Brenda Page: Man accused of 1978 ex-wife murder ‘loved her’

Christopher Harrisson denies murdering his former wife

A man accused of murdering his scientist ex-wife in 1978 told police he loved her and had nothing to do with her death, a court has heard.

Retired research scientist Christopher Harrisson, 82, denies murdering 32-year-old Brenda Page in Aberdeen.

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

In a 2020 police interview after his arrest, shown to the jury at the High Court in Aberdeen, Mr Harrisson said: "I loved Brenda Page very much."

Det Sgt Vanessa Rennie told advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, that entry was forced into Mr Harrisson's home one morning in March 2020 in relation to a search warrant.

She identified the accused in the dock, on the seventh day of the trial.

In the resulting police station interview, he was told he had been arrested on suspicion of various domestic assaults on his ex-wife, murder, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

He told police: "I had no involvement whatsoever in the death of Brenda Page. I loved Brenda Page very much."

Det Sgt Vanessa Rennie told the court of Mr Harrisson's arrest

Mr Harrisson said they were divorced in October 1977, and there were no prior assaults by him.

"I am deeply saddened by her murder and am still very sad that she died," he told police. "I had nothing whatever to do with it."

He described his temper as "even".

Asked if he thought he was brighter than his former wife, he said: "I do not think anyone could have been brighter than Brenda.

"She had a brilliant career ahead of her. She was a brilliant scientist."

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Asked if he ever had sex at her Allan Street flat which she had moved into on her own, he said he was certain he did not.

The trial previously heard semen found on a duvet matched his DNA profile and was said to be 590 million times more likely to be from him than another male.

In the police interview, he said he did not know how that would have happened.

He said she had taken a variety of things with her and the bedding may not have been washed.

Escort work

"I certainly never left any semen in any part of Allan Street I assure you," he said.

Asked about Ms Page also starting work as an escort, Mr Harrisson told police it made him feel "sad".

The court also head his former wife had sex with two men she met while working as an escort.

Jurors were read a joint minute of agreed evidence.

They were told she started escort work after answering a newspaper advert in 1976.

Brenda Page was found dead in 1978

The policy was she could not meet the same client more than three times.

In 1977 she had sex with one man at her home.

She also had sex with another man in a hotel.

She then met two men at a hotel on 13 July 1978 - the evening before she was found dead.

She used her own vehicle to get there and back.

Dr Page was found dead on her blood-stained bed having suffered multiple head injuries.

At the close of the Crown case on Thursday afternoon, other charges of assault, breach of the peace and attempting to defeat the ends of justice were withdrawn and Lord Richardson acquitted Mr Harrisson of those allegations, leaving him facing the murder charge.

He lodged a special defence of alibi at the start of the case.

The trial continues on Friday.