A woman linked to a grisly unsolved murder was knocked unconscious in her Perthshire home by a man armed with an axe handle, prosecutors say.
Angela Newlands is said to have suffered severe injuries in the alleged Valentine’s Day attack.
The 31-year-old, who was cleared of murdering young Traveller Annalise Johnstone, had given birth just weeks earlier.
Ex-partner Tommy Doyle is accused of forcing entry to Ms Newland’s property in Duchlage Road, Crieff.
It is alleged he attacked Ms Newlands by striking her on the head and body with a wooden axe handle, rendering her unconscious and causing her to fall to the floor.
Prosecutors say Doyle attempted to force an object into Ms Newland’s mouth, kicked her on the body and poured alcohol over her head and face.
Racist remark
The 41-year-old is further accused of behaving in an threatening or aggressive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, on an unnamed road near Pittenzie Street, Crieff.
The charge states he induced Ms Newlands to provide him with money, shouted, swore and made a racist remark towards police officers Ronald Ashton and Christopher McInnes.
It is also alleged he gave false names to police in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
He is accused of pretending to officers that his name was John McCallum with “no date of birth”, and also John Stewart, born in February 1979.
Doyle, listed on court papers as a prisoner at HMP Perth, appeared by videolink at Perth Sheriff Court and denied all charges.
Solicitor Paul Ralph asked for the case to be continued until next month.
Sheriff Eric Brown adjourned proceedings until October 28.
Murder trial
Ms Newlands went on trial, accused of killing Annalise Johnstone, in 2019.
After days of evidence at Livingston High Court, she was found not guilty.
Ms Johnstone was discovered lying face-down in grass, behind a drystone dyke on a remote countryside spot near Dunning in May, 2018.
The 22-year-old had been brutally attacked and murdered about two miles down the road, at a stone cross commemorating local witch Maggie Wall.
Her death sparked a massive cross-country police investigation.
On the three year anniversary of the killing, The Courier reported how her father Gordon Johnstone believes her murdered will never be brought to justice.
The last days of Perthshire witch monument murder victim Annalise Johnstone
