A Scot on trial for shooting his mum and stepfather dead at their US home Facetimed pictures to his aunt from the scene, it's claimed.
A court in Bakersfield California was told that Derek Connell picked up a call from his mother's iPad and showed the horrified woman the bodies of Kim Higginbotham and American husband Christopher.
The 33-year-old, who was born in Rutherglen, and lived in Shawlands, Glasgow, was apparently very calm, telling the woman: "I don't know what happened to them."
A murder trial at Kern County Superior Court heard the ex-soldier later confessed to police that he "had probably shot them".
A recording of the 911 call made to police by his Aunt Sonia was played to the jury yesterday, the Daily Mail reports.
She told the call handler: "I tried Facetiming my sister and he picked up.
"He was very calm, and said 'I don't know what happened'.
"He said my sister and brother-in-law are dead. He just showed me pictures, he's not making any sense, he said he was out, came back and found them like that."
The court was told that Connell was later arrested at gunpoint, he had bleach and blood stains on his jeans. Empty bleach bottles were found in the boot of his car.
Deputy District Attorney Marcus Cuper said that 14 guns were found in the bedroom of the couple's house, including handguns, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.
Mrs Higginbotham died from a single gunshot to the chest, her husband from gunshot wounds to the neck, chest and shoulder. He also had significant injuries to his face and head.
Defence lawyer Paul Cadman, claims that Connell was sexually abused as a child by his gun obsessed stepfather.
He told jurors: "The stepdad was obsessed with guns and violence and had in his bedroom guns ranging from a handgun to a machinegun.
"You're going to hear that this stepdad raped him and molested him as a young boy, over and over again."
Mr Cadman said that on the day of the murder, Connell claimed his mother discussed leaving her husband and said she was going to kill herself before 'he saw the stepdad kill the mother .
The jury was told a 'violent confrontation' then occurred between Connell and his stepfather in which he ended up killing him.
Connell faces life behind bars, without parole if found guilty of two counts of first degree murder.
Mrs Higginsbothan met her husband while was was stationed with the US Navy in Scotland. The family moved to the US more than 20 years ago.
Prosecutors dropped a request for the death penalty at an earlier hearing.
The trial continues.
