Suzanne Pilley trial: David Gilroy cleared of e-mail hacking allegation

THE MAN who allegedly murdered Suzanne Pilley has been cleared of an allegation that he repeatedly hacked into the divorcee’s e-mail account in the months leading up to her disappearance.

David Gilroy, 49, was acquitted at the High Court in Edinburgh today of accessing Suzanne’s hotmail account before she went missing in May 2010 on a number of different occasions.

The development came on the 15th day of the trial of Gilroy, who denies murdering his former lover almost two years ago.

Office worker Suzanne had dated Gilroy, a work colleague, before she was last seen going to work in Edinburgh City Centre on May 4 2010.

Her body has never been found.

The trial also heard from PC Alastair Bain, 51, the policeman who recreated the journey from Edinburgh to Lochgilphead that Gilroy made the day after Suzanne disappeared.

He told advocate depute Alex Prentice QC that there were “numerous” places off the main road in Argyll that a person could use to hide an item.

Gilroy, was standing trial on a total of five charges which allege he committed a series of criminal acts at different addresses in Scotland between August 2009 and June 2010.

But today, prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice QC decided to withdraw three of these charges at the conclusion of the Crown case against Gilroy.

Judge Lord Bracadale told Gilroy that he was formally acquitted of the allegations as the prosecutors no longer wanted to pursue the charges.

Gilroy was then formally acquitted of illegally accessing Suzanne’s hotmail account on various occasions between August 2009 and April 2010.

He was also cleared of hacking into Suzanne’s account on a dating web site called fitness-singles.com.

Gilroy was acquitted of sending e-mails to Suzanne from a false e-mail account that he created in the name of a man that the divorcee allegedly met at Crieff Hydro.

Mr Gilroy was also informed that the Crown no longer wanted to pursue a charge which alleged he assaulted a man called Scott Stewardson on November 9 2009 in the Whitson area.

At the conclusion of the crown case, Mr Prentice also told the court that he wanted to amend details of a charge which alleged he attempted to defeat the ends of justice by frustrating the police and procurator fiscal’s investigation into Suzanne’s disappearance.

Mr Prentice deleted references on the indictment to Gilroy applying make up on his hands to hide the true extent of injuries on his hands during a police photo shoot.

Lord Bracadale told Gilroy: “I accordingly acquit you on these charges.”

Gilroy now denies murdering Suzanne on May 4 2010 at Thistle Street, Edinburgh or another location in Scotland by a means unknown to the prosecutor.

He also denies a charge that between May 4 and May 6 2010, he tried to frustrate the ends of justice by concealing the dead body of Suzanne Pilley within 11 Thistle Street, Edinburgh.

The charge also alleges that he transported her remains to various locations in the boot of a motor car and that he did this to prevent the police and the procurator fiscal probe into Suzanne’s disappearance.

It is expected that defence QC Jack Davidson will present a case on behalf of his client at the start of proceedings on Monday.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.