Witness repeatedly denied murder

Mr Lindsay vehemently denied being involved in the murder

A former lover of a murdered nursery nurse told a court he has been denying involvement in her death for more than 25 years.

Brian Lindsay denied killing Elizabeth McCabe, 20, and said there was no evidence to link him to her body.

Mr Lindsay, 50, was giving evidence at the High Court in Edinburgh during the trial of Vincent Simpson, 61.

Mr Simpson denies murdering Ms McCabe, whose body was found in Templeton Woods, Dundee, on 26 February, 1980.

In special defences, he has pleaded alibi and incrimination.

His lawyers have drawn up a list of 13 names, saying one or more of the men on the list could be the real killer. Mr Lindsay's name is first on the list.

In an angry outburst while giving evidence, Mr Lindsay said: "For 25 years I've protested my innocence.

"I never murdered that lassie."

I never used Elizabeth McCabe for sex Brian Lindsay

He added: "They've never found any forensics of mine on that lassie's body."

The witness statements came during heated exchanges with defence QC Mark Stewart, who is representing the accused Vincent Simpson of Longlands Way, Camberley, Surrey.

The court has heard that Mr Lindsay, 50, was one of a group of boys known to Ms McCabe and her close friend, Sandra Niven.

During cross-examination, Mr Stewart asked Mr Lindsay if he was a man of "extreme violence" - a suggestion he rejected.

Elizabeth McCabe was murdered after a night out in 1980

The court was told he has a record of convictions for assault including one in which a man's hand was nearly severed.

On the eighth day of the trial, the court heard that he also has convictions for "crimes of dishonesty", including theft, fraud and forging documents relating to road traffic matters.

Mr Lindsay said he was an honest man and had paid the penalties for those crimes.

He went on to dispute statements read to him in court, said to have been made by his mother, in relation to his movements around the time Ms McCabe vanished.

"It was quite easy for police to put in words when they wanted," he told the court.

Mr Stewart put it to the witness that there was evidence from Ms Niven that he had slept with Ms McCabe on more than one occasion.

'Total fabrication'

But he maintained that Ms Niven had got it wrong and he "went with" Ms McCabe just once.

Mr Lindsay said: "I never used Elizabeth McCabe for sex."

The defence lawyer suggested that Ms McCabe was "somewhat infatuated" with him, to which he replied: "That's come as a total surprise to me."

He also rejected claims that he attacked his mother, breaking her ribs and bursting one of her lungs.

He said: "I'm saying to you that's total fabrication."

He further denied ever being involved in stealing a car.

Mr Simpson denies striking Ms McCabe on the head, seizing her by the neck and compressing it.

He is charged with carrying out the attack in Union Street, Templeton Woods and elsewhere in Dundee between 10 February and 26 February in 1980.