A man has told a court how a murder accused told him during a festive party how she killed a man by “standing on his neck”.
John Patterson, 39, said Sharyn Stewart, 53, revealed she took the life of a man during a get-together at a house in Pennan Road, Aberdeen, on January 2 2018.
Mr Patterson was giving evidence on the second day of trial proceedings against Stewart, who denies murdering Alan Cowie and another charge of attempted murder.
A statement of evidence agreed between prosecutors and Stewart’s lawyers states she caused Mr Cowie’s death by assaulting him.
Her lawyer Stephen O’Rourke QC has lodged a special defence of diminished responsibility.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Patterson say that it was the first time he met Stewart, who is accused of murdering Mr Cowie at his home on Alexander Terrace on the same day.
He said fellow partygoers were cheerful and having a good time but Stewart was “upset”.
Charge details
Prosecutors claim that on April 18 2017, Stewart attempted to murder Mr Cowie at his home by pushing him and repeatedly kicking him on his head and body.
She also allegedly placed a plastic bag over his head and restricted his breathing.
The Crown also claims on January 2 2018, Stewart murdered Mr Cowie by striking him on the head and body with a bottle before knocking him to the ground.
It is also claimed Stewart stood on Mr Cowie’s neck and restricted his breathing.
Mr Patterson, also of Aberdeen, told prosecution lawyer Angela Gray: “She looked a bit depressed. She came over and sat beside me.
“She told me that she had just killed someone. She had stood on his neck and put a bag over his head.
“I didn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to think. I thought she had been drinking. I was saying to her that everything would be OK.”
Mr Patterson told Ms Gray he arrived at his friend’s house at approximately 10pm.
He said after she allegedly made the remarks about killing the man, Stewart started asking about petrol.
He added: “She was going on about petrol from the petrol station. She wanted to know how much petrol cost. She wanted to know what time you could be served petrol (until).”
When Ms Gray asked Mr Patterson why she wanted petrol, he replied: “It was because she was going to burn down his house.
“I took it was because she was wanting to get rid of evidence. I just said: ‘You can’t go round burning down houses’.”
The court heard Mr Patterson provided a witness statement to detectives who were investigating Mr Cowie’s death.
Jurors heard that, in the statement, Mr Patterson said Ms Stewart told him the man she killed “lived next to her daughter”.
Mr Patterson also said that, although he didn’t believe Ms Stewart’s claims, he started to joke with her, suggesting a way of disposing of a dead body.
Mr Patterson added: “I said something about rolling him up in a carpet because it was better than burning the house down.
“I was joking.”
The trial continues today.
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