Nat Fraser trial: Farmer's suicide note claimed 'too much pressure'

Nat Fraser: Farmer Hector Dick in witness stand for seventh day.SWNS

A farmer implicated in the murder of Arlene Fraser left a suicide note claiming he "had enough pressure" and worse was to come.

Hector Dick tried to hang himself in jail in June 2001 after being detained in connection with an alleged conspiracy to murder Mrs Fraser.

The 56-year-old farmer left a suicide to his wife, parts of which were read to the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

It stated: "Time will pass and you and everybody will get over me. You're going to do this for me.

"Please be strong, stronger than me. I've had enough pressure now and they say worse to come.

"The guys have heard and say it's almost impossible to prove conspiracy. I don't know if I conspired or not, to be honest."

Mr Dick is in the witness stand for the seventh day at the trial of Nat Fraser, accused of murdering his wife in 1998.

The suicide note also read: "Funny thing, the cops grab the wrong end of things said in jest and go off on the oddest of directions. Some day it may become clear."

Asked in court what that statement meant, he said: "It happened repeatedly. I suppose they just did it to wind me up."

50:50 Chance

Earlier in the day, Mr Dick denied telling police they had a "50:50 chance" of finding Mrs Fraser's body.

He previously told the jury that Fraser had confessed to hiring a hitman to kill his wife and then burning her body and grinding her teeth down.

On Wednesday, advocate depute Alex Prentice asked Mr Dick about statements he made that police had a "50% chance of recovering a body".

Mr Dick denied making the comment, and said there was no "document of percentages", which allegedly also claimed police had a 70% chance of finding a car they believed had been used to abduct Mrs Fraser.

Legal Problem

The jury has not been in court since Friday, when they were told to go home.

Addressing the jury on Friday, Lord Bracadale told them: "A potential issue was raised in relation to one of your number.

"Having taken time to investigate the matter, I am satisfied there is no difficulty."

Fraser, 53, denies attacking his wife between April 28 and May 7 1998, at the home they once shared in Smith Street, New Elgin, or elsewhere in Scotland.

It is alleged that he strangled her or murdered her "by other means to the prosecutor unknown".

The indictment against Fraser says he knew Arlene had seen a solicitor about divorcing him and getting a cash pay-off.

Fraser has lodged papers in court claiming that 14 years ago on April 28 he left the address in Burnside Road, Lhanbryde, where he was staying at about 7.30am and spent the day making van deliveries to hotels, restaurants and shops - pausing to make a phone call just after 9am.

Fraser also claims that if the mother-of-two was murdered, as prosecutors claim, the man responsible could be Mr Dick of Mosstowie, Elgin.

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