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| Moira trial hears of park screams | Moira trial hears of park screams |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| The Moira Jones murder trial has been told that screaming was heard coming from a park where her body was found. | The Moira Jones murder trial has been told that screaming was heard coming from a park where her body was found. |
| Several witnesses told the jury at the High Court in Glasgow that the screams sounded like a frightened woman. | Several witnesses told the jury at the High Court in Glasgow that the screams sounded like a frightened woman. |
| Marek Harcar, 33, from Slovakia, has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones. | Marek Harcar, 33, from Slovakia, has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones. |
| The body of the 40-year-old was found in Queen's Park, in Glasgow's south side, last May. | The body of the 40-year-old was found in Queen's Park, in Glasgow's south side, last May. |
| Witness Kathleen McIlwaine told the court how she heard a scream as she was getting ready for bed in her flat, which overlooked the park, at about 2330 BST on 28 May last year. | |
| The 51-year-old biomedical scientist said: "I heard this awful scream. This was not a joyful scream. It was one scream and then it was cut off. It really disturbed me. | |
| "I could not see anything. The trees were in full leaf and it was so dark. | |
| "I took it to be female. This was due to the pitch. It was a very high-pitched scream." | |
| I told my colleague there was a body and asked him to get police and an ambulance John Hillhouse Couple Margaret Boyd and Frederick Graham told how they had been walking near the park around the same time that evening when they also heard a scream. | |
| Mr Graham said it was like someone was "frightened". | |
| The 46-year-old taxi driver added: "Then there was another scream that Margaret and I heard. It was the same as before. It made me look at my phone. | |
| "I actually said: 'If we wake up in the morning and someone has been murdered, then we have just heard it'." | |
| Miss Boyd, a pub manageress, described the noise she heard as "a girly scream" and thought it was youths carrying on in the park. | |
| But she added: "My partner said that he thought someone was getting assaulted in the park." | |
| The trial also heard from the rangers at Queen's Park who discovered Ms Jones half-naked body on the morning of 29 May 2008. | |
| No pulse | |
| John Hillhouse said he found her body lying face down behind a hedge. Her hair was matted with blood. | |
| Mr Hillhouse, 50, told the court: "I told my colleague there was a body and asked him to get police and an ambulance. | |
| "I stepped over the bush and went to feel for a pulse, but there was none. I asked my colleague to please hurry up. | |
| "He did not think that it was real. He thought that it was a dummy. I said that it was a female and she was wearing a ring and had lovely manicured hands." | |
| The trial at the High Court in Glasgow is before Lord Bracadale His work-mate Ian Stewart, 63, later told the trial: "John had beckoned me over as he was over the side of the hedge. | |
| "I jokingly said: 'You haven't found a dead body, have you?' I should not have said that, but I did." | |
| Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted Ms Jones and forced her to enter the park on 28 or 29 May 2008. | Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted Ms Jones and forced her to enter the park on 28 or 29 May 2008. |
| It is claimed that he forced her across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body. | It is claimed that he forced her across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body. |
| Mr Harcar is then said to have repeatedly struck the 40-year-old's body on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her. | Mr Harcar is then said to have repeatedly struck the 40-year-old's body on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her. |
| He is also alleged to have murdered Ms Jones and robbed her of two rings and three bags which included a camera, laptop and three mobile phones. | He is also alleged to have murdered Ms Jones and robbed her of two rings and three bags which included a camera, laptop and three mobile phones. |
| He denies all charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi. | He denies all charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi. |
| Other charges | |
| Mr Harcar has blamed three other men for the attack, and claims he was elsewhere at the time it happened. | |
| He is also charged with committing a breach of the peace by threatening to kill Lucie Pechtlova at a room in Queen's Drive on 29 May. | He is also charged with committing a breach of the peace by threatening to kill Lucie Pechtlova at a room in Queen's Drive on 29 May. |
| He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year. | He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year. |
| The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues. | The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues. |