A woman accused of murdering a 22-year-old lesbian by slashing her throat from ear to ear was acquitted of the charge today in a dramatic development.
Angela Newlands broke down in tears in the dock and wept in relief as judge Lady Scott told the jury she had decided there was insufficient evidence to convict her.
Her parents John and Cheryl Newlands, who have been watching the trial from the public benches, also wiped away tears as she was formally found not guilty.
Newlands’ co-accused Jordan Johnstone who remains accused of murdering his sister Annalise Johnstone, sat grim faced in the dock at the High Court in Livingston as the judge broke the news to jurors.
Lady Scott said: “I have heard legal submissions made in respect of the second accused in terms of the charge of murder.
“I have made a ruling that there is insufficient evidence which would entitle you to consider the evidence and convict on that charge.
“Accordingly I have acquitted the second accused on charge four. She remains on charge five on the indictment, that’s the attempt to defeat the ends of justice.”
Johnstone (25) and Newlands (28) still deny cleaning the vehicle they were using last May, burning clothing and falsely reporting Annalise as a missing person in a bid to defeat the ends of justice.
Johnstone denies an additional charge of assaulting his sister Shabbana in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, on May 6 2018 by threatening her with a knife.
He was acquitted of assaulting Annalise on 8 May by grabbing her and pulling her from the Ford Galaxy in Beith, Ayrshire.
He was also found not guilty of stealing a Hobby Caravan and its contents from Carmichael Place, Irvine on May 9 after the Crown withdrew both charges.
