The best friend of Annalise Johnstone told a jury how she thought she was being pranked by the two people accused of her murder.
Worried Donna Paton said she was told by Jordan Johnstone and Angela Newlands that her missing pal “had gone hitch-hiking.”
Johnstone and girlfriend Newlands both deny killing 22-year-old Annalise at a witch monument near Dunning in Perthshire in May last year.
Giving evidence on the third day of their trial at the High Court in Livingston, Ms Paton said she had agreed to look after Annalise’s pet dog Sadie for a couple of hours, while she went off with her brother Jordan.
Annalise Johnstone murder accused tried to stab other sister in neck days before attack, court hears
But she became increasingly worried when she hadn’t heard from her friend the next day, and couldn’t reach her on social media.
The 43-year-old, who had been very close to fellow church-goer Annalise – Anna to her friends – for about two years, told the court: “The last time that I saw her was the day before she was murdered.
“She had been visiting her dad and came round to my house (in Ardrossan) with Sadie.
“She asked me to look after the dog while she went to do something with her brother. She said she would be about an hour.”
She said: “It was a school night for my kids, so she knew not to be too late.”
Later that evening, Annalise sent a message to Ms Paton telling her she would be back soon. “I’m sorry, he’s taking ages,” she wrote.
Ms Paton said: “The next morning she wasn’t active on Facebook and that just wasn’t like Anna. She was taking selfies and posting every day. She was very active on social media.”
She called Jordan Johnstone’s mobile. “I asked where Anna was,” she said. “We were on the phone for a wee while, but it was very confused.
“He said he dropped her off at his uncle’s and they hadn’t seen her since 3am. And then he said she had gone hitch-hiking.”
Ms Paton said: “I didn’t think that anything untoward had happened.
“I thought it was a prank at first. I thought they were just pulling my leg.
“It was a bit sick maybe, but I thought they were having me on.”
She said Newlands also spoke to her on the phone. “Both of them were pleasant enough, it was just very confusing.”
The court heard Ms Paton later received a private social media message from Annalise’s sister Shabbana, telling her her friend was dead.
Under cross examination by Newlands’ QC Mark Stewart, Ms Paton said Annalise had been away “on a break” with her brother Jordan earlier that week.
She said Annalise – who had a history of self-harming and mental health issues – told her she had cut herself several times, so her brother would take her home.
Man and woman spotted cleaning car outside Dundee hardware store, court hears
Witnesses later told the trial a man and a woman were seen cleaning a car with baby wipes and towels outside a Dundee hardware store.
Staff at Toolstation on King’s Cross Road, pictured, noticed the pair just after 6pm on May 10, about six hours after Annalise’s body was discovered.
Retail supervisor Graham Manzie, 42, said: “I saw the car pull up and the two occupants got out and started cleaning parts of the car, like the door panel, frame and side.”
He said it seemed “odd”.
At one point, three young children came out of the car and went into Toolstation, unsupervised.
He said: “I went outside and asked the two people if these were their children.
“They never said a word to me and just shouted to the children to get in the car.”
They drove off after about half an hour, the court was told.
The trial before judge Lady Smith continues.
