Pair not guilty of murder

Thursday 7 March 2013

TWO of the men accused of murdering missing financial adviser Lynda Spence have had their pleas of not guilty to killing her accepted.

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Wilma Riley

At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, David Parker, 38, and Paul Smith, 47, pled guilty to the assault to severe injury of Ms Spence at a flat in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, between April 14 and 28, 2011. They also admitted attempting to defeat the end of justice by removing carpets and floorboards and cleaning up the flat.

Co-accused Philip Wade, 42, and Colin Coats, 42, are still on trial, accused of murdering Ms Spence and disposing of her body. They deny all the charges against them.The not guilty pleas were tendered by Andrew Lamb, QC, representing Parker, and Brian McConnachie, QC, representing Smith in the eighth week of the trial and accepted by Solicitor General Lesley Thomson, QC, prosecuting.Judge Lord Pentland told the jury: "What you have heard is the accused Mr Parker and Mr Smith pleading guilty to assault to severe injury and not guilty to the crime of murder."Lord Pentland added: "These are pretty significant developments. "The situation of Mr Parker and Mr Smith will change to that of convicted persons and you, the jury, will no longer be called upon to make a decision as to their guilt. "It is up to me, as trial judge, to convict them of the charges they have admitted to."Earlier, the jury heard taped police interviews in which Parker and Smith claimed Ms Spence was brought to the West Kilbride flat and they "babysat" her while she was allegedly tortured.Those tapes could only be used as evidence against them, not Coats and Wade, and now Parker and Smith will be called as Crown witnesses in the trial.The court has been adjourned until 2pm today for both men to be interviewed by Wade's and Coats's defence teams.Miss Thomson told the court: "It is my intention to call both Mr Parker and Mr Smith as witnesses."But she added: "My next witness in the trial is from Albania and has to be back in that country by Friday evening. It is Sokol Zefaj." The court has already heard Ms Spence was married to Mr Zefaj.Witness John Glen, 46, who was giving evidence for a third day, denied he had made up a story about Coats showing him Ms Spence's thumb in an Asda bag and claiming he had killed her.

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Pair not guilty of murder

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