Strangled girl’s trusting nature in the end caused her dying, trial informed

he “pleasant and trusting” nature of a mother-of-11 strangled to dying inside her personal flat “in the end caused her dying”, a court docket has heard.

Mary McLaughlin, 58, was discovered useless at her house in Partick in Glasgow’s west finish in October 1984 after having fun with an evening out at bars enjoying dominoes, the Excessive Courtroom in Glasgow has heard.

Graham McGill, 59, denies murdering her and fastening a belt from her dressing robe round her throat with intent to rape on September 26 or 27 that 12 months.

Summing up the case on Thursday, prosecutor Alex Prentice QC stated: “She trusted folks.

“That could be an interpretation you’ve of Mary McLaughlin, somebody who was pleasant and trusting and I counsel that in the end caused her dying.

“You would possibly kind the impression she was somebody maybe slightly lonely, somebody who would exit and meet with folks to achieve some happiness in her life.

“Folks went again to her flat, it was a part of her trusting nature.”

He informed jurors, who’re watching proceedings nearly from a cinema in Braehead: “This isn’t a movie or play happening, it’s a really actual challenge so that you can decide.

“I counsel there’s actually no query that Mary McLaughlin was murdered, she was strangled.

“I counsel you possibly can conclude this was a sexual assault… the proof on this case I counsel supplies a physique of cogent proof which factors towards the guilt of Graham McGill.”

The trial was informed on Wednesday that DNA samples discovered on her gown, contained in the knot of the dressing robe wire, a cigarette finish, and a black bra discovered close to her third-floor flat in Crathie Courtroom on Laurel Avenue are all attributable to McGill.

An aged neighbour, Isobel Barnes, informed police on the time that the sunshine in Ms McLaughlin’s flat was on and the cabinet door ajar for a number of days after the night time of September 26, Mr Prentice added.

On Thursday morning, two prices in opposition to McGill had been withdrawn.

They’re: stealing a set of keys from Ms McLaughlin’s flat, and threatening to homicide his ex-partner Suzanne Russell and youngsters at a home in Motherwell North Lanarkshire between 1985 and 1988.