A Dundee video game designer who allegedly murdered a mother and her two-year-old daughter is accused of burying their bodies under his kitchen.
Andrew Innes faces allegations he killed missing woman Bennylyn Burke and toddler Jellica at his home in the city’s Troon Avenue.
It is alleged he stabbed and bludgeoned the 25-year-old to death with a hammer and asphyxiated the youngster.
The bodies of Bennylyn and Jellica were recovered by police in Dundee in March, about a month after they were reported missing from their home in Bristol.
Innes appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on March 16, accused of their murder.
On Tuesday, it emerged at the High Court in Glasgow, the 51-year-old faces allegations that, between February 20 and March 5, he wrapped both their naked bodies in rubble bags and concealed them in concrete beneath the kitchen floor of his five-bedroom home.
‘Plan to flee Dundee home’
Innes is accused of pretending to police investigating the Burkes’ disappearance that he had driven them to the Old Inns Cafe in Cumbernauld.
It is alleged he told constables Gavin Burns and Rhianne Brogan he left them at the cafe in the company of an unknown man and had no further contact with them.
Innes, listed on court papers as a prisoner at HMP Perth, is accused of planning to flee his Troon Avenue home.
It is claimed he did this to conceal his alleged crimes and attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
Prosecutors also allege that between February 20 and March 5, he abducted a young child by tying rope to door handles, preventing them from opening, and detained her against her will.
He is further accused of sexually assaulting and raping the girl on various occasions during the same two-week period.
The child cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Court hearing
Innes appeared via videolink at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC said his application for legal aid had been rejected because of his assets.
An appeal against the decision confirmed the rejection, he said.
The court appointed Innes a solicitor, Edinburgh-based Stephen Knowles.
At the hearing, Innes only spoke to confirm he understood and could hear proceedings.
The case was continued without plea until December 1.
Sister’s tribute
Bennylyn’s sister Shella Aquino said her sibling left her home in the Philippines for the UK in 2019, in search of a better life.
“It is like my heart has been torn by the pain,” she said in tribute after she died.
Neighbours also paid their respects to Bennylyn, describing her as a “caring and positive person” who made friends with locals and became a key part of the community.
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