Jurors have heard closing speeches in the Annalise Johnstone murder trial.
After two weeks of evidence at the High Court in Livingston, the jury is getting ready to retire to consider its verdict.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC told jurors: “Don’t look at evidence in isolation, look at the whole of the evidence.
“The CCTV of headlamps at the memorial site doesn’t tell us very much on its own, but if we look at it with other evidence then you start to get a better picture of what happened.”
Addressing allegations that Johnstone attacked his other sister Nadia Shabbana Johnstone and threatened her with a knife four days before Annalise’s death, Mr Prentice said: “There is a cohesive body of evidence to support the allegation he had a knife.
“You may think that is relevant to the charge of murder.
“Does it not show the propensity for Mr Johnstone to take his sister’s life with a knife?”
He added: “There is clear evidence, beyond any doubt, that a murder was committed.
“According to Jordan Johnstone, he is not responsible for the really quite dreadful death of his sister.
“He phoned the police and reported his sister missing. He diverts police to a missing person inquiry.
“And he said he did that because he was told Angela Newlands would report him for rape. Do you believe that? Really?
“This is the brother of a sister who says he loves and cares for, and would do anything to protect her.
“If he truly is a loving brother, there were many opportunities he had to tell someone what happened to Annalise.”
Keith Stewart QC, defending, said Johnstone had been motivated to lie to police about the murder, and help in the aftermath, because he was in love with former co-accused Ms Newlands.
He said Johnstone also feared that if he didn’t do what he was told, Ms Newlands would falsely accuse him of rape and child molestation.
“The accused is in the dock, tried and charged with murder,” he said.
“This is the most serious charge a person can be indicted with.
“But in some ways, there’s another crime that is even more serious and repugnant in the minds of reasonable people: the sexual abuse of children.
“When such allegations are hinted at or even whispered… a person can find themselves accused and tried in the court of public opinion.”
Mr Stewart claimed Ms Newlands was “solely responsible” for the murder of Annalise, despite all charges against her dropped by the court.
He said the CCTV footage supported the theory of a “sudden eruption of extreme violence” at the Maggie Wall memorial in the early hours of May 10.
Referring to Johnstone’s claim that he carried Annalise’s body along the B8062, Mr Stewart said: “If Mr Johnstone is lying about that, then it is a lie that serves no purpose.
“It does not in any way incriminate Angela Newlands.”
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