Man on trial for murder of partner and brother in Coatbridge

John Paul Duffy and Emma Baillie were found dead in Coatbridge

A man has gone on trial accused of murdering his brother and his own partner in North Lanarkshire.

Peter Duffy denies killing John Paul Duffy, 51, who was found sitting dead under a pile of rubbish at his flat in Coatbridge in April 2022.

Mr Duffy also denies murdering Emma Baillie, 26, whose body was discovered in his flat two days later.

Both of his alleged victims had been hit repeatedly with a knife and Ms Baillie's neck was also compressed.

PC Emma Gibney told the High Court in Glasgow she had also seen a dead cat lying in a pool of blood when she entered John Paul Duffy's flat.

She said it looked like it had been there "for a period of time".

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Mr Duffy is accused of killing John Paul on a date between 29 March and 10 April 2022 at his home in High Coats, Coatbridge.

The police officer told the court she went to the flat with a colleague on 10 April after concerns were raised that no-one had heard from Mr Duffy for a number of days.

She said they had heard loud music coming from inside and saw someone in the flat approach, but then "scarper" away.

The officers eventually had to force entry after failed attempts to get an answer. A bike was found to have been pushed behind the door.

PC Gibney told prosecutor Angela Gray she had found the flat in a "state of disarray".

After seeing the dead cat, they spotted Mr Duffy wrapped up in a sleeping bag on a couch in the living room.

PC Gibney initially believed he was sleeping adding: "I continued to call on him, shook him. I pulled the sleeping bag off and observed significant injuries to both sides of his neck."

She got a towel for the wounds before Mr Duffy started to talk.

John Paul Duffy's body was found at High Coats Flats in Coatbridge

PC Gibney said: "He was not really making much sense. I asked him where John Paul was."

He had replied: "He will be in his bedroom. He is a hermit."

PC Gibney's sergeant also turned up at the flat.

There had been another couch in the living room which was initially thought to be just piled high with litter.

PC Gibney recalled: "I was alerted by my sergeant that she had discovered John Paul's body sitting on the couch hidden under the rubbish that we first observed."

The constable said the amount of litter had been such that John Paul had not been "noticeable" initially.

PC Gibney: "His skin was grey, eyes white and he looked as if he had been there for a period of time due to the state of decomposition."

She told the court Peter Duffy said to her: "Treat me like an animal, I will treat you like an animal."

The officer said he had drifted in and out of consciousness and there was a razor nearby, adding that a knife was later found in Peter Duffy's socks by medics at the hospital.

Body covered in clothes

Peter Duffy is separately charged with murdering his partner Emma Baillie, 26, sometime between 4 March and 12 April 2022 at a property in Calder Street, Coatbridge.

It is claimed he compressed her neck and repeatedly struck her on the head and body with a knife.

The trial also heard from Det Con Nicola Batton, who had searched Peter Duffy's home on 12 April and made the "surprising" discovery of Emma Baillie's body.

The officer said there was a smell she "would never forget" when she entered Mr Duffy's home.

She said Ms Baillie's body was covered in clothing at the bottom of the couch in the living room.

Det Con Batton agreed it had been in an advanced state of decomposition.

It was stated that Ms Baillie was not a missing person at the time.

The officer added that she found a court letter addressed to Ms Baillie at a different address, dated 24 March 2022.

Jurors were told she did not appear as a witness against Peter Duffy at a trial on 17 March 2022.

Mr Duffy denies the charges and the trial, before judge Lord Scott, continues.