POLICE have been accused of fabricating evidence during a 27-year murder investigation.
The allegation was made by Donald Findlay, the defence QC, after a former Strathclyde Police detective appeared to change his story during the trial of John Docherty, who is accused of murdering Elaine Doyle in 1986.
John Wilson, 66, who left the police in 1997 after 30 years' service, was one of the first officers on the scene after the naked body of the 16-year-old was found in a lane near her home in Greenock.
The High Court in Edinburgh has already heard of controversy over whether a police blanket was draped over the teenager to protect her from being seen by neighbours.
Mr Wilson told the trial he did not see a blanket over the girl. The jury was also read a statement the retired detective gave in July 2012 in which he said: "I have been asked about a police blanket being placed over Elaine's remains. I do remember seeing a blanket on the deceased."
Mr Wilson said at the start of his career he was told "keep your hands in your pockets" at a crime scene and not to touch anything.
He also said that during the first months of the murder investigation he was responsible for the safe-keeping of productions in the case.
"If I had seen a blanket on the deceased I would have taken it as a production," he told advocate depute John Scullion, prosecuting.
But, he said, he did not remember being questioned about that when officers visited him at his home.
His statement read: "I definitely saw the body covered with a prisoner's blanket but I don't remember who put it there."
Mr Wilson told the prosecutor: "I don't think I would have said that to be honest."
He also doubted that he had said: "I remember thinking at the time the blanket should have lodged but it never seemed to be."
Mr Findlay is defending Mr Docherty, 49, now of Hunter's Quay, Holiday Village, Dunoon, who denies murder.
Mr Findlay asked Mr Wilson to look at the accused and challenged the ex-detective: "He has been accused of the murder of a young girl back in 1986 - well over 25 years ago - and from your evidence alone Mr Wilson it is, I suggest, glaringly obvious that the Strathclyde Police, past and present, have fabricated evidence in this case."
Mr Wilson replied: "I don't know."
Mr Findlay promised to keep questioning him "until hell freezes over" to get the truth.
The lawyer said it was not enough for Mr Wilson to continue to claim he could not remember details of the July 2012 interview. Mr Findlay asked: "They put words in your mouth?" and Mr Wilson agreed. "It would appear they wrote that, yes," he said.
Mr Findlay continued: "So your position is that Strathclyde Police in July 2012 fabricated evidence and put words into your mouth?" Mr Wilson said: "Yes."
Mr Docherty claims that at the time he is alleged to have stripped and strangled Miss Doyle he was at home with his parents, who are no longer alive.
Docherty has also lodged a so-called special defence of incrimination, claiming the culprit might be among a list of 41 names taken from files of the police investigation into the murder.
The charge alleges that on June 2, 1986 in a lane near Miss Doyle's home in Ardgowan Street, he seized her by the hair, struck her on the head and either removed or compelled her to remove her clothing.
The charge goes on to allege Mr Docherty forced her to the ground, pushed her face into the ground, sat or knelt on the teenager, then placed a ligature round her neck and strangled her.
Mr Docherty also denies stealing a handbag from Ardgowan Street on the same date.
He further denies a charge of attacking another woman, Linda Hargie, on various occasions between 1990 and 1995 at an address in Anne Street, Greenock by seizing her and pushing her and punching her on the head.
The trial continues.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article