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Murder

Trial of William MacDowell: Key Evidence Presented in the High Court

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The trial of 80-year-old William MacDowell continues in the High Court in Inverness, where he denies murdering his lover, 36-year-old Renee MacRae, and their three-year-old son, Andrew, in a layby south of Inverness on November 12, 1976. The prosecution presented key evidence from various witnesses, including Kenneth Goudie, MacDowell's son-in-law, who testified that he has never discussed the case with MacDowell or his mother-in-law, Rosemary. The court also heard from Dr. Alfred Gamblen, Mrs. MacRae's GP, who identified a man with a handlebar moustache, similar to a photofit image from the time, in a car outside his practice in Inverness on the day of the disappearance. Additionally, George Gordon, a witness who was in the lounge of the Meallmore Lodge, near Inverness, on the evening of the disappearance, testified that he saw Mrs. MacRae at the bar by herself, wearing a sheepskin jacket and having blonde hair.

Key Takeaways:

  • William MacDowell, 80, denies murdering Renee MacRae, 36, and their three-year-old son, Andrew, on November 12, 1976.
  • Kenneth Goudie, MacDowell's son-in-law, testified that he has never discussed the case with MacDowell or his mother-in-law, Rosemary.
  • Dr. Alfred Gamblen identified a man with a handlebar moustache, similar to a photofit image from the time, in a car outside his practice in Inverness on the day of the disappearance.
  • George Gordon testified that he saw Mrs. MacRae at the bar by herself at the Meallmore Lodge in Inverness on the evening of the disappearance, wearing a sheepskin jacket and having blonde hair.
  • MacDowell's defense includes a special defense of incrimination and alibi, which claims he was at the Mercury Motor Inn in Inverness that evening.
  • The trial continues, with Lord Armstrong presiding.

Statistics:

  • 36-year-old Renee MacRae and her three-year-old son, Andrew, went missing on November 12, 1976.
  • The trial continues on charges of assaulting Mrs. MacRae and Andrew, and murdering them, with the disposal of their bodies and a boot hatch from MacDowell's Volvo car also at issue.
  • 80-year-old William MacDowell is on trial.

Sources:

  • The Daily Telegraph (no date)
  • The Scotsman (no date)
  • BBC News (no date)

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