Woman who lived in lover's shed cleared of killing wife

A WOMAN who lived in her lover's garden shed in Bathgate has been cleared of murdering his sickly wife.

Rita Heyster was arrested after the body of Carol Jarvis, 47, was found taped up in a blanket under the floor of the home in Balbardie Crescent.

Next week a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh will be asked to decide whether Heyster is guilty of trying to cover up the death of the mother-of-four.

Before then, Carol's husband, Harry Jarvis, 61, is expected to give evidence.

After a legal debate, judge Lord Brailsford ruled yesterday that there was insufficient evidence to convict Heyster, 57, of murdering Mrs Jarvis.

During three weeks of evidence the trial had heard how Heyster was living in a shed in the garden of the Jarvis home for weeks.

The jury saw love notes, said to have been written to her by Mr Jarvis which included suggestions they should go away to start a new life together.

After his wife's disappearance had prompted the Jarvis children to contact police, Mr Jarvis tried to pass off Heyster as his missing wife when officers searched the house.

Mrs Jarvis suffered from a range of medical difficulties which sometimes resulted in her being virtually bed ridden.

Doctors were unable to say how she died in spite of two post mortem examinations.

The murder inquiry began because of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the finding of Mrs Jarvis' partly decomposed body.

At the start of the trial, the couple's daughter Kimberley Jarvis said that she discovered Heyster was living in their garden shed.

"It was weird and creepy," said the 20-year-old student.

The hut contained a futon-type mattress, a plastic food container, a flask and a newspaper open at the sudoku page.

Ms Jarvis said she had "suspicions" about who was living there, which proved to be correct when she spoke to her dad.

When asked at the trial, "Did your mother know that your father's lady friend was living in the hut through the wall?" Ms Jarvis said: "I told her that was what I had found and she could have made her own conclusions."

At the start of the trial Heyster from Peebles, whose address was given as Ferguson Way, Livingston, West Lothian, denied murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by trying to cover up the crime in September 2009.

Although she has been found not guilty of murder, it is alleged Heyster failed to notify the authorities of the death, wrapped the dead body in a blanket and hid Mrs Jarvis in the basement of the house. Heyster has lodged papers in court blaming Harry Jarvis for any wrongdoing. The trial continues on Monday.