Jurors have been shown CCTV footage of the woman accused of murdering Aberdeen man Neil Jolly entering and leaving his block of flats during the time she is alleged to have murdered him.
Elizabeth Sweeney, also known as Lizzy, is on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen accused of murdering Mr Jolly by assaulting him and repeatedly striking him to the head and body with a kettle between June 22 and 26 2023.
Sweeney, 36, is also facing a charge of attempting to conceal the murder by washing Mr Jolly, 49, in a shower at his flat in Marischal Court and covering his body with a duvet cover.
She is additionally accused of attempting to destroy evidence by cleaning the kettle.
Sweeney denies all the charges against her and has lodged a special defence of self-defence.
She claims she woke up in the early hours of June 25 2023 to find Mr Jolly raping her.
Neil Jolly last seen entering flat
On the fifth day of trial, jurors saw the last known footage of Mr Jolly entering the lobby of the Marischal Court high-rise and ascending the stairs to his flat at 9.55pm on June 22 2023.
Using footage compiled by Detective Constable Kim Duncan, fiscal depute Erin Campbell went through several days’ worth of CCTV footage where Elizabeth Sweeney is seen coming and going from Mr Jolly’s flat. He is never seen alive again.
In stark contrast, Sweeney enters and exits the block of flats a number of times, using what appears to be his key fob, wearing an array of different outfits and footwear.
On June 23 2023 – the day after the final sighting of Mr Jolly – Sweeney is seen on CCTV entering Marischal Court.
Zooming in the CCTV onto Sweeney’s trainers, the advocate depute asked DC Duncan what she could see on the footage.
“There seems to be red staining on the right trainer,” the police officer replied.
“Where?” Ms Campbell asked.
“On the laces,” DC Duncan replied.
Detective claims accused is wearing shoes too big for her
In the days between when Mr Jolly is last seen alive on June 22 and June 26, when Sweeney called the police to say she “battered” him, she is seen going between her own flat and his on numerous occasions.
She is also seen dancing in the street, hugging friends and going out drinking with a male friend over a number of hours between June 23 and 24.
The jury was also shown footage from the morning after Mr Jolly was last seen alive.
Sweeney is captured on CCTV at around 6.13am going to a bakery wearing what looks like men’s footwear.
Asked about it by the fiscal depute, DC Duncan said: “The shoes she’s wearing look way too big for her.
“She’s struggling to walk in them.”
Sweeney’s defence advocate, Ian Duguid KC, took issue with DC Duncan’s evidence that his client was wearing oversized shoes the day after Mr Jolly was last seen and was struggling to walk in them.
“Your position is that you think she’s wearing oversized shoes?” he quizzed the police officer.
“It is,” the detective replied, adding: “They look significantly bigger than the Puma trainers and Ugg boots she was also seen in.”
On the point about Sweeney looking like she was struggling to walk in the shoes, Mr Duguid put it to DC Duncan that his client merely had a “distinctive walk”.
“Oh yeah, she has a distinctive walk,” she agreed.
“Do you think she was limping or not,” Mr Duguid pressed.
“Not obviously,” DC Duncan replied, adding: “I wouldn’t say limping.”
Woman denies murder
Showing her footage where Sweeney isn’t wearing the black footwear, Mr Duguid asked the detective: “Do you think she’s walking any differently here than when she’s wearing the black trainers?”
“Yes, I would say so,” she stated.
“But that’s just your impression, isn’t it?” Mr Duguid asked.
“Yes,” DC Duncan replied, adding: “I’m not a walking expert.”
The trial, before Judge Andrew Miller, continues.
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