QC branded a liar by witness in stab trial

A WITNESS in the Surjit Singh Chhokar murder trial was forced to apologise yesterday after calling a top defence QC a ‘liar’.

David Montgomery, 39, was giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow in the trial of Ronnie Coulter.

The 48-year-old denies murdering Mr Chhokar in Overtown, Lanarkshire, by stabbing him on November 4, 1998.

Coulter, from Wishaw, has lodged a special defence blaming his nephew Andrew Coulter and Mr Montgomery.

Mr Montgomery, from Motherwell, was taken through his versions of events – given to the police and in court – by defence QC Donald Findlay.

The lawyer said: ‘You are, if not an accomplished liar, a persistent liar.’ The witness responded by saying to Mr Findlay: ‘You are a liar.’

He told trial judge Lord Matthews that Mr Findlay was ‘making things up’, but eventually apologised.

Mr Findlay later said to Mr

‘Pulled out a knife’

Montgomery: ‘You and Andrew Coulter were the last two people to be near to Chhokar before he died. He replied: ‘Yes, me and Andrew.’

Mr Findlay added: ‘What happened that night after Ronnie had gone was that Andrew lost it and pulled out a knife and stabbed Chhokar and murdered him.’ The witness replied: ‘No.’ Mr Montgomery has told the jury that when he, Ronnie Coulter and Andrew Coulter approached Mr Chhokar that night in a row over a £100 Giro cheque, Ronnie Coulter said: ‘Andrew – just hit him.’

But he did not say that in his first statement to police three days after the death, nor at his own trial for murder in 2000.

The witness denied claims that ‘the family decided Andrew had done it, but because he was only 17 Ronnie should take the blame’.

Ronnie Coulter denies all charges against him.

The trial continues.