World's End murders: Witness 'saw accused with girls'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-29632041

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A friend of two teenagers killed in 1977 has told a court she saw the man accused of their murders with them in the pub where they were last seen alive.

Jackie Thomson identified Angus Sinclair as one of the two men she saw with Christine Eadie and Helen Scott.

They were at the World's End pub in Edinburgh.

Mr Sinclair, 69, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting, raping and murdering the 17-year-olds.

Ms Thomson, who was with the girls on the night they went missing and were killed, was giving evidence on the third day of Mr Sinclair's trial at the High Court in Livingston.

She told the court that she and another friend, Tony, had left Christine and Helen in the World's End in the company of two men at around 10.45pm on Saturday 15 October, 37 years ago.

Photographs

Prosecuting, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said Ms Thomson had been shown a series of 12 photographs of men by the police in 2004.

Mr Mulholland said she was shown the images to see if she could identify anyone who was one of the males she saw with the girls in the pub in 1977.

Pointing to Mr Sinclair, he told the court Ms Thomson had identified the accused.

He asked: "How sure were you that this person on photo K, Angus Sinclair, was one of the two male persons?"

Ms Thomson replied: "In 1977 he looked quite a lot different - younger than that. It is hard to say because I had seen photos in the newspapers."

Mr Mulholland asked her to answer the question directly, stating: "How sure were you?"

She replied: "I was pretty sure, yeah."

Boyfriend

Earlier, a former boyfriend of one of two girls found dead in 1977 has told the court he never had sex with her.

Alan Dixon, 56, was in a relationship with Helen Scott for about two years until her death.

Ms Scott and Christine Eadie, both 17, were last seen alive at the World's End pub in Edinburgh in October 1977.

Their bodies were found in two different parts of East Lothian. Angus Sinclair, 69, denies murdering the girls after raping and strangling them.

Mr Sinclair is alleged to have gagged the girls, bound their wrists and tied a ligature around their necks.

He denies inflicting blunt force injuries on Ms Eadie by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body and biting her.

He also denies forcing Ms Scott to walk barefoot into a field, ripping the strap from her handbag, repeatedly punching and kicking her on the head and body and stamping on her head.

And he denies stealing clothing, footwear, jewellery and other personal effects from the teenagers in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Sinclair has lodged three special defences, of incrimination, consent and alibi.

The case is expected to last two to three weeks.