Victim bludgeoned, then body sliced up
● Mother of three was cut into 12 pieces and dumped in four bins in Montrose
A man was yesterday convicted of brutally murdering mother-of-three Kimberley Mackenzie in a frenzied attack with two knives, a hammer and a large paint scraper.
Steven Jackson, 40, struck Ms Mackenzie, 37, over the head at least 11 times and stabbed her more than 40 times on 27 October last year.
The following day he chopped up her body in the bath and with the assistance of former lover Michelle Higgins, 29, dumped the body parts in four bins in Montrose.
They were also caught on CCTV walking through the streets of Montrose carrying a child’s rucksack and a green suitcase containing more body parts including Ms Mackenzie’s head.
The suitcase and rucksack were dumped by the pair at a house in William Phillips Drive, Montrose, and put in the shower cubicle.
Higgins was convicted of helping to dispose of the body and on an art and part basis of dismembering the body. The murder charge against her was found not proven.
She sat with her head bowed and wept as the verdicts were given. Jackson showed no emotion.
Judge Lady Rae told Jackson and Higgins at the High Court in Glasgow: “I have difficulty finding appropriate words to describe these horrific depraved crimes.”
She added to the jury: “This is one of the most distressing cases I have ever heard.”
The victim’s mother, who had been in court throughout the trial, was too upset to comment afterwards.
Lady Rae deferred sentence until 17 January next year at the High Court at Livingston for background reports.
Prosecutor Ashlie Edwards told the court that Jackson has 21 previous convictions. Higgins has convictions for shoplifting and breach of the peace.
She gave evidence and told of how Jackson launched a murderous attack minutes after Ms Mackenzie visited the home she and Jackson shared at Market Street, Montrose.
As Ms Mackenzie sat in an armchair drinking a cup of tea and chatting to Higgins, Jackson walked up to her and violently smashed her on the head with a hammer.
The force of the blow knocked her to the ground and as she lay helpless Jackson stabbed her more than 40 times before bludgeoning her again on the head with the hammer.
The final blow was a violent blowovertheheadwithalarge paint scraper.
As Ms Mackenzie lay dying from massive head injuries, Jackson and Higgins went out to buy heroin and were captured on CCTV strolling through Montrose High Street hand in hand.
The following day the pair dragged her body into the bath and butchered it after Higgins went out and bought a saw.
The victim’s body was cut it into 12 pieces and her upper torso, lower torso, a leg and feet were dumped in four bins in Montrose.
The rest of her body, including the head and thighs, was packed into a child’s rucksack and a suitcase and left in the shower cubicle of a house at William Phillips Drive, Montrose, for which Higgins had the keys.