A man accused of murdering a missing Paisley woman claimed he last saw her after lifting money for her from a bank machine.
George Metcalff, 71, allegedly killed Patricia Henry, known as Patti.
Prosecutors claim Metcalff attacked the 46-year-old mum at a flat in Girvan, South Ayrshire, before disposing of her body.
It’s also alleged that he raped Patricia and a further three women.
The court heard from Metcalff’s daughter Marianne Gallagher, 49, who told jurors that her dad lived below Patti for “quite a few years” before she moved to Spain.
The witness stated Patti moved back to the area before staying with Metcalff for two or three months as her windows were damaged.
She claimed that Patti was then helped by Metcalff to get a flat in Girvan in 2017.
Miss Gallagher claimed Metcalff would go down “a couple of times a week” to see Patti.
She added that she first became aware Patti was missing due to a police inquiry in February or March 2018.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked: “From the period of November 2017 and March 2018, were you aware that Patti was missing?”
She replied: “No.”
Jurors were told Metcalff was quizzed during the investigation into the hunt for the missing Patti.
Miss Gallagher said that she asked her dad when the last time he saw Patti was.
She stated: “He said he was asked to take money out of her bank and that was about it.
“They had a couple of drinks and went back to his house.”
Miss Gallagher claimed that she was aware Metcalff had hired a van to help Patti take furniture to her new home.
Mr McSporran asked whether Metcallf and Patti were “friends or more than friends”.
The witness replied: “Friends.”
Another witness, a 56-year-old woman who prosecutors allege was assaulted by Metcalff, denied that he was violent towards her.
The woman claimed that he brushed past her while drunk and she fell, which resulted in a black eye.
She stated that she was aware Metcalff had helped Patti get a property in Girvan and later told police in a statement there were problems about her rent being paid.
She claimed she was told that Patti’s daughter put a note through Metcalff’s door asking to check on her mother when she was first reported missing.
The statement added: “I think [Metcalff] got a spare key from the landlord to go in.
“He said he went back in and saw the flat empty.”
The woman claimed Patti’s cats were also found inside the property.
She added that she contacted police after seeing a statement on Facebook about a possible “second van”.
She initially told jurors that she had asked Metcalff about it and was told that it was for transporting a mattress to Patti’s new house.
The woman’s police statement from July 2019 revealed that Metcalff hadn’t mentioned the mattress.
The statement read: “I asked [Metcalff] about the van after the appeal from the police.
“He told me he hadn’t told them about the van as he forgot or didn’t think it would be relevant.”
The trial continues before judge Lord Armstrong.
