Man 'fought with murder victim'

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The former partner of a man accused of murder on an Orkney island has admitted having a physical relationship with the victim.

Margaret Johnston said the accused, John Campbell, known as Jack, had fought with Robert Rose, whose body was later found.

Mr Campbell, 59, and Stephen Crummack, 51, deny murdering Mr Rose, 54, on Sanday and hiding his body in dunes.

The men are on trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Ms Johnston, 34, told the second day of the trial that Mr Campbell had thrown floor tiles at Mr Rose, who had moved to Sanday from Rotherham.

She also claimed police were called after Mr Campbell threatened to shoot him.

Replica gun

She told prosecutor Alex Prentice QC that she was living with Mr Campbell and her three children, as well as their monkeys which were kept in a special enclosure built at the side of the house.

The court heard she began a relationship with Mr Rose, who she knew as Bob, soon after he arrived on Sanday.

She said her relationship with Mr Campbell, which she described as "volatile", was over, although she was still living with him while she looked for somewhere to stay to be near the animals.

Margaret Johnston told the court she had been seeing Mr Rose

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Donald Findlay QC, representing Mr Campbell, Ms Johnston agreed that the fights between Mr Campbell and Mr Rose were "handbags at 10 paces" between two men who did not like each other. She said that on one occasion Mr Rose came to Mr Campbell's home and a row began, during which Mr Campbell threw ceramic tiles at him.

On another occasion she claimed Mr Campbell threatened to shoot Mr Rose. She agreed with Mr Findlay that it was an empty threat because the gun was a replica.

The first day of the trial had heard community nurse and midwife Frances Muir say Mr Campbell told her that one day he would go up to Mr Rose and "kill him".

She admitted to Mr Findlay that although she had written down what he said she did not feel the need to either contact the authorities or warn Mr Rose of what had been said.

Mr Rose's body was found on the island last June after a major missing person inquiry.

Left island

Mr Campbell and Mr Crummack are alleged to have held Mr Rose down on a bed, placed a pillow over his face and compressed it, repeatedly struck him on the head and body with their fists or other implements and robbed him of a quantity of money and murdered him.

They are also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by concealing Mr Rose's body in a duvet, putting it his car and driving to sand dunes.

It is claimed they buried Mr Rose's body in the dunes.

The prosecution alleges that the two accused then drove the car to a pier in an attempt to make people believe Mr Rose had left the island on a ferry.

They are also alleged to have told police officers and various people on Sanday that Mr Rose had left the island and had asked them to look after his dog Patch.

It is also alleged the pair burned a duvet and wallet belonging to Mr Rose and washed clothes they wore during the alleged murder.

The trial, before Lord Turnbull, continues. It is due to last about three weeks.