Fireman 'suspicious' about death crash blaze

A FORMER fireman with 28 years of experience told a murder trial he was "extremely suspicious" of the fatal fire car crash in which a nurse burned to death.

Derek McDonald, 61, was giving evidence at the trial of Malcolm Webster, 51, who denies murdering his first wife Claire by drugging her with Temazepam, crashing his car on the Auchenhuive to Tarves Road in Aberdeenshire on 27 or 28 May 1994 and setting it on fire.

Mr McDonald told the High Court in Glasgow yesterday that he had gone to the crash scene with cutting equipment, but was stood down. He told prosecutor Derek Ogg QC that as he had nothing to do he examined the area around the crash site looking for skid marks or debris and found nothing. Mr McDonald also examined the car and found minimal damage.

He was then asked by Mr Ogg: "Did you hear the driver escaped unscathed?" and he replied: "Yes." Mr Ogg said: "Putting these thing together, the driver escaping unscathed, and the car did not have much damage, did you come to any conclusion?" Mr McDonald replied: "Definitely, I was extremely suspicious."

Webster denies all charges against him. The trial continues.