Alleged wife-killer has trial date fixed

Aman in his 80s is due to stand trial later this year for allegedly murdering his former wife more than four decades ago at a flat in Aberdeen.

Christopher Harrisson is accused of forcing entry to premises in the city’s Allan Street and repeatedly striking Brenda Page, 32, on the head and body with a blunt implement or implements on July 14 in 1978.

Harrisson, 81, is also accused of assaulting his wife on various occasions between May 6 in 1972 and June 20 in 1976 in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland.

It is alleged that he repeatedly punched her on the head, pulled her hair, struck her with books, threw cups and their contents at her, kicked her on the body and knocked her to the ground.

He is also accused of committing a breach of the peace on various occasions between May 6 1972 and June 20 in 1976 in Glasgow, Edinburgh, an address in

Aberdeen and at Aberdeen University medical school genetics department and elsewhere in Scotland by conducting himself in a disorderly manner, threatening violence towards his wife, damaging property and her clothing and placing her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety.

Harrisson faces a further charge of breach of the peace allegedly committed on various occasions between June 21 in 1976 and July 13 in 1978 at a flat in Allan Street, Aberdeen, the university genetics department in the city, the Treetops Hotel, in Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland and in Austria and Mexico.

It is alleged that he forced open a rear window at the flat, disturbed property within and kept a watch on persons coming and going.

It is further claimed that he followed his wife, demanded that she give him property, threatened to kill her, kept track of her movements and those she was meeting with and attended academic conferences in Austria and Mexico knowing she would be at the conferences and placed her in a state of fear and alarm for her own and others’ safety.

Harrisson, of Aberdeen, is also accused of committing an attempt to defeat the ends of justice on July 14 in 1978 at an unknown location in Edinburgh or in the course of a journey from Edinburgh to Aberdeen by disposing of a watch and a bag and its contents, including a pair of shoes, with the intent to destroy evidence.

During a brief hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh – where Harrisson was not present – defence counsel David Moggach said he was instructed to tender pleas of not guilty to the charges on the indictment.

The court heard that a trial is estimated to last 15 days.

The judge, Lord Richardson, fixed a trial date for August 22 at the High Court in Aberdeen.