Jenny Methven murder: Son denies battering her to death

Published on 09/08/2012 14:46

THE son of an 80-year-old woman who was attacked in her own home yesterday denied having anything to do with her murder.

David Methven, 58, told the High Court in Glasgow that finding his mother, Jenny Methven, lying slumped in a chair in the home that they shared in Perthshire was “the worst thing you can imagine”.

He also denied being involved in drug trafficking.

Asked if he was responsible for his mother’s death, Mr Methven replied: “Absolute rubbish.”

Mr Methven was giving evidence for a second day at the trial of 46-year-old William Kean, who denies murdering Mrs Methven at her home in rural Perthshire on February 20.

Kean has lodged a special

defence blaming Mr Methven for the killing.

The court has previously heard Mrs Methven was struck 11 times with a blunt instrument and died from brain injuries and blunt-force trauma.

Mr Methven was asked by prosecutor Alex Prentice QC if he would have harmed his mother and replied: “Rubbish. She was my only living relative. I’ll never be able to return to the house, my home life has gone forever.

“I’ll live with this every day. When this is all done and dusted everyone will move on, but I’ll live with this forever.”

Mr Methven was then asked by Mr Prentice: “Did you wish any harm to your mother?” and he replied: “Good God, no.”

Earlier the jury was played a recording of the 999 call made by Mr Methven after he came home from work and found his mother slumped in a kitchen chair. He told the 999 operator: “There’s blood everywhere.”

Mr Methven said that he found his mother sitting on a kitchen chair, but moved her on to the floor, put cushions behind her head and covered her with a blanket before carrying out CPR.

He told the court: “It was something I could never have imagined, to came home from a day’s work to a country cottage in the middle of nowhere and find my mother had died violently in her kitchen.”

Mr Methven said initially he thought his mother had had an accident while out with the dog and she had somehow managed to make her way back home.

The jury was told that murder accused Kean was one of the first friends he called after the death of his mother.

Under cross-examination by defence QC Brian McConnachie, the jury heard that Mr Methven has £500,000 in a business account, £80,000 in his personal account and £300,000 in investments, as well as £159,000 which was kept in his home. Mr McConnachie asked: “What connection, Mr Methven, do you have with criminals in Strathclyde?” He answered: “None.”

Mr McConnachie said the police received information that Mr Methven was linked to supplying drugs and money-lending. Mr Methven was asked if that came as a surprise to him. He said that it did.

He denied the allegations but said he had sometimes lent money to people he knew who had done work and had not been paid, until they received their money, and that he was sometimes paid interest.

Mr Methven was also accused of living a double life by Mr McConnachie and admitted that he had been conducting relationships with three different women at the time of his mother’s death.

Mr McConnachie said: “Did any of them know about each other?” and he replied: “No.”

Mr McConnachie said: “So, deception comes easily to you, doesn’t it?” Mr Methven said: “No.” He added: “I don’t really see the relevance of my private life to this.”

Kean denies all the charges and the trial continues.