Quarrel between siblings that ended in tragedy

Gordon had been allocated a flat in Abbey Court, St Andrews, but had been staying at his sister’s upstairs flat in Bobby Jones Place for a couple of weeks when the murder took place.

Gordon, who was born in Dunfermline but brought up in Rosyth, was one of 10 siblings and was a ceramic tiler by trade.

However, he had not worked since being attacked around six years ago, was on benefits, and was not in the best of health – having suffered several bouts of pneumonia.

Evidence heard during the trial revealed how Gordon had phoned 999 after assaulting his sister and told the call handler: “I think I’ve killed my sister.

“She’s dead, I’m alive and I’m no happy, but I thought I better report it.”

Asked by the operator how he had killed her, he replied: “Because she was a cheeky b ***** d.”

Gordon claimed Ms Bowe had grown angry because he refused to go out to buy cannabis for her, and said the pair were arguing until Ms Bowe removed the lower half of her clothes and threatened to cry rape.

Gordon told the court he laughed it off and called her a “retard”, which he said prompted Ms Bowe to threaten to “cut his face off” and move to fetch a knife.

Gordon said it was then he took hold of his sister by the neck to restrain her for “a minute-ish” before she collapsed.

Gordon claimed he checked she was not “kidding on”, phoned police at 9.24pm after briefly charging his phone, and used a piece of carrier bag to wipe blood away from his sister’s mouth.

The court heard how Ms Bowe had called police at 7.59pm the same day, telling the operator Gordon had stolen her phone and that she was in a “domestic violence situation”.

And the court also heard from her son, also named Charles Gordon, who received a call from Ms Bowe at around 6.45pm to let him hear his mum and Gordon arguing.

I think I’ve killed my sister. 999 CALL

Charles Gordon had been staying with Elizabeth Bowe for a couple of weeks.