A witness has told a High Court jury he saw murder accused Tasmin Glass’s car and a “sporty” white BMW together in Kirriemuir’s Peter Pan playpark just hours before the discovery of Arbroath man Steven Donaldson’s battered and burnt body.
The sighting came minutes after both Glass’s Vauxhall and Mr Donaldson’s BMW 1 Series were picked up on various CCTV cameras in Kirriemuir, each following a similar route through the town within minutes of the other at about 11pm.
Mechanic Alec Stewart had been parked-up in the main car park at Kirrie Hill on the night of June 6 last year, watching music videos on his mobile phone.
He told the trial he saw an “awful sporty” BMW come into the car park and pass in front of him, but turn around and then leave immediately.
Minutes later, the same car re-appeared and drove into the overflow car park where it illuminated an orange Vauxhall Corsa, which Mr Stewart recognised as the car owned by Glass.
Mr Stewart, 20, was giving evidence on the sixth day of the trial of 20-year-old Glass and 24-year-olds Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson, all of Kirriemuir, who deny attacking 27-year-old Arbroath oil worker Mr Donaldson, setting him on fire and murdering him on June 6 or 7 last year.
The witness told advocate depute Ashley Edwards the BMW stayed only a minute or two when he saw it for the second time going into the overflow parking area opposite where he was sitting.
Mr Stewart said it had been driving “normally” when he saw it arrive and leave the car park the first time, and then normally again when it re-appeared.
The prosecutor asked: “How about when it left?”
The witness replied: “It was speeding”, estimating it could have been travelling at 50 miles per hour leaving the car park.
Jurors were also shown a series of CCTV clips covering the period from around 10.45pm to just after 11pm on June 6, showing Mr Donaldson’s distinctive BMW 1 Series, registered S73 VED, and Glass’s Corsa taking a similar route through Kirriemuir town centre and turning up The Roods.
Agreed evidence already presented to the jury has confirmed the two vehicles as being owned by the deceased and the accused.
It has also been agreed that co-accused Callum Davidson was the front seat passenger in Glass’s Corsa at the time it was captured on CCTV.
The trial, before Lord Pentland and a jury of eight women and seven men, continues.