Three accused of murdering oil worker at bird reserve

THREE people appeared in court yesterday accused of murdering an oil worker at a beauty spot.

Tasmin Glass, 19, Callum Davidson, 23, and Steven Dickie, also 23, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court over the death of Steven Donaldson at Kinnordy Nature Reserve in Kirriemuir, Angus. The 27year-old, pictured, was found dead in the car park there around 5am on June 7.

It is alleged that the trio arranged to meet Mr Donaldson, from Arbroath, Angus, at the Peter Pan Play Park in Kirriemuir before repeatedly striking him with a knife or similar instrument and hitting him on the head with an ‘unknown heavy-bladed instrument’.

They are then said to have transported him to the RSPB’s Loch of Kinnory Nature Reserve where prosecutors say they continued to assault him.

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

All three appeared in private on petition yesterday accused of the murder.

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

The three made no plea to the charges during brief separate hearings.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown fully committed the trio for trial and remanded all three in custody.