Brenda Page: Woman found dead 'said ex-husband would be responsible'

Brenda Page died in 1978

A woman found dead in 1978 asked a friend to tell police her ex-husband was responsible if anything happened to her in unusual circumstances, a murder trial has heard.

The body of 32-year-old Brenda Page was found in Aberdeen's Allan Street.

Christopher Harrisson, 82, denies her murder.

Anne Lemon told the third day of the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen that Ms Page was worried Mr Harrisson would kill her.

She said that after her friend's death she recalled making a statement to police.

"Brenda asked me to tell police if anything had happened to her in unusual circumstances that her husband was responsible and I told them that", she said.

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In her statement to police, Mrs Lemon, now 81, said that Ms Page had told her that Mr Harrisson had physically kicked her out of their home and that she had bruises on her legs.

Also included in the statement was that Ms Page had been upset as she did not know how to prove she was being "ill-treated".

"She was worried that if she went back to the house that he would kill her," Mrs Lemon said.

Anne Lemon said Ms Page had been afraid of Mr Harrisson

Mrs Lemon also told the court that Ms Page had been afraid of Mr Harrisson and had run to a police station near her home on one occasion.

Under cross examination, Mrs Lemon said she understood police had recorded a complaint but no action was taken.

When asked by Brian McConnachie, defending, if she would be surprised to learn Ms Page had given Mr Harrisson a key to look after a cat at her flat, Mrs Lemon said she would be "astonished".

The court also heard evidence from George Narro, 70, a friend of Brenda Page.

He said they had long telephone conversations around November 1977.

'Violent death'

Mr Narro said Ms Page was "very worried" her ex-husband would "injure her or indeed kill her".

He said: "She asked me if I promised to tell police if anything happened to her and it looked like suicide, that it wasn't suicide."

He also described a scar on her scalp which she said had been caused by Mr Harrisson "pulling her hair out".

Eric Grant, a retired police officer with Grampian Police, was called to Allan Street following reports of a death.

He said he found the body of a female face up on a bed.

"She was obviously dead and had suffered head injuries," he said. "She'd had a violent death."

The trial has heard evidence Ms Page died as a result of blunt force trauma and had been struck at least 20 times around the head and face.

The trial is now into a third day at the High Court in Aberdeen

She was principal of the genetics department at the University of Aberdeen Medical School.

Mr Harrisson is accused of assaulting her on various occasions and in various locations between 1972 and 1976.

He is also accused of breach of the peace by threatening violence to her and placing her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety.

It is alleged that between 1976 and 1978 he also committed a breach of the peace by threatening to kill her and keeping track of her movements.

He is accused of murder by forcing entry to her flat in Allan Street on 14 July 1978 and repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a blunt implement.

Mr Harrisson is further accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of a watch, and a bag and contents including a pair of shoes, with the intent to destroy forensic evidence and to avoid detection and prosecution.

Mr Harrisson denies all the charges, and has lodged a special defence of alibi to the murder charge, stating at the time of the alleged crime he was at home.

The trial, being presided over by judge Lord Richardson, continues on Friday.