Murder trial told of semen traces

Elizabeth McCabe was found dead more than 27 years ago

A former boyfriend of a murdered nursery nurse has denied having sex with her on the night she disappeared.

Charles Lamont is one of a number of people named in court as a possible killer of Elizabeth McCabe in 1980.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard traces of Mr Lamont's semen were found on the jeans Miss McCabe was wearing on the night she died.

On trial is Vincent Simpson from Surrey who has denied murder and lodged defences of alibi and incrimination.

Miss McCabe disappeared after a night out in Dundee in February 1980.

Her body was found 16 days later in the city's Templeton Woods, on the eve of her 21st birthday.

Before beginning his evidence, Mr Lamont was told by judge Lord Kinclaven that he was not obliged to answer any question showing, or tending to show, he had committed a criminal offence.

What was actually found in the crotch of Elizabeth McCabe's jeans that she was wearing on the night she vanished and was at some point thereafter killed was your semen Mark Stewart QC to Charles Lamont

The railway worker went on to tell how he had met Miss McCabe through friends while drinking in Dundee pubs some months before her death.

"I wasn't like a boyfriend who went out to the cinema or anything like that. I just had two romantic encounters," said Mr Lamont, 49.

"Do you mean sex?" asked advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting. "Yes," agreed Mr Lamont.

Mr Lamont was then asked about a visit from police in 2005, after the murder inquiry had been re-opened, and said he provided them with a sample for DNA matching purposes.

Mr Prentice asked if he had been told the results. "Yes," said Mr Lamont. "My DNA was on Elizabeth's jeans."

"Was that a surprise to you?" asked Mr Prentice. Mr Lamont said it was, because Miss McCabe was a clean girl and he had queried if repeated washing would not remove the DNA.

Mark Stewart QC, defending Mr Simpson, confronted Mr Lamont with the scientists' findings.

"What was actually found in the crotch of Elizabeth McCabe's jeans that she was wearing on the night she vanished and was at some point thereafter killed was your semen," he said.

'Something bad'

Mr Lamont repeated that it was weeks, a month, maybe months since he had last had sex with Miss McCabe.

Mr Lamont went on to deny that he had sneaked away from work after being signed in for the midnight start.

"You can suggest all you want," retorted Mr Lamont. "I have given my statement. Police have checked my statement out."

Earlier on Wednesday, the court heard evidence from Sandra Niven, a close friend of the murdered girl.

Ms Niven told the court Miss McCabe may have gone to see a man called Brian Lindsay after she left Teazer's nightclub in the early hours of Sunday, 11 February.

He has been described in court as a local "hard man" who stole cars.

Sandra Niven said her friend may have gone to see Brian Lindsay

The court heard she had slept with him while he had been going out with Ms Niven, causing a row between the girls which they had patched up.

The trial heard that in the aftermath of Miss McCabe's disappearance Ms Niven was among those questioned by police.

She told them: "All kinds of thoughts were running through my head on Monday night about what had happened to her, things like going to see Brian Lindsay on her way home."

Ms Niven also visited Mr Lindsay's home, at his request, to talk about where Miss McCabe might be.

He told her he thought "something bad had happened to her."

Ms Niven later told police: "I said I felt something had happened and he said he had had that feeling as well and had had it since two o'clock."

Mr Simpson, from Camberley, has denied murder and claimed he has an alibi for the night Miss McCabe disappeared.

The 61-year-old, who was living in Newtyle near Dundee at the time, has lodged with the court a list of 13 names of people he said might have killed Miss McCabe, including both Charles Lamont and Brian Lindsay.

The trial continues.