The man accused of murdering his secret lover Renee MacRae and their three-year-old son Andrew has decided not to take the stand to give evidence in his own defence.
William (Bill) MacDowell, 80, denies killing the 36-year-old Inverness housewife and her son at a lay-by on the A9 near Dalmagarry, or elsewhere, on November 12 1976.
On Monday, wheelchair-bound MacDowell heard prosecutor Alex Prentice KC present the last of the Crown’s alleged evidence against him, on the ninth day of the trial.
At the High Court in Inverness on Tuesday, the pensioner’s legal representation closed their case after calling five witnesses for the defence.
Juries are normally instructed not to attach any significance to an accused electing not to take the witness box because they do not have to prove anything.
Man sporting Mexican moustache
Mr MacDowell’s defence counsel Murray Macara KC called two witnesses to speak to being certain they saw Mrs MacRae with a man sporting a handlebar or Mexican moustache.
But advocate depute Alex Prentice objected to the line of questioning, saying: “There is no incrimination of this man lodged”.
Mr Macara conceded: “I am not incriminating the man with the handlebar moustache.”
The jury had previously heard of a journey north taken by MacDowell and his now-deceased handyman, convicted criminal Mitchell Yuill.
He had been accused by MacDowell of stealing his car and lost his job.
Mr Yuill told police in October 1987 that he had quizzed MacDowell several times about Renee and Andrew’s disappearance and asked him if he did it.
Mr Yuill said the journey was to collect furniture and he was asked to drive the horsebox vehicle for a short time.
He said MacDowell appeared to be asleep on the passenger seat and he felt he didn’t want to see something on the road.
Accused’s son-in-law gives evidence
In fresh evidence heard by the court on Tuesday, MacDowell’s son-in-law Kenneth Goudie said he travelled to the MacDowell’s home in Nairnside, near Inverness with Mr Yuill.
The former motor mechanic recalled it was a Ford Capri pulling a horsebox to collect plants and his toolbox.
He agreed with Mr Macara: “There was nothing noteworthy about the journey”.
He was then asked: “Were you ever involved in moving furniture?”
“No,” Mr Goudie replied.
William MacDowell is also accused of disposing of missing Renee and Andrew’s bodies, burning Mrs MacRae’s BWM car, destroying other evidence, and disposing of items including a blue cross pushchair and a Volvo estate boot hatch.
MacDowell has lodged special defences of alibi – claiming he was elsewhere in Inverness on the night the pair vanished – and blames Mrs MacRae’s building company director husband Gordon for the murders.
The trial, before Lord Armstrong, continues.
