A man accused of murdering a woman in her home claimed that she would be “fine” after he was told that she had died, a court heard today.
Owen Grant, 43, turned up at a woman’s home, appearing drunk and “wobbling about” to try to get her to source cocaine.
Carly Clark told the High Court in Edinburgh that he said he had been going round to see Kiesha Donaghy, but the road was closed and police were around.
Grant is alleged to have assaulted and murdered Kiesha on November 15 2023, by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with an unknown object. She died after sustaining blunt force head injuries.
Accused denies murder
Grant, 43, denies murdering the 32-year-old mum-of-two at the property in Anderson Drive, Elgin, and is standing trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
On the third full day of evidence, Ms Clark said she thought Grant gave her £200 for the drugs and she went to try to get the cocaine but received a call telling her that Kiesha had died.
She returned and told him about the news she received and said he was “quite upset”.
She said: “He told me it was wrong. That wasn’t what happened. He was adamant that wasn’t what happened and she would be fine.”
She agreed that Grant turned up at her house because the area around Kiesha’s home was closed off by the police.
Defence solicitor advocate James Keegan KC said: “He thought Kiesha was getting busted.”
Ms Clark, 40, replied: “That’s what he said.”
The defence lawyer said he “was adamant it was a drugs bust going on rather than anything else”.
She responded: “Adamant, yes.”
Bodycam footage of arrest shown
Advocate depute Christopher Wilson KC asked her if Grant had used drugs when he stayed at her home, and she said: “Yes”.
Ms Clark said she had known Kiesha for a year or more and met Grant at her home.
She said: “After Kiesha died, he arrived at my house and he stayed for the weekend.”
Jurors were shown police bodycam footage of Grant being arrested by officers on November 30 in 2023 at his workplace before he was placed in a police van and taken into custody.
The trial before judge Lord Scott continues.