Man takes blame for killing fiancee
Brian Hossack • Published 15 Feb 2010 14:00
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DEATH SCENE: Miller's flat in Wellington Street.
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A FORMER shipyard worker accused of murdering his fiancee has described her death as a tragic accident.
John Miller, 46, admitted to a High Court jury that nurse Elizabeth Ann Duncan had died at his hands after a violent row in his flat in Wellington Street last May.
But while he said he 'took full responsibility' for her death, a tearful Miller denied intentionally killing Ms Duncan, despite admitting grabbing her by the neck.
Advocate depute Alison Di Rollo said to Miller: "You put your bare hands around this woman's neck and squeezed the life out of her. You then lied to police, your parents and her grieving children didn't you?"
He replied: "Obviously it was me to blame for killing her, I take responsibility for it but it was a tragic accident. I lied after it but I wasn't trying to cover it up, I knew I had done something bad.
"I was in a rage, I was over the edge and didn't know really what I was doing, but it wasn't murder.
"This was someone who mattered to me, I loved her and never meant to kill her."
The trial earlier heard how the coronary care nurse was found to have suffered more than 30 separate injuries to her face, neck, hands and arms, as well as internal bruising to her skull.
Miller denied causing the wounds, saying: "I don't know how she got them. I never punched or kicked her once. They must have been old wounds."
Miller, represented by solicitor Aidan Gallagher and QC Gordon Jackson, is charged with murdering Elizabeth Ann Duncan on 28 May last year and assaulting her between 1 January and 26 May.
Miller also appears on two breach of the peace charges spanning 1 November 2008 and 28 May last year.
He maintains not guilty pleas to all four charges. The trial, in Greenock before Lord Matthews, continues.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 15 Feb 10
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