Margaret Fleming trial: Jury shown pictures of 'chaotic' house

It is alleged that Margaret Fleming was abducted and murdered

A murder trial jury has been shown photos of the "totally chaotic" cottage where a woman was allegedly killed nearly 20 years ago.

Edward Cairney and Avril Jones deny abducting and murdering Margaret Fleming at Seacroft in Inverkip between December 1999 and January 2000.

It is alleged the pair tied up the 19-year-old and cut her hair.

They are also accused of fraudulently claiming £182,000 in state benefits by pretending she was alive.

The High Court in Glasgow heard crime scene examiner William Ward took interior and exterior pictures of the alleged crime scene at Seacroft on Main Road, Inverkip, in November 2016.

The jury was shown multiple images of the surrounding area, which leads to the River Clyde at the back of the building.

Other pictures showed the inside of the cottage, and included two downstairs bedrooms full of rubbish.

'No room to move'

The rooms upstairs were stacked with bags, books and boxes.

Walls in one of the upstairs rooms appeared to have been knocked down and led to the attic.

Mr Ward told the court: "The room was totally chaotic and it wasn't for living in.

"There was no sign of it being a habitual room. The rooms didn't appear to be inhabited at all."

The court heard that when police arrived there was no room for them to move around the house.

A second scene examiner, Petra Sharpe, photographed Seacroft between November 2016 until March 2017.

She said: "I was not familiar with the area but I did end up becoming familiar with it."

Ms Sharpe's pictures of the exterior of the house showed part of it had collapsed and rubbish had fallen out into the back garden.

The house sat five minutes from Inverkip town centre and was only accessible by one road.

The trial, before Lord Matthews, continues.