A “blood-curdling scream” was heard on the night Inverness mum Renee MacRae and her three-year-old son Andrew disappeared 46 years ago, a court has been told.
Catherine Johnstone, 68, was giving evidence on day one of the trial of 80-year-old William MacDowell, who denies the murders of Renee and Andrew on November 12, 1976.
A jury of eight women and seven men is hearing the case at the High Court in Inverness.
At the time, Mrs Johnstone lived with her parents at a farm opposite the Dalmagarry lay-by on the A9, near Tomatin, where Mrs MacRae’s blue BMW was found ablaze.
She told the jury that her now deceased mother, Eva MacQueen, “made reference to it often in her lifetime”.
Mrs Johnstone was asked by advocate depute Alex Prentice KC: “Did your mother ever make any reference to something that night?”
Mrs Johnstone replied: “She said she heard a blood-curdling scream that night. She couldn’t detect where it came from. She said it was about 730pm-8pm.”
Mrs Johnstone also spoke of seeing a car with no lights sitting in a lay-by near the Meallmore Lodge Hotel and remembered a 4×4-type vehicle travelling south at speed as she drove into Inverness that night between 7.30pm and 8pm.
Her passenger commented: “That’s in a hurry”, the court heard.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes, of Police Scotland’s Specialist Crime Division, gave evidence about Mrs MacQueen’s statement she gave to police just days after the incident.
In her statement Mrs MacQueen said: “I heard a distinct screech coming from the east side. Hens roost in this area but I couldn’t associate it with hens. I saw nothing that would arouse my suspicions.”
Former roads department worker, 84-year-old Donald MacAskill, from Tomatin, told the jury that he saw a blue BMW parked in the Meallmore lay-by about 7pm that night with its side lights on. He couldn’t see if anyone was inside.
He added he went into the hotel to pick up ceilidh tickets and left about 8pm but the car wasn’t there.
Mr MacAskill said he also saw the BMW burning in the Dalmagarry lay-by when he returned to the hotel in a taxi about 10pm.
After being told by Lord Armstrong that he was free to leave the witness box, Mr MacAskill stood up and muttered: “A bloody waste of time that.”
Special defences of incrimination and alibi
MacDowell, formerly of Inverness, is accused of assaulting Andrew and the boy’s mum in the lay-by on November 12, 1976. He is charged with causing them injury by unknown means, as a result of which they died, and thereby murdering them.
He is also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the two bodies by means unknown.
Lord Armstrong is presiding over the trial which is expected to last four weeks.
Murray McAra KC is presenting wheelchair-bound MacDowell’s defence and said his client would require frequent breaks due to his deteriorating health.
MacDowell is further alleged to have disposed of a pushchair, set fire to a BMW vehicle and disposed of a boot hatch from a Volvo to conceal the alleged crimes. The bodies have never been found.
He denies all the charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi.
MacDowell’s defence team has lodged two special defences which were read to the court. One incriminates Mrs MacRae’s estranged husband and building tycoon, Gordon and other persons unknown as having carried out the crimes.
The other is an alibi, claiming he was drinking with workmates in an Inverness hotel after his work with Mr MacRae’s firm until about 7.15pm.
He then says he went back to work before going home to Westhill via a town centre shop, arriving about 8.15pm.
