Murder trial hears dad's 999 call
Brian Hossack • Published 11 Feb 2010 14:00
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DEATH SCENE: Flat in Wellington Street.
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A MURDER trial heard a harrowing 999 call made by the father of the accused after he found a nurse's body in his son's flat.
The desperate call was made by William Miller, 72, minutes after he discovered Elizabeth Ann Duncan's lifeless body on the floor of accused John Miller's home in Wellington Street.
The High Court trial was played a recording of the frantic, six-minute phone call made by the OAP as he tried to summon help.
After identifying himself to the emergency services operator, Mr Miller is heard telling how he had just found the body face down on the floor.
After being asked to try and carry out first aid to resuscitate Ms Duncan, the pensioner is heard to say: "I'm kneeling next to her.
"She has turned blue and is cold and stiff. The body is solid, I think it might be too late to help her. I think she's dead."
The fraught OAP was in the flat with wife, Mary, 69, after his son turned up at their home in the early hours on 29 May saying: "I think Liz is dead."
Two ambulance crews and police officers raced to the scene but found the nurse, who was Miller's fiancee, dead on arrival.
Under examination by advocate depute Alison Di Rollo, one of the first officers on the scene at 6.45am told how he had heard the accused say he feared being blamed for Liz's death.
He said: "I heard John Miller say to his parents 'Oh no, I'm going to get the blame for killing her'. He was very upset and on the verge of crying."
Miller, represented by solicitor Aidan Gallagher and QC Gordon Jackson, is charged with murdering Elizabeth Ann Duncan by seizing her, pulling her hair and repeatedly striking her head against a hard surface before repeatedly punching and striking her on the head and body.
He is then alleged to have struggled with her, seizing hold of her neck and compressing it with his hands and restricting her breathing by other means unknown.
He is also accused of assaulting Elizabeth on various occasions between 1 January and 26 May last year by seizing her, pushing and throwing her about and punching and kicking her to the head and body.
Miller also appears on two breach of the peace charges spanning 1 November 2008 and 28 May.
He maintains not guilty pleas to all four charges. The trial before Lord Matthews at Greenock continues.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 11 Feb 10
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