Leslie Ross, double-murder accused, dies of cancer

Mr Ross died from cancer earlier this week at the age of 70

Leslie Ross, who was accused of murdering two ex-girlfriends five years apart in a County Down town, has died.

Those trials had been subject to a number of reporting restrictions, which have now been lifted.

It can now be revealed the stonemason from Dromore, County Down, was found not guilty of murdering Margaret Weise, 50 and Michelle Bickerstaff, 47.

His solicitor Conleth Downey said Mr Ross, 70, had been "effectively besmirched as a serial killer".

Mr Ross had also been charged with the murder of a third former girlfriend, 52-year-old Lily McKee, but that case never went to full trial.

Alcohol-related falls

Mr Downey said the "lengthy" murder trials that did go ahead "collapsed" and "Leslie Ross challenged the manner in which police carried out their investigations into the alleged murders".

Margaret Weise (r) and Michelle Bickerstaff had an on-off relationship with Mr Ross

"From the outset Leslie Ross had steadfastly protested his innocence and he was entirely vindicated," he added.

Throughout each of the proceedings, Mr Ross's defence team made the case that his former lovers had, like himself, problems with alcohol.

They also maintained that any fatal injuries suffered by the women could have been caused by alcohol-related falls, which it was accepted they were prone to, and not violence.

'Severed' murder trials

Mr Ross, who had been the focus of police investigations since 2012, went on trial at Armagh Crown Court in September 2015 accused of murdering Ms Weise on 31 August 2007 and Ms Bickerstaff on 21 April 2012.

However, following a week of legal applications and argument, the trial was aborted and a banning order was imposed.

Elizabeth McKee, known as Lily, was found dead in December 2002. Her case never went to full trial.

The judge accepted the defence's argument that the double-murder trial "be severed" and each case dealt with separately.

Subsequently, there were three more jury trials concerning the murder of Ms Bickerstaff.

By January 2016, a jury was directed to acquit Mr Ross when the prosecution offered no further evidence.

Two months later, he was tried for the murder of Ms Weise, who was registered blind.

However, within weeks of the trial starting and following yet more legal argument, Mr Ross was acquitted of this killing after the judge directed the jury to find him "not guilty".