A DEFENCE QC told a triple murder trial there was "not a jot of real evidence" against one of the accused.

Donald Findlay QC was giving his closing speech in the trial of Scott Snowden, 37, and Robert Jennings, 50, who deny murdering Thomas Sharkey, 55, his son 21-year-old Thomas junior and his eight year-old daughter Bridget at their home at Scott Court, Helensburgh, Argyll, on July 24, 2011.

The QC, who represents Snowden, said to the jury of 10 women and five men: "Where is one solitary jot of real evidence incriminating Mr Snowden? I'd need to stand here in silence for a long time for the answer because there isn't any."

Mr Findlay added: "There is not a piece of CCTV that shows Mr Snowden doing anything which shows him having any interest in the things he is charged with."

The QC told the jury that police carried out covert surveillance of Snowden 24 hours a day and seven days a week and got no incriminating information from him.

Mr Findlay said: "If you are being monitored 24 hours a day every single word is monitored and all this time Mr Snowden who, according to Crown witnesses can't help saying things, does not say a word to suggest he is involved in the commission of a crime."

The QC accused many of the Crown witnesses of being liars and described them as "a bunch of self-serving liars who would trample over their granny if it suited them".

He described the wider Sharkey family as dysfunctional and accused the prosecution of Tippexing out the bad bits in their backgrounds.

The trial continues.