Arlene husband charges changed

Arlene disappeared from her home in Elgin

A man who is accused of murdering his wife has had three charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice against him dropped.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, a jury was told that Nat Fraser, the husband of missing Elgin housewife Arlene Fraser, would face a charge of murder only.

Advocate depute Alan Turnbull QC said that the Crown would drop charges relating to defeating the ends of justice, including allegations that Mr Fraser dismembered and burned his wife's body.

The 44-year-old now faces a single charge of murder "with others unknown".

I'm proceeding on the basis that you are satisfied that his wife is dead

Alan Turnbull QC

Arlene Fraser disappeared without trace from her Elgin home in April 1998.

Mr Fraser has lodged a special defence of alibi, claiming he was carrying out deliveries for his fruit and vegetable business on the day his wife vanished.

Mr Turnbull began his final speech by explaining to the jury why the Crown had decided to drop the charges of defeating the ends of justice, outlined on the indictment's second page, against Mr Fraser.

The advocate depute said: "It would seem to me to be difficult to believe that you could be satisfied that Fraser was responsible for all the things on the second page of the indictment, but not responsible for arranging the killing of his wife."

'Mrs Fraser is dead'

The question to focus on at this stage was to decide whether or not Mr Fraser arranged for his wife to be killed, he added.

Mr Turnbull said the case against Mr Fraser centred on three main questions.

These were whether Mrs Fraser was dead, evidence of Nat Fraser's admission about his involvement in her killing and circumstantial evidence.

Nat Fraser has denied killing his wife

He said: "I'm proceeding on the basis that you are satisfied that his wife is dead.

"There seems to be no doubt in anyone's mind that Mrs Fraser is dead.

"The suggestion that she might be somewhere else and never have had contact with her children or family is ridiculous."

Mr Turnbull then went on to examine the circumstantial evidence against Mr Fraser.

The couple had separated in March 1998 and Mrs Fraser was "growing away" from her husband, he said.

He added: "She had social independence through her friends, she had independence of time because her children were at school."

Scrapyard dealer

She was also on her way to financial independence because she was working her way through a college course, according to Mr Turnbull.

He said this was "a couple at the end of their relationship".

And he added that if Mr Fraser was aware of that, he was also aware of what the consequence of that would have been - the division of assets.

Before Mr Turnbull's final speech on Tuesday, defence advocate Paul McBride QC called scrapyard manager Richard Murray, 26, who works at Spey Bay Salvage in Fochabers, as a witness.

Mr Murray said that in April 1998, three men had brought a beige Ford Fiesta to the yard to sell.

Alan Turnbull: No doubt that Arlene is dead

He said he had told police about the visit in November of that year but added it was not until March 2002 that he was able to identify one of them, the lead negotiator, as Hector Dick.

But advocate depute Alan Turnbull QC asked Mr Murray why, in November 1998, he had described the lead negotiator as being in his late 20s or early 30s before stating that he was in his late 50s in a later interview.

And Mr Turnbull added that the first time Mr Murray had been interviewed, he had only told police about two people.

Mr Murray insisted that Mr Dick, who is 46, was the man with whom he had dealt over the car.