A boy was yesterday blamed for the murder of his teenage brother, a promising Celtic footballer.

Dennis Haggart, aged 12 at the time of the death, was named in court by murder accused Brian Beattie in a special defence of incrimination.

Lawrence Haggart, 15, who played with Celtic's junior team, was found dying in the smoke-filled living room of his home in Larbert, Stirlingshire, more than two years ago, the High Court in Edinburgh was told.

Mr Beattie, 33, denies murdering Lawrence by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a weapon. He also denies culpably and recklessly attempting to set fire to furniture in the Haggart's family home on March 15/16, 1996.

Lawrence died in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital on March 17, 1996.

Mr Beattie, described as a prisoner, in a further defence of alibi claims he was in Stenhousemuir, Edinburgh, and later at his caravan in Denny, Stirlingshire, on the night of the alleged murder.

Mr John Haggart, 19, told how he dragged his brother Lawrence from a flaming pyre in their home. He said he awakened to find his bedroom filled with smoke. When he went downstairs to investigate, he found Lawrence lying on the floor.

He said: ''Lawrence's feet were in pile of material which had been set alight. His feet were in the fire which was flaming. I tried to drag him out of the living-room. But he was too heavy. So I dragged him away from the fire so that his feet were not in the flames.''

Mr Haggart ran for a bucket of water and poured it on the flames. He then went upstairs and wakened his brother Dennis and told him that Lawrence was lying hurt downstairs.

He said his young brother's bedroom was also smoke-filled.

Mr Haggart said his mother arrived home from a party within minutes and became hysterical when she saw Lawrence. He said his mother was making so much noise that he had to take the phone into the bathroom to call for an ambulance and police.

Mr Haggart broke down in tears as he relived Lawrence's last night at home. But after a brief adjournment he continued his evidence.

Mr Haggart said Dennis would never have used violence towards Lawrence. He told the court: ''They were brothers. They shared a bedroom. There would be occasions when they bickered.'' They sometimes ''just mucked about''.

Mr Haggart said earlier that evening both he and Lawrence had ticked off Dennis for coming in more than an hour later than their mother had told him.

He said Dennis had ''taken the huff'' and gone to his bedroom. He said he was watching a television programme around 11pm. He had dozed off.

He said the last sight of his brother Lawrence was lying on the sofa reading a newspaper.

He said he later woke after smelling smoke in his bedroom

He told the court: ''It was thick black smoke which went for the back of your throat. I went downstairs.

Lawrence was on the living room floor lying next to the couch. His feet were in a fire which was flaming. He was lying still.''

He said he noticed the time on the central heating clock as 1.30a.m.

Earlier, Ryan McInally, 19, of Denny, told the court that he was a friend of Lawrence and they often went to a night club in Denny.

He said the last time he saw Lawrence was on March 15 , 1996 after they left at disco at Ziggie's nightclub in Denny.

He said Lawrence did not drink and they left Ziggie's about 10. 20 pm and shared a taxi home.

He said Lawrence was excited at the prospect of being a ball boy at the Celtic-Rangers game that weekend, the date of his death.

He said Lawrence was a normal fun-loving boy who loved football and liked going out with girls. He was not ''gay''.

The trial before Lord Dawson is expected to last two weeks.