Fingerprints on Vicky's body bag

The fingerprints were on a bag wrapped around parts of Vicky's body

The fingerprints of the man accused of murdering Vicky Hamilton were found on a plastic bag containing her upper torso, a court has heard.

A fingerprint officer said prints from Peter Tobin's left ring finger, right little finger and right middle finger were found on the black bag.

The bag was one of several wrapped around the remains of the teenager in the garden of Mr Tobin's former home.

Mr Tobin, 62, denies murdering the 15-year-old in February 1991.

He has lodged a special defence of alibi.

Sedative

The fingerprint evidence was given by James Aitken from the Scottish Police Services Authority.

Vicky was last seen in Bathgate, West Lothian, on 10 February 1991 as she made her way home to Redding, near Falkirk.

Her remains were found in a back garden in Margate, Kent, last year.

The High Court in Dundee earlier heard that a sedative drug was found in Vicky's body.

Toxicologist Karen Kerr told the court she carried out tests on samples taken from Vicky's liver and a bruise on her right hand.

Amitriptyline, an anti-depressant with sedative side effects, was found in both samples.

The jury heard Nortriptyline - a substance produced when Amitriptyline is broken down in the body - was also found.

Ms Kerr said the presence of Amitriptyline in the liver indicated it had been ingested.

The jury previously heard that Mr Tobin had taken an overdose of Amitriptyline and Triazalam in 1990.

The charges

Mr Tobin is accused of abducting Vicky 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 that police were conducting a missing person's inquiry, Mr Tobin is said to have put Vicky's purse under a portable cabin 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 trial, before Lord Emslie, continues.