A young woman bled to death in minutes after she was knifed in the neck at a notorious witch’s monument in rural Perthshire, a jury has heard.
Annalise Johnstone was attacked at the Maggie Wall Memorial, near Dunning, in the early hours of May 10, last year.
The High Court in Livingston was told the 22-year-old suffered a deep incision which caused extensive blood loss.
Annalise’s brother Jordan Johnstone, along with another woman Angela Newlands, went on trial on Thursday charged with her murder.
They face allegations that they assaulted and killed Annalise by repeatedly striking her in the neck with a knife.
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It is further alleged Johnstone assaulted his sister at Denholm Way, Beith, Ayrshire, the day before the killing. Prosecutors claim he seized hold of her and pulled her from a Ford Galaxy car.
Johnstone, 25, and Newlands, 28, also face a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by using the Ford Galaxy to move Annalise’s body away from the Maggie Wall memorial. It is claimed they left her body behind a stone dyke on the B8062.
It is also alleged they cleaned the vehicle and set fire to some material, before reporting Annalise missing.
Johnstone and Newlands are also charged with assaulting another woman, Nadia Johnstone at Bank Street, Coatbridge, on May 6.
It is alleged they threatened her with knives, repeatedly attempted to strike her on the neck with a knife, push her, throw liquid at her and punch on the head, to her injury.
Johnstone is also accused of stealing a caravan from Carmichael Place, Irvine, on May 9.
Johnstone’s QC Keith Stewart and Mark Stewart QC, representing Newlands, both issued pleas of not guilty on their clients’ behalf.
Jurors heard how Annalise died in a joint minute of agreed evidence read by advocate depute Alex Prentice QC.
Lady Smith told the jury that the first witness will be called to give evidence on Tuesday. The trial is expected to last 15 days.
Annalise’s body was found by a member of the public on May 10. The back road between Auctherarder and Dunning was closed for more than two weeks while police officers carried out investigations.
The Maggie Wall memorial, which was supposedly erected in memory of a local woman who was burned as a witch in 1657, was sealed off during inquiries.
