The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Court hears from tragic Mary Logie’s family as murder trial begins.
Fife pensioner Mary Logie had trusted Sandra Weir enough to give her a key
A family of a Fife grandmother found dead in her home gave her alleged killer a bottle of whisky for Christmas for being such a good neighbour.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard on the first day of Sandra Weir’s trial for murder how Leven pensioner Mary Logie had relied on her for help.
Weir, 41, is accused of murdering Mrs Logie with a rolling pin at her home in Green Gates on January 5.
Just days earlier, she had been given the gift, Mrs Logie’s solicitor said.
The court heard Weir went to the shops for her elderly neighbour and helped look after her cat when she was away.
Ronald Logie, 60, said it was decided it would be a good idea to bring her a Christmas present.
Weir’s QC Murray Macara asked Mr Logie if his mother spoke about Weir during their weekly telephone conversations.
“She was mentioned quite often in our weekly conversations,” said Mr Logie. “Always favourably.” The women lived just “seconds apart”, with doors on the same landing, and Weir had a key to Mrs Logie’s flat.
Mr Logie said his mother had had recent distressing incidents in which money had gone missing.
During a visit to his Yorkshire home last Christmas, when two cards containing money had gone missing, he drove her back to her home on January 1 to search, fruitlessly, for them.
He also told the court that in June last year he found out his mother’s purse, which contained an ATM card and money she had withdrawn, had gone missing the day before she was to set off for a bus trip to Wales.
Mrs Logie’s daughter Caryl Robertson, 55, who had flown from Australia to attend court, said her mother’s wallet containing £200 had gone missing when she was in Scotland during August and September last year.
She said having searched “everywhere” she left the house and when she returned Weir was there.
She said: “When I came back Sandra was in the house and they had found the wallet.” The £200 was gone.
Mrs Logie’s daughter-in-law Theresa, 58, Derek Logie’s wife, choked back tears after telling the court Mrs Logie could not afford to spend as much as she usually did at Christmas and she would get “annoyed at herself” after discovering money had gone missing.
She said: “She couldn’t afford things and she was worried that she kept losing money.”
Son Derek Logie said concerns about Mrs Logie losing money had first been raised around July last year.
He said the family had not had any concerns previously.
The hearing before Judge Michael O’Grady was told that Mr Logie lived at the home in Green Gates with the family from 1970 until 1981.
Since his father died around 1986, Mrs Logie had lived in the property alone.
He said despite suffering from arthritis and having mobility problems, his mother lived independently and enjoyed lunch outings and trips with friends.
Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, for the prosecution, asked the witness: “Did she appear lucid and alert?” Mr Logie replied: “Absolutely, yes.” He added that he believed his mother was careful about her finances.
She couldn’t afford things and she was worried that she kept losing money. VICTIM’S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW