The trio accused of the killing of Steven Donaldson were each involved in a “murderous plan” hatched on the evening before the 27-year-old’s body was found charred and beaten at an Angus nature reserve, High Court jurors have been told.
In a two-hour closing speech on the 19th day of the trial of Steven Dickie, Callum Davidson and Tasmin Glass, Crown prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC said all three played their part with “wicked disregard for the consequences” on the night of June 6 last year.
She said Davidson was not the “simple country lad” he might have the jury believe, and she told them Glass had “facilitated” Mr Donaldson’s arrival at the Peter Pan play park on Kirrie Hill after she used her two co-accused to “stop her web of lies unravelling” around the state of her life at the time.
Parts of the case featured an “obvious flashing red light to signal the guilt of the accused”.
The advocate depute said it also included smaller bits of evidence which drew together to make a “full and complete picture” of all three being responsible for the “brutal” death of the Aberdeen oil worker.
She urged the jury to reject any submission which may come forward that a charge of culpable homicide should be considered for Glass.
“All three were responsible for the death of Steven Donaldson in the full knowledge that weapons were to be taken to a meeting with him,” the prosecutor said.
“What followed was a brutal and sustained attack by the first and second accused,” she added, reminding the jury of evidence indicating Mr Donaldson had been “fighting for his life” at the Kinnordy Loch RSPB reserve where his body was discovered just before 5am on June 7.
She said the other charges, dropped at the conclusion of evidence, showed a “pattern of behaviour of Davidson and Dickie following a course of conduct centred around partners and current and ex-girlfriends of Steven Dickie.”
Glass, she added, knew of the reputation of Dickie and Davidson, the trial having heard how she believed then boyfriend Dickie would “go mental” if he knew Steven Donaldson had called her that night.
She said Glass had wanted to spend the night of June 6 in a different way, with friends and away from the issues that had led to Mr Donaldson contacting her.
“Pregnancy, money, financial pressures, dealing with an ex-partner did not figure,” continued the advocate depute.
“She wanted the compartments of her life to remain separate and you might think that when the plan was formulated that she was using Steven Dickie and Callum Donaldson to that effect, and to stop her web of lies unravelling.
“Her evidence is incredible and unreliable,” said the advocate depute.
Of Davidson, she said: “You might think with his evidence he tried to portray a simple country lad.”
The prosecutor said it was her submission that was not the case, the trial having heard evidence of a web search for a steel machete, and Davidson’s “eye for a business opportunity” after offering to “sort out” someone for £400.
“Piece by piece, the evidence goes towards that final complete picture of the guilt of all three of the crime of murder; of the murder of Steven Donaldson,” said the advocate depute.
The charges against the accused
Tasmin Glass, 20, Steven Dickie, 24, and Callum Davidson, 24, all from Kirriemuir, face a charge of murdering Mr Donaldson at Loch of Kinnordy between June 6 and 7 2018.
It is alleged they assaulted him at Kirriemuir’s Peter Pan play park, having arranged to meet him there, repeatedly striking him with weapons before taking him to Loch of Kinnordy, where they repeatedly struck him with a knife and baseball bat or similar and a heavy, bladed weapon and set fire to him and his car.
