The jury within the trial of a person accused of murdering his lover and younger son within the Seventies has been despatched out to think about its verdicts.
The eight girls and 7 males will now take into account if William MacDowell is responsible of murdering Renee MacRae and their three-year-old son Andrew close to Inverness on November 12, 1976.
On the Excessive Court docket in Inverness on Thursday, Lord Armstrong instructed the jury in the event that they discover MacDowell not responsible – or that the case is just not confirmed – the 80-year-old will be unable to be tried once more except there are distinctive circumstances.
MacDowell, of Penrith in Cumbria, denies the murders and one cost of making an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
He has lodged two particular defences – one in every of alibi, that he was elsewhere on the time, together with within the Mercury Motor Inn with three colleagues earlier than going house. The opposite, incrimination, alleges that if the murders did occur, they have been dedicated by Mrs MacRae’s estranged husband Gordon MacRae appearing with others.
Lord Armstrong, who despatched the jury out simply after 10.10am, instructed them: “What you will need to now do is take into account all of the proof the Crown depends upon and submissions made to you by the Advocate Depute, and equal consideration to the defence and what’s mentioned by Mr (Murray) Macara on behalf of William MacDowell.”