Man accused of murder ‘confessed killing to his ex-wife’
A MAN accused of murdering a mother 36 years ago confessed to his ex-wife that he had killed ‘a woman’ he met in a pub, a court heard yesterday.
Mother-of-11 Mary McLaughlin, 58, was found dead in her Glasgow home in 1984.
At Graham McGill’s trial yesterday, his ex-wife Suzanne Russell told the court he had told her he ‘just wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone’.
The High Court in Glasgow also heard from a forensic scientist that DNA matching 59-year-old McGill’s was found on the inside of a knot on the dressing gown cord believed to have been used to kill Miss McLaughlin.
Miss Russell, 55, from Glasgow, and McGill were in a relationship from 1985 and married in 1993.
The court heard that the alleged incriminating conversation took place in 1988.
Miss Russell told prosecutor Alex Prentice, QC: ‘He said he was round the pub for a drink and he said a woman kept pestering him.
‘He decided to go back to her flat. He said he murdered her. He said he strangled her and said he just wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone.
‘He said he used her tights and said he was shocked how long it took to actually murder her.’
She also said: ‘I didn’t believe him. He threatened me and said if I ever told anyone he would kill me and if I ever reported it or tried to leave him that’s what would happen.’
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Sarah Livingstone, Miss Russell was asked if she wanted McGill to get into trouble and she replied: ‘No.’
When Miss Livingstone asked: ‘The confession didn’t happen, did it?’, Miss Russell replied: ‘I didn’t know if it happened but he said it did.’
Miss Livingstone then asked her: ‘You didn’t believe he murdered anyone?’
Miss Russell replied: ‘I didn’t believe him, I was only told and I wasn’t allowed to report.’
Earlier, forensic scientist Joanne Cochrane told the court DNA attributed to McGill was found on the cord allegedly used to strangle Miss McLaughlin.
The DNA was also found on Miss McLaughlin’s dress, on a cigarette butt and on a black bra found outside her home.
The court heard that Miss McLaughlin was found dead on her bed with the cord wrapped tightly round her neck on October 2, 1984. The last reported sightings of her were on the evening of September 26, 1984.
Mrs Cochrane said the latest analysis found a mixed DNA profile with a major profile attributed to Miss McLaughlin and a minor one to McGill.
She told jurors the chances of the DNA on the cord belonging to someone other than McGill was 85,000 to one. The chance of DNA on the cigarette butt and the dress not being from McGill was one billion to one.
The court heard the cord was wrapped round Miss McLaughlin’s neck three times and the cause of death was ligature strangulation.
McGill denies assaulting Miss McLaughlin with intent to rape and murdering her on September 26 or 27, 1984.
The trial before judge Lord Burns continues.
‘Wanted to know what it felt like’