Court hears of body in burn find

Anne Brown's body was found lying in water last October

The trial of a woman accused of killing her mother has heard from one of the police officers who pulled the dead woman's body from a burn in Ayrshire.

Sgt Andrew McGrath told the High Court in Glasgow that Anne Brown's body was wrapped in material and showed facial injuries.

Lisa Brown, 21, and her boyfriend John Wilson, 25, deny murdering Anne Brown in Laigh Gree, Burnhouse, last October.

They also deny dumping her body in Clerkland Burn in North Ayrshire.

Sgt McGrath told the court that he was part of a team of officers called to help investigate the disappearance of Mrs Brown and a young child that she helped look after.

There were obvious injuries sustained to the face Sgt Andrew McGrath Strathclyde Police

He attended at a burn near Craignaught Farm, Ayrshire, on 24 October 2008 where an object wrapped in material was found.

Sgt McGrath said: "I thought I could see an adult body, I thought that it was a male.

"It had on a blue fleece, a green T-shirt and a woolly hat."

Prosecutor Gary Allan QC asked: "So far as the face, did you notice anything about the condition?"

The officer replied: "That it had been in the water for some time. There were obvious injuries sustained to the face. Blood then trickled out of one of the nostrils."

The court also heard how the two accused were examined by police surgeons after they had been detained on 31 October 2008.

Dr David Cunningham noted Lisa Brown had a small abrasion on her right wrist and a bruise near a knee.

'Old' injuries

Dr Cunningham said the injuries could have been five to 10 days old at the time.

Mr Wilson claimed a thumb injury had happened the week before following a fall and that he did not know how an injury to his right hand had occurred.

It is claimed Lisa Brown and John Wilson struck Mrs Brown on the head and body with a blunt object or objects and that her daughter had previously "evinced malice and ill-will towards her".

Ms Brown and Mr Wilson are then alleged to have attempted to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of her body in the burn.

They are also accused of washing a quantity of bloodstained clothing which they wore at the time of the alleged attack.

The trial, before Judge Lord Matthews, continues.