A man and woman accused of murdering a Montrose mother-of-three have blamed each other for the killing.
A jury at Glasgow High Court will be asked today to decide the fate of Steven Jackson and Michelle Higgins.
The pair deny killing 37-year-old Kimberley MacKenzie, before hacking her up and disposing of her body parts around Montrose town centre.
After five weeks of evidence, jurors heard the closing arguments from the legal teams of the accused and crown prosecutors.
Advocate Depute Ashley Edwards QC told the jury: “You have heard quite a considerable amount of evidence.
“Some of it was plain, clear and obvious – a flashing red light suggesting guilt of both of the accused. Some of it on the other hand, was no so clear.
“But now you have got the full picture and all evidence taken together provides you with a clear straight forward picture of guilt.”
She said: “Both participated in a concerted attack on Kimberley MacKenzie, a joint murderous attack which resulted in her death.
“It was an attack which resulted in more than 40 stab wounds, multiple bruising and at least 11 blows to the head.”
Ms Edwards said: “They butchered the body of Miss MacKenzie and deposited the parts around Montrose, while they went on carrying out their day to day activities.
“They were callous, self-centred and uncaring.”
She added: “This has been a picture of depravity that you would not think was possible in real life.
“You would be forgiven for thinking this only happens in the pages of crime fiction, not in a small market town.”
Ms Edwards said: “Who but a murderer would dismember and dispose of a body?
“The reasonable inference is only someone who needed to cover up their guilt would need to get involved in this act of depravity.”
Donald Finlday QC, representing Jackson, urged jurors not to judge the accused pair because of their lifestyle.
“There are things people may do which would appal and horrify, but they are not of themselves a crime.
“Don’t be dragged into condemning people’s actions just because they seem alien to you.
“Steven Jackson has not challenged in any way that he played a part in the dismemberment and decapitation of Miss MacKenzie.
“But does that mean he was a murderer? The answer is no, no, no and no again.”
He said that Higgins had a motive for killing Miss MacKenzie. “From the word go, Mr Jackson has said to police that she (Higgins) did it, she hit her with a hammer.”
He said that Higgins gave a “carefully crafted performance” in the witness box.
Mark Stewart QC, representing Higgins, told jurors not to dismiss his client’s evidence.
“She is a powerful voice in this case,” he said. “She provides the only eyewitness testimony. She’s the only person who has come here and told us what happened.”
He said: “So who attacked Kimberley MacKenzie? It will come as no surprise to you when I say Steven Jackson did.
“He admitted it. Not just once and not just to one person. He told his ex-wife and he told the police. It doesn’t get more straightforward than that.”
The jury are expected to be sent out to consider their verdict this morning.
