Arlene 'saw accused outside her home'

Arlene Fraser went missing in April 1998

One of three men accused of murdering Elgin woman Arlene Fraser was "hanging about" outside her home a week before she disappeared, a court has heard.

Mrs Fraser's older sister Carol Gillies told the High Court in Edinburgh of a telephone conversation she had with the mother-of-two on 21 April, 1998.

Mrs Gillies, 40, said that she spoke to her sister for about 20 minutes during her tea break.

Arlene murder trial charges
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She told the jury: "Arlene answered the phone and I said, 'Hello, it's me'.

"She said, 'Hector Dick has been hanging about outside for ages'."

Mrs Gillies said that her sister had sighed with relief when Mr Dick left.

"I said, 'What was that about?' and Arlene said, 'I don't know'."

The case is being heard in Edinburgh

Mr Dick, Glenn Lucas and Mrs Fraser's husband Nat are accused of conspiring to murder the 33-year-old, dismembering her body and concealing it.

The charge includes an allegation that on 21 April Mr Dick, without prior notice and knowing that Arlene would be at home, remained seated in a car in a driveway outside her Smith Street house.

Mrs Fraser has not been since she disappeared on 28 April, 1998.

Mrs Gillies said she spoke to Mr Fraser when he visited his estranged wife's home two days after she was reported missing.

He asked about a sum of money - possibly £500 - which he said had gone missing from Mrs Fraser's bedroom.

Bought car

"To be honest I thought he was more concerned about himself than about Arlene," she said.

The trial also heard evidence from motor mechanic Kevin Ritchie on Thursday.

He told the court that on the night before Mrs Fraser disappeared, Mr Dick asked him to get a cheap car that same evening.

Mr Ritchie said Mr Dick had paid £400 for the vehicle and an extra £50 - as the witness put it - to keep quiet about the sale.

Mr. Ritchie said that the farmer had talked about putting something in the boot that would not be seen.

Under cross examination, Mr. Ritchie agreed that he understood that the car was to be used for the bootleg booze trade.