Three accused of oil worker murder

THREE people have appeared in court for a second time accused of arranging to meet an oil worker at a children’s playpark before murdering him by battering and stabbing him, transporting him to a nature reserve and setting him on fire.

Tasmin Glass, 19, Callum Davidson, 23, and Steven Dickie, also 23, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday over the death of Steven Donaldson at the Kinnordy Nature Reserve in Kirriemuir.

The 27-year-old was found dead at the beauty spot’s car park around 5am on Thursday June 7.

It is alleged that the trio arranged to meet Mr Donaldson at the Peter Pan Play Park in Kirriemuir, before repeatedly striking him on the leg and body with a knife or similar instrument and striking him on the head with an “unknown heavy bladed instrument”.

They are then said to have transported him to the Loch of Kinnory Nature Reserve where prosecutors say they continued to assault him by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a knife.

It is alleged that they then set fire to Mr Donaldson’s BMW car and Mr Donaldson himself and murdered him.

Davidson and Dickie also faced charges of breach of the peace while Davidson faced an additional charge of assault.

All three made no plea to the charges during brief separate hearings in private on petition.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown fully committed their cases for trial and remanded all three in custody pending further court dates being set.

Friends of Steven paid tribute to him following his death. Speaking previously, Steven’s friend Martin Johnstone, 48, said: “He was a 100% hard-working, genuine guy, who was never in trouble.”

Steven Donaldson