Officer 'wrong' over Fraser rings

Fraser was jailed for life after being convicted of murdering his wife

A police officer was mistaken in thinking she saw Arlene Fraser's rings in her house shortly after she disappeared, a court has heard.

Pc Julie Clark only revealed seeing the engagement, wedding and eternity rings several years after the event - and after Nat Fraser's murder trial.

John Beckett QC, for the Crown, said he believed her to be mistaken rather than lying.

Fraser is challenging his conviction for murdering his wife in Elgin, Moray.

The 48-year-old was jailed for life in 2003 after being found guilty of murder. His wife's body was never found after her 1998 disappearance.

Fraser was convicted after prosecutors claimed he placed Arlene's engagement, wedding and eternity rings in the bathroom of her house several days after she vanished.

'Hang on'

The defence claim that he suffered a miscarriage of justice because his lawyers were not told of evidence which stated that the rings were seen in the house soon after Arlene disappeared.

Mr Beckett said the constable had "missed an opportunity" to tell fellow officers about the sighting during a meeting just one day after Arlene vanished.

Arlene Fraser has never been found after going missing

Pc Clark had written notes on the investigation during a police briefing on 29 April, but had not said anything about rings.

She had made note of an eight-minute search of the bathroom of the house in Smith Street during which nothing was found.

"There was an opportunity missed for Constable Clark to say 'hang on, there were rings in there, I saw them last night'," said Mr Beckett.

Pc Clark made the rings claim in 2006 as part of an inquiry, but claimed she had told fellow officers during the investigation.

Judges in the ongoing appeal - on its seventh day on Friday - will deliver a decision later.

Fraser, who was ordered to serve at least 25 years of a life sentence, was released on bail in May last year.