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Shallow grave killer found guilty Shallow grave killer found guilty
(20 minutes later)
A former foreign legionnaire has been found guilty of killing a retired nurse and burying her body in a shallow grave. A former Foreign Legionnaire has been found guilty of killing a retired nurse and burying her body in a shallow grave.
John Lawson, 48, was convicted of the culpable homicide of 87-year-old Dolina MacLean following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.John Lawson, 48, was convicted of the culpable homicide of 87-year-old Dolina MacLean following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The court heard how he got into her car and abducted her from a Tesco car park.The court heard how he got into her car and abducted her from a Tesco car park.
Judge Roger Craik had earlier ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict him of murder.Judge Roger Craik had earlier ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict him of murder.
Lawson, from Perthshire, stared straight ahead as the jury of eight women and seven men delivered their verdicts.
Temporary judge Roger Craik QC told him: "You have been convicted by a unanimous verdict of the jury of two extremely serious offences."
Abandoned her
He called for background reports and deferred sentence until 23 March.
Lawson was remanded in custody.
During the six-day trial, jurors were shown video footage of Lawson confessing to police that he jumped into Miss MacLean's green Vauxhall Astra at the supermarket car park on 30 May 2008 because he wanted to steal the car.
He had claimed the pensioner later collapsed and died when he finally ordered her out of the vehicle after a drive to a remote farm lane in Moneydie, Perthshire.
Dolina MacLean's body was found buried in woods in Perthshire
After Miss MacLean collapsed, Lawson dragged her body to Saddlebrae Wood, where he abandoned her.
In the days that followed, Lawson returned to the wood and drove Miss MacLean's body to Knowehead Woodland, near Dunning.
It was here that he dumped her remains into a drainage ditch, hidden with soil and other debris.
He was eventually caught after police found him sleeping rough in the car weeks later.
After hours of questioning by officers, he took them to Miss MacLean's body.
The court was told that the state of the body, which had lain in the open or in a shallow grave for almost three weeks, meant the cause of death was "undetermined".