Gerbil accused phone ‘near to murder scene’
Jury told mobile could also have been close to guns find
A MOBILE phone thought to belong to the man accused of murdering Kevin “Gerbil” Carroll was near the scene of the shooting seconds before, a court heard yesterday.
Cell site engineer Dominic Kirsten told the High Court in Glasgow that two of the numbers he was asked to look at were attributed by police to murder accused William Paterson and two to former accused Ross Monaghan.
Kirsten said that at 1.23pm on the day of the crime, a phone thought to belong to Paterson was “consistent” with leaving Cumbernauld and travelling to Robroyston – “at the scene of the crime in the Asda car park”.
He told the court the phone believed to be Paterson’s could have been near where the guns were found. It is claimed Paterson, 35, fired guns at Carroll, shooting him on the head and body on January 13, 2010.
Paterson is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
In evidence, Kirsten said that the phone had received a call at 1.23pm on the day of the crime but that it was not answered.
He confirmed that had there been no call at that time, the court would not have known where the phone was seconds before the shooting.
Kirsten then told the jury the same number was “consistent” with having left Asda and travelled to Coatbridge.
The jury heard the phone was in contact with another number and there was contact during the journey.
Kirsten said the second number could have left the Cumbernauld area and gone to Coatbridge about the same time.
He added the same number was also “consistent” with being in the area where the guns were at 1.50pm.
Paterson denies all the charges and has incriminated six other people. He has lodged a special defence of alibi.
The trial continues.