Guilty, killer OAP who murdered without a motive
A PENSIONER who murdered a 60-year-old woman after subjecting her to a ‘painful and terrifying’ attack in her own home was behind bars last night.
Michael Taylor, 71, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday on a single charge of murder but prosecutors were unable to discover why he took Elizabeth Muir’s life.
The court heard how Taylor grabbed defenceless Miss Muir, who was also known as Elizabeth MacKay, at her home in Inverness before repeatedly punching her in the head.
He then ‘caused her to fall to the ground’, where she lost consciousness.
The widower then repeatedly struck her on the head with what prosecutors suspect was either a kitchen pot or pan. He removed his victim’s clothing and sexually molested her.
Taylor, a prisoner at HMP Inverness, denied committing the crime. But he was caught after police found his fingerprints and DNA at the scene.
Detectives also discovered that Taylor had admitted to two people that he attacked Miss Muir.
On their second day of deliberations, jurors returned a guilty verdict to murder.
Judge Michael O’Grady, QC, told Taylor that the law required him to pass a life sentence for murder.
But he also told the pensioner he would have to obtain a report about his character before he would impose the sentence.
Ordering Taylor to be remanded in custody, he said: ‘You have been convicted of an appalling offence.
‘Murder is always an appalling offence.
‘The brutality of this particular offence is quite staggering. No one, I imagine, will ever know why it should be that you attacked this woman in this fashion.
‘What is abundantly clear is that she must have suffered a painful and terrifying death at your hands.
‘There’s only one sentence I can impose in relation to this offence. However, I’m obliged to obtain a report in this case. The imposition of a life sentence is inevitable.’
The verdict in the case came on the 11th day of court proceedings.
Jurors were told Taylor had ‘health difficulties’ which meant he could not sit in the dock for long periods and regular breaks were taken.
The court heard that police were unable to find out why the pensioner attacked his victim sometime between March 28 and March 31, 2016.
His fingerprints were found in pools of blood beside the body.
Forensic scientist Esther Combe, 36, told the court how DNA from the murderer was found on a jumper which belonged to Miss Muir.
Police also discovered that Taylor had made a confession to other people about attacking Miss Muir. Witness Vincent Lyle told the court that Taylor had made an incriminating admission to him about his role in the victim’s death.
During evidence in the case, Mr Lyle said that Taylor had told him: ‘I didn’t mean to kill her. I only punched her once.’
Taylor will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 16, 2017.