Graphic photographs of the body of a missing Fife woman found under a caravan have been shown to a murder trial jury.
Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh saw images of Carol Anne Taggart wrapped in bedding, with each layer removed until the 54-year-old’s exposed legs and elbow were visible.
A police officer said some of the bedding appeared to match pillow cases seized from her caravan, which was on the same row at Pettycur Bay, Kinghorn, and her home in Dunfermline.
The grim evidence was shown during the sixth day of the trial of Ross Taggart, who denies killing his mother and concealing her body beneath a caravan at Pettycur Bay.
Crime scene manager Scott Roxburgh, 36, told the trial that sections of twine used to tie the body were the same as a roll found in a wardrobe in Ross Taggart’s bedroom at his mother’s caravan.
Mr Roxburgh was then shown photographs of Ms Taggart’s body in the mortuary and agreed that a mattress protector, a red fleece, a lilac blanket, green twine, a black fitted sheet and a polka-dot duvet cover had been used to wrap the body.
Mr Roxburgh said: “The most immediate wrapping to the body is a duvet matching pillowcases in the house.”
Forensic scientist Kirsty McTurk, 37, told the trial that an examination of Ms Taggart’s living room revealed a blood stain that appeared to have been cleaned from the carpet, but had seeped through to the floorboards.
In earlier evidence, the trial was told that Carol Anne Taggart died from a compression of the neck.
Ms Taggart also sustained four separate blunt force impacts to her head including a 2cm laceration, forensic pathologist Dr Robert Ainsworth, 42, said.
Advocate depute Iain McSporran led Dr Ainsworth through the report of a post-mortem examination of Ms Taggart carried out two days after her body was discovered by a police officer on January 11.
Dr Ainsworth said Ms Taggart’s body showed signs of “early decomposition” and agreed this process could have been slowed by the body being wrapped, its location and the fact it was winter at the time of its discovery.
Mr McSporran asked if it was possible that the time of death could have been as far back as three weeks.
Dr Ainsworth replied: “It could have occurred around that time.”
The pathologist said there was no indication of a ligature being used and agreed with Mr McSporran’s suggestion that the neck compression could have been caused by “throttling”.
Police analyst Evita O’Malley read from her report of text messages and internet use on Taggart’s phone, including messages to and from his mother.
In one exchange from July last year, Ms Taggart texts her son: “Apart from feed me you do f**k all. You are nothing but a sponger to me, Ross.”
Taggart replies: “So where do we go from here? Do you need me to move out?”
The same day, Taggart texts: “Mum, you are my priority. I don’t know how to help you if all I’m doing is stressing you out.”
Ms O’Malley was asked about internet browsing on Taggart’s phone in the week before his mother’s disappearance and the subsequent three-week period.
She said that a number of visits were made to Loveaholics, a dating site in the early hours of December 22, the day that Taggart told police his mother left their house following an argument.
She said that Taggart’s visits to money lending and pornography sites increased following Carol Anne Taggart’s disappearance.
She said: “There were 900 logs and half of these were to everyday sites like Google.
“On January 12 there is a search for holidays in the Dominican Republic. The most frequently visited site is Loveaholics.”
Ms Murray said that on December 30, Taggart’s phone logged searches for loan applications and pawnbrokers.
Taggart is alleged to have repeatedly struck his mother on the head “by means unknown”, seized hold of her neck and compressed her throat using his hands or “an unidentified item” between December 21, 2014 and January this year.
Addresses listed in the murder charge include Carol Anne Taggart’s home in Dunfermline and Pettycur Bay Caravan Park in Kinghorn.
Taggart is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by concealing his mother’s body within a void under a caravan at Pettycur and attempting to tidy, clean and remove blood staining and other forensic evidence from two addresses and the boot of a car.
He is also accused of reporting his mother as missing and telling others that she earlier left her home and he did not know where she was.
Taggart also faces a theft charge of using his mother’s bank card and stealing a bangle and ring and going to a pawnbroker claiming he had inherited the jewellery.
The trial before Lord Uist continues.