as a “vulnerable” young woman. “From time to time, she found herself in a dark place,” she said. “And when she was in a dark place, she would take controlled drugs.”
It emerged during the trial that she used cannabis, amphetamines and heroin to treat the overwhelming bouts of depression.
She secretly self harmed, and had cut her arm several times just days before she died.
Forensic scientists said it was impossible to determine if the blood they found on the car Johnstone was driving came from Annalise’s fatal neck wound, or from self harming.
