Witness unsure about Moira dates

The body of Moira Jones was found in Queen's Park in May 2008

A witness who told the Moira Jones murder trial that the accused had threatened to kill her has admitted she may have got the dates wrong.

Lucie Pechtlova, 28, told the High Court in Glasgow that Marek Harcar had been very drunk when he left their flat on 28 May - the night Ms Jones died.

She claimed Mr Harcar had said he was going to look for prostitutes, and threatened her when he returned.

But she later admitted she had not been sure of the date of the incident.

Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted Ms Jones, who was originally from Staffordshire, and forced her to enter Queens Park in Glasgow on 28 or 29 May 2008 where is then accused of raping and murdering her.

He denies the charges, and has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for Ms Jones' murder.

Lucie Pechtlova originally told the trial that Mr Harcar had left their flat on 28 May and returned in the early hours of 29 May, when he threatened to kill her.

But under cross-examination, the court heard that in her first statement to the police Ms Pechtlova told them the events had happened on Monday 26 May, and that in her second statement she had told officers she could not remember the date.

In the beginning there was a lot of things on my mind. I was not sure Lucie Pechtlova Witness

Defence QC Paul McBride asked her how all fitted with the evidence she had given the court, and suggested she could have been mistaken.

The witness replied: "In the beginning there was a lot of things on my mind. I was not sure. I think it was really just the one night."

It is claimed that Mr Harcar forced Ms Jones across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

He is then said to have repeatedly struck her on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

Mr Harcar is also alleged to have murdered the businesswoman and stolen from her.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.