Vicky trial told of 'home swaps'

Vicky Hamilton was last seen alive more than 17 years ago

The Vicky Hamilton murder trial has heard that a house in Bathgate and a house in Margate both had tenancy agreements under the name Peter Tobin.

It is alleged that the home in Bathgate is where Ms Hamilton may have been killed, while the body of a young girl was found at the Margate property.

Peter Tobin, 62, denies the abduction and murder of the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl in 1991.

At the High Court in Dundee, he has lodged a special defence of alibi.

Mr Tobin claims he was in Portsmouth at the time of Ms Hamilton's disappearance on 10 February 1991.

The court heard that an application was made from a man named Peter Tobin for a house swap from Brighton to Robertson Avenue in Bathgate in 1989. In early 1991, he applied for a further swap for a house at Irvine Drive in Margate.

Giving evidence, Janice Gray, 49, a letting officer for West Lothian Council, told the court that a Mr Tobin was a tenant at the Bathgate property until 21 March, 1991.

Solicitor General Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, said: "Tenth February 1991 would be before Mr Tobin moved out of that address." Ms Gray agreed.

She also agreed with Donald Findlay, defence QC, that the application for a move to the Margate house was made on February 7 - before the schoolgirl went missing.

The jury has already been told that a knife was found during a search of the house in Robertson Avenue last year.

They have also been shown photographs of an excavation in the garden of the house in Margate where a young girl's body was found.

'Same face'

Earlier in the day, the trial heard from the last people thought to have seen Ms Hamilton alive.

A former chip shop worker, a driver and a managing director have given evidence to say they saw a girl matching Ms Hamilton's description on 10 February 1991.

Shop assistant Lynda Newman, 55, said a girl came into Valente's chip shop in Bathgate at about 25 or 20 minutes to six in the evening.

"She was getting a bag of chips and she asked where she would get a bus to Falkirk," said Mrs Newman.

I was unaware at this time of the significance of the purse as we had not received any [missing person] notification at this time Lillian Williamson Police clerk witness statement

She paid for her chips with a five pound note and left to walk the short distance to the bus stop.

Retired driving instructor Catherine Bryce, 62, said she was driving in the West Lothian town's South Bridge Street when a girl ran into the road, stopped and looked at her.

Shown a photo of Vicky, she said: "It looks like the same face but her hair was slightly longer than that."

Alec Meek, 44, said he too was asked directions and also asked the way to the chip shop.

Managing director Robert Meechan, 43, said he was heading for a video shop when a polite young lady asked him directions to a bus stop which was only about 150 yards away.

Edinburgh chef Hamish Watson also told the court how he found a purse bearing Ms Hamilton's name on a city street 11 days after she disappeared.

He said: "It didn't look as though it had been here very long."

The trial heard that items in the purse, such as a hospital appointment card, indicated the purse belonged to Vicky of Redding, Falkirk.

Missing person

Mr Watson said: "It was in plain sight." He then explained how he noticed the purse was dry, even though the street was damp.

He handed it in at St Leonard's police station when he left work that afternoon.

The purse then went to Lothian and Borders Police HQ at Fettes.

The court was also told that police initially failed to link the chance find of the purse with the missing person inquiry.

The trial was also shown a statement from Lillian Williamson, a former senior clerk in the lost property department at Fettes, who has since died.

"Examination of the contents showed it was the property of Vicky Hamilton," she told ex-detective sergeant John McDonald, 65, and a letter had been sent to Vicky's address to tell her about the find.

"I was unaware at this time of the significance of the purse as we had not received any notification at this time," her statement continued.

The case is being heard by Lord Emslie at the High Court in Dundee

Mr McDonald said the purse had later been taken to London where it featured in a BBC Crimewatch programme about the hunt for Ms Hamilton.

Mr Tobin is accused of abducting Ms Hamilton and taking her to Robertson Avenue in Bathgate, West Lothian, on 10 February 1991, which the Crown alleges was then occupied by him.

The charge also alleges that there or elsewhere he drugged her, struggled with her, compressed her neck, indecently assaulted her and murdered her.

He is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

It is alleged that he concealed Vicky's body and removed and disposed of a number of items of her clothing and footwear.

He is also accused of cutting her body in two and wrapping it in coverings and bin bags.

Then, allegedly aware police were conducting a missing persons inquiry, Mr Tobin is said to have put Ms Hamilton's purse under a portacabin to mislead police into believing she had run away from home.

Mr Tobin denies all the charges against him and has lodged a special defence of alibi, saying that between 1700 GMT and midnight on 10 February 1991, he was in the Portsmouth area and was thereafter travelling to Scotland, arriving in Edinburgh at 0630 GMT the following day.

The case before Lord Emslie continues.