Trio plead not guilty to boyfriend’s brutal murder

A woman accused of murdering her boyfriend used Facebook Messenger to urge his family to “stay strong” after he went missing, a court has heard.

Lori Robertson, 31, told a jury at the High Court of Edinburgh yesterday how her family became concerned for her brother Steven Donaldson’s welfare during 7 June last year. Ms Robertson, from Arbroath, was giving evidence on the first day of a trial against Mr Donaldson’s girlfriend Tasmin Glass, 20, as well as Steven Dickie, 24, and Callum Davidson, 24.

The trio, who all come from the Kirriemuir area, have denied killing Mr Donaldson in the town between 6 and 7 June last year.

Prosecutors claim Dickie, Davidson and Glass arranged to meet Mr Donaldson, 27, at Peter Pan Play Park in Kirriemuir where they assaulted him by repeatedly striking him with “unknown instruments”.

It is alleged Mr Donaldson was then “incapacitated”, with the trio allegedly taking him to Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve car park.

The group is alleged to have then struck Mr Donaldson on the head and body with a knife, baseball bat or similar instruments before setting his body and car on fire.

The trio have pleaded not guilty to the charges.