A friend of the man accused of murdering Brenda Page has told a jury that he called her the night before she died and told her he was “going to kill her”.
Dr Christopher Harrisson, 82, also known as ‘Kit’, denies repeatedly striking his ex-wife’s head and body with a blunt implement or implements at her Aberdeen flat in 1978.
On the second day of the trial, former head teacher Elsa Christie told the High Court in Aberdeen that Harrisson called her at her home in Luxembourg.
The 75-year-old told the court that her friend at the time said Dr Page, 32, had “stolen” his scientific research and that he was going to kill her.
The jury heard Mrs Christie claim that she found out that the scientist had been murdered two days after the call when she saw it on the front page of a newspaper.
She told jurors she informed police officers at the time but they were “young” and “incompetent”.
Asked about a telephone call to her on July 13 1978, Mrs Christie said she had received a call from Harrisson who rang her “quite often” in a “depressed” state.
“He said he was going to kill her,” she told the prosecutor, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC.
“He was looking for sympathy. He said she’d stolen his research and that he was going to kill her. He was ranting.”
Harrisson’s defence advocate Mr McConnachie KC then quizzed her on why this claim did not appear in her initial statement to the police.
He asked: “You had, effectively, a threat from a person, who you had decided was an important person in this case, but the police didn’t manage to commit that to paper.
“Don’t you think that is surprising?”
“No. These young policemen were completely incompetent”, she replied.
Letters from Brenda Page
The court also heard letters between Brenda Page and her lawyer read out, alleging her ex-husband made repeated threats to kill her a year before she died.
In one letter from Dr Page to solicitor Nicol Hosie, she asked him to ensure she got “a good post-mortem” if she should “depart this earth rather suddenly”.
Mr Hosie also read out a letter from Brenda who wrote that Harrisson repeatedly punched her in the face when she suggested he pack a tie to wear on holiday.
It was also stated that Harrisson took three baths a day and wore layers upon layers of woolly clothing around the house.
‘She was scared of him’
Prosecuting the case, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC asked Mr Hosie if, during his meetings with Dr Page, he formed the opinion that she was concerned about Harrisson.
“Oh yes. She was scared of him,” he replied.
Describing Dr Page as a “measured” and “intelligent” woman, Mr Hosie added that he didn’t form the opinion that Dr Page was prone to exaggeration.
He then read out a letter to his office from Dr Page on May 21 1977, which stated: “If I do depart this earth rather suddenly, please make sure I get a good post-mortem and that my sister and her boys get any benefit”.
The 32-year-old’s letters and subsequent application for divorce on the grounds of alleged cruelty by her Harrisson accused him of repeated violent assaults.
They painted the picture of a man who displayed “eccentric” and erratic behaviour, the court was told.
Brenda Page returned to her Aberdeen flat on Allan Street on the early morning of July 14 1978 when she was repeatedly struck on the head, face and body 20 times with a blunt implement.
Her battered body was discovered sprawled across her bed days later by her neighbour.
Harrisson has denied killing Brenda more than four decades ago.
His defence advocate Brian McConnachie KC has entered a special defence of alibi on behalf of his client, claiming he was at his home when the alleged murder took place.
Dr Page’s former genetics lecturer at Glasgow University, Adrienne Jessop, also gave evidence.
She told the court that the last time she had spoken to Dr Page, Brenda said she had moved out of the home that she shared with Harrisson.
“She got a court order that Kit couldn’t come near the flat. It was obvious that she was afraid of him,” she said.
“If he killed her, she said he would do it so nobody would know.”
Dr Page was ‘quite terrified’ of the accused
Her claim was challenged by Mr McConnachie, who questioned why Ms Jessop didn’t share it with the police when giving statements in 1978 and 2015, and didn’t say anything about the comment until 2020.
He put it to her that she had formed the view that Harrisson was responsible and just “added it in” later.
“No, you’re wrong. She said it,” Ms Jessop replied. “She said it quite clear”.
Further evidence was given by Brenda’s school friend Diana Davey.
She told the jury that Dr Page was “quite terrified” of the accused who denies all the charges.
The trial, before judge Lord Richardson, continues.
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