Pair are held after being charged with murder of tragic Claire

Man, 27, and woman, 29, make no plea after death of ‘lost soul’ in Blairhall

Two people have been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with murdering of a woman in a Fife village with a hammer.

Aaron Donald, 27, and Laura McMurdo, 29, of Dunfermline, made no plea when they appeared in private at the town’s sheriff court yesterday and the case was committed for further examination.

The pair were arrested following the death of Claire Turnbull in the west Fife village of Blairhall on Friday evening.

It is alleged they assaulted Ms Turnbull by seizing her by the throat, repeatedly punched her, repeatedly struck her on the head with a hammer and murdered her.

Ms Turnbull was pronounced dead at the scene after a disturbance in a flat in Rintoul Avenue.

The tragedy comes two years after the 36-year-old lost her newborn baby Violet-Ivy to cot death while she was living in Cupar.

Friend Laura Turnbull, no relation, said: “Claire was a lovely, generous, lost soul. This world was beyond cruel to her and still she shone bright.

“She saw no one below her although many chose to put her beneath them.

“I hope she is at peace in a better place than this world ever was to her.”

A routine investigation was launched into the death of Ms Turnbull’s baby in October 2016. Police later said the child had been the victim of an “unexplained infant death”.

Ms Turnbull had been reported missing from her home in Kirkcaldy in May 2016 while she was pregnant. She was later traced safe and well.

She had been living in Dunfermline just before her death.

Another friend, Maggie Bell, said: “Claire never seemed to have a easy time of it. Her life was difficult and hard but she tried to soldier on no matter how hard it got for her.

“Such a tragedy for her life to be taken in such a horrendous way. She will be sorely missed by many people from many different areas of Fife.”

The normally sleepy village of Blairhall was the focus of intense police activity on Friday night after reports of an incident in Rintoul Avenue.

A large section of the street was cordoned off by police as crime scene officers investigated.

On Saturday morning a forensic officer could be seen taking evidence from the first floor flat.

Detective Inspector Kelly McEwan from Dunfermline CID said: “Our thoughts are with Claire’s family and friends at this tragic time.

“Claire’s family are being supported by specialist officers and the family kindly request privacy at this time to come to terms with their loss.

“We are satisfied that this was an isolated incident and we are not looking for anyone else in connection.”

Friends have been paying tribute to 36-year-old Claire Turnbull following her tragic death last week.