Woman found guilty of battering elderly neighbour to death

● ‘Breathtakingly wicked’ attack by drug addict who stole from victim

0 Sandra Weir, left, will be sentenced in January for killing Mary Logie in her Leven home A drug addict who battered her elderly neighbour to death in a “wicked” and “horrific” attack has been found guilty of murder.

Sandra Weir, 41, lashed out at pensioner Mary Logie, 82, in her home in Leven, Fife, on 5 January.

Weir had also been stealing from Mrs Logie – also known as Rae – to fund her drug habit.

Weir was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, where Judge Michael O’grady QC described the manner of Mrs Logie’s death as “breathtakingly wicked”.

Weir had denied the charges, lodging a special defence of alibi saying she was elsewhere at the time.

The trial heard the pensioner had 31 injuries to her head and neck, and died as a result of blunt force trauma to her head inflicted by a rolling pin or similar instrument.

The court heard that Weir had become close to Mrs Logie and had acted as an unofficial carer. However, it emerged that she had been a drug addict since her 20s and had racked up debts.

Mr O’grady told the court Weir had attacked Mrs Logie at her home and later returned to the scene and “finished her off”.

He said: “On the evidence before me, Rae Logie was a decent, kind, tolerant and harmless elderly woman.

“That you should have betrayed her trust is shocking enough.

“I have no doubt then you left her for dead and went about your business. Instead, you found she was still alive and that you could not allow. And so, as she lay defenceless, you simply finished her off.”

Police Scotland Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, from the major investigation team, said: “Sandra Weir is a callous and uncaring individual who regularly exploited Mary Logie for financial gain.

“The level of violence inflicted upon Mary, coupled with the prolonged period of bullying and intimidation, demonstrated Weir’s complete disregard for the wellbeing of her victim … Mary’s death had a profound impact on the local community.”

Mrslogie,whowasbornand brought up in Methil, worked in a local chemist after leaving school and before meeting her husband Walter. They married for 33 years and had two sons and a daughter.

She was a member of Leven Parish Church. Minister Reverend Gilbert Nisbet said: “There is a great deal of sadness that such a thing could happen in this community and people grieve over the circumstances of Rae’s death.”

Weir will be sentenced in January at the same court.