Man charged over murder of welder

A MAN has appeared in court charged with murder following the discovery of a body in a back garden at the weekend.

Robert Gracie, 22, of Pumpherston, West Lothian, appeared on petition in private at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday.

He made no plea or declaration during a brief private hearing before Sheriff Martin Edington.

The case was continued for further examination and he was remanded in custody.

Gracie was arrested after the body of Jim Tierney, 27, was discovered in the garden of a house in Pumpherston, near Livingston, on Saturday morning.

Police said the body was found after they were called to a disturbance at the property just after midnight on Friday.

A postmortem showed that Mr Tierney, who worked as a welder, died of multiple stab wounds. The victim lived in Harrysmuir Terrace around the corner from where he died.