Woman not guilty of killing Blairhall mother

A Fife woman was dramatically cleared of murder yesterday after the Crown withdrew all allegations against her.

Laura McMurdo, 30, was formally found not guilty of killing Claire Turnbull at the flat the accused shared with Aaron Donald in Blairhall on October 5 last year.

She denied being responsible for killing the 36-year-old single mother and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by removing the murder weapon and hiding it in a holdall.

Although her clothes and shoes were stained with Claire’s blood, a forensic expert told a jury at the High Court in Livingston she had not been in the same room as the victim when she was killed.

Donald, 28, has formally admitted that he killed Claire by repeatedly hitting her on the head with a claw hammer.

However, he denies murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice and has lodged special defences claiming he was suffering from a mental disorder and diminished responsibility at the time of the killing.

As the prosecution case came to an end yesterday, forensic physician Dr Pryanjith Perera, 56, gave evidence that Donald had been exhibiting no psychotic signs or symptoms when he examined him the next morning. The final piece of evidence presented to the jury was a joint minute in which Donald’s counsel Bert Kerrigan QC agreed that his client had repeatedly struck the deceased on the head with the hammer and was responsible for her death.

Advocate depute Bernard Eblett told the court: “After consideration of the evidence, the Crown are withdrawing the libel in respect of charges one and two in relation to the second named accused Laura McMurdo.”

Judge Lady Scott found her not guilty.

The trial continues.