Ex-escort girl fears for her life after giving evidence at trial

A FORMER escort girl has told how she fled Edinburgh and is living in fear of her life after giving evidence in a murder plot trial.

Claire Lizanec said she knew "people want to kill me" after testifying that gangland enforcer Francis Doris and co-accused Martin Black were plotting to murder a shady businessman.

The 28-year-old also told the Evening News that she felt "badly treated" by the police, who were "no longer interested in me" now the trial had ended.

Police chiefs today said that the safety of witnesses was "paramount", but added that the force can "only work with those who want to work with us".

Ms Lizanec has spent the last few days preparing to move into a new home at a secret location amid fears she was not safe in the Capital. The mother-of-two was addicted to heroin and crack cocaine when she met Doris, who told her of the plot to kill Kevin Martin.

Ms Lizanec said she had now beaten her drug addiction and was trying to build a new life for herself and her two young children. She was the key prosecution witness in the trial, which ended on Friday after a jury found Doris and Black guilty of conspiracy to murder.

Doris and Black had built up an arsenal of weapons, including guns and knives, and tried to set up ambushes to murder Mr Martin, 38.

Ms Lizanec said: "The police know my life is in danger, but they're not interested any more. They got what we needed from me in court and now I'm on my own. They know that people want to kill me. I feel like I've been badly treated by the police."

In court, Ms Lizanec gave evidence that Doris had threatened to kill her after she stole a Luger-style gun from him and later sold it in Wester Hailes to buy drugs.

Ms Lizanec went to the police following the threats and revealed the murder plot, leading to a police swoop against Doris and Black.

She was given protection by police officers during the long wait for the trial to begin, but remains concerned that she is a target despite Doris and Black being behind bars.

She added: "I'm not living in Edinburgh now and I'm trying to get together the new place where I'm staying."

Ms Lizanec met Doris and Black in a Leith Walk pub, and returned with them to Black's Colinton Road flat where she and Doris smoked crack together.

Then Doris – who often signed off his text messages "Murder Inc" and bragged about shooting seven people – showed her the collection of firearms and boasted of his 30,000 contract to kill Mr Martin.

She spent much of the next few days with the two men, taking drugs with Doris, and even sitting with them in a Mercedes as they waited for Mr Martin's arrival at a city hotel where he would be attacked.

Doris, 40, and Black, 33, were found guilty of plotting the murder of Mr Martin between 1 June and 6 July 2008, and of advising Ms Lizanec and her friend Connie Comrie, 25, of their intention to track down and kill him.

But a "honey trap" allegation that the men attempted to induce Ms Lizanec to visit Martin's address pretending to be an escort girl to allow them to ambush their target was deleted by the jury.

A police spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police will not comment on individual security arrangements. However, we view the safety and well-being of anyone under our supervision as paramount.

"We work diligently to ensure a safe and secure environment can be achieved and maintained."