UK
Emma Caldwell death: Murder suspect Iain Packer and jury visit South Lanarkshire woods where body was found
A murder suspect has been taken to the woods where he is alleged to have killed a woman, during a site visit in his trial.
Iain Packer is accused of strangling Emma Caldwell, 27, with his hands and a cable, assaulting her, compressing her wrists, intending to rape her, and murdering her in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire, on 5 April 2005.
The 50-year-old defendant is further charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by allegedly disposing of her body, her mobile phone, clothing and personal belongings, as well as cleaning the interior of a car which belonged to him.
Emma Caldwell. Pic: PA
Packer faces 46 charges in total against 27 other women and four males, including 11 alleged rapes and charges of alleged assault, abduction, indecent assault and sexual assault.
He is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where he has denied all charges against him and lodged special defences of incrimination, consent, defence of another and self-defence.
Ms Caldwell was last seen between 12.30am and 1.30am on 5 April 2005 on London Road, Glasgow, and was reported missing by her family five days later.
The body of Ms Caldwell, who had been working as a sex worker in the city, was found in the woods on 8 May 2005.
On Thursday, Packer was taken to the woodland site.
He wore a face mask and walked with a stick as he was helped by two prison guards across boggy ground in a pine forest.
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The trial against Iain Packer continues
The jury was also taken to the scene and stood across a stream which divides the forest, surrounded by police in high-visibility jackets.
They walked around a path of yellow plastic markers to see the area where Ms Caldwell’s body was found.
Yellow plastic markers showed the area where Ms Caldwell’s body was found
Judge Lord Beckett attended the visit wearing waterproof trousers and an anorak.
The convoy had earlier left the court, and Packer was taken to the site in an unmarked white Ford van.
The trial continues.