Suzanne Pilley trial: Accused ‘threatened to kill victim’s neighbour’

THE man accused of murdering Suzanne Pilley threatened to kill one of her neighbours after taking a shortcut through his garden, her murder trial has heard.

Painter and decorator Scott Stewardson told jurors that David Gilroy thrust his car keys in his face and threatened to stab and kill him.

The 26-year-old, who lived in Whitson Road, Stenhouse, at the time of the incident, told the court the man he spotted in his garden thrust out his car keys and pointed them only “one or two centimetres” from Mr Stewardson’s eyes.

Mr Stewardson told the court that Gilroy said: “I will stab you if you don’t go away.”

Mr Stewardson said he took a step back saying: “I’m not looking for a fight”. He added that Gilroy then told him: “I’ll kill you if you don’t stop it.”

He told the court that Gilroy then said, “Hear no evil, see no evil”, pointing at Mr Stewardson’s eyes then his own. Mr Stewardson said he had gone outside his flat shortly after hearing noises from Ms Pilley’s upstairs flat.

His partner, Lindsay Knowles, who lived with him, went upstairs to check on Ms Pilley after her boyfriend returned from the altercation outside.

Ms Knowles told the court that she had heard two people “shouting at each other” and doors slamming.

When Ms Pilley opened the door, Ms Knowles said the bookkeeper was crying, her hair was “messed up” and she was “visibly upset” and “scared”. The witness said that a chair was overturned in the kitchen and glass was shattered on the floor.

Ms Knowles said that Ms Pilley told her that she had “broken up with her partner”, and there had been an argument where a “bottle of wine and things” had been smashed.

One of the charges against Gilroy alleges that on November 9, 2009, he assaulted Mr Stewardson and threatened to stab and kill him. He denies all charges.