We are beyond bad luck and coincidences. You strangled her.. left her and took her possessions
Suspect says he can’t explain soil evidence as he’s ‘not a scientist’
THE suspect accused of murdering Emma Caldwell told jurors yesterday he is an “innocent man” and insisted: “I am sitting here for something I have not done.”
Iain Packer was in the witness box for a third day of questioning at his trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The 51-year-old faces 36 charges of physical and sexual violence involving 25 women, including the murder of Emma, 27, at Lime-field Woods in Biggar, Lanarkshire, on April 5, 2005.
Packer earlier said in evidence he had been the victim of “lies” made against him by all the females.
But prosecutor Richard Goddard KC suggested it was Packer who had “changed his story” seven times.
Packer said: “It is a scary thing for police to interview you for something that you have not done.”
Mr Goddard said: “I’d imagine it is a whole lot more scary if you had done it.” Packer replied: “It would be but I have not done it.” The advocate depute went on to refer to evidence of a 97 per cent match to soil in Packer’s van coming from close to where Emma’s body was discovered on May 8, 2005.
Packer said he could not explain that as he was “not a scientist”.
He said he had only been to the area where the body was found during the site visit in this trial.
Packer added: “I cannot admit to something that I have not done.”
In response to another question, he stated: “How do you think I feel being an innocent man sitting here for something that I have not done?” Mr Goddard went on to put to him: “Mr Packer, we are way beyond bad luck and coincidences.
“The reality is that, if you look at all the evidence knitted together, the reason you have the soil in the van is because you took Emma Caldwell to your particular, peculiar and highly random place.
“You strangled her as you have others, you left her there and took her possessions.” He replied: “No, I did not.”
Packer was earlier asked about the cable found around Emma’s neck. A woman who knew him previously told the court it looked “similar” to the type the sign-fitter had in his van. But he said she was “mistaken” and he used a different kind of cable in his job.
Asked about where he was the day and night before Emma’s murder, Packer claimed he could have been at home or work although he accepted there were no job records to support that as “the company was gone”.
Evidence is now completed in the trial and closing speeches are due to begin today.
I’m sitting here for something I have not done iain packer giving evidence at high court