Arlene Fraser's three rings found at home days after she disappeared

Nat Fraser: Trial hears from estranged wife's step-mother.SWNS

Arlene Fraser's expensive rings were discovered in her home nine days after she disappeared, a court has heard.

Mrs Fraser's step-mother Catherine McInnes, 75, says there was no jewellery in the bathroom immediately after her step-daughter went missing, on April 28, 1998.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, Mrs McInnes was shown video footage taken by police the day after the disappearance, which shows no rings on a dowel rod under a soap dish in the bathroom of the house on Smith Street in Elgin.

Asked by advocate depute Alex Prentice if she would have seen the rings while cleaning, she said: "Yes, they would have been obvious."

She had also helped to search Mrs Fraser's home for her passport, medication or any clues about her whereabouts, and would have considered the rings a "significant find", the court heard.

Speaking about being at the house nine days later, on May 7, 1998, Mrs McInnes said: "I went into the bathroom to use the toilet and, of course, washed my hands afterwards and I noticed jewellery on the dowel - three rings."

She was shown a gold eternity ring, a diamond and gold wedding ring and a sapphire engagement ring, and confirmed they had belonged to her step-daughter.

Mrs McInnes said: "I removed them from the dowel. I just couldn't understand where they had come from. They definitely weren't there before."

The rings were put back on the dowel to await the daily visit from police, the court heard.

Mrs McInnes told the court that her step-daughter's husband, Nat Fraser, had been in the house for around an hour, and had been upstairs."

Fraser, 53, denies attacking his wife between April 28 and May 7 1998 at the home they once shared 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.

Fruit and veg wholesaler 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 mum-of-two Arlene was murdered, as prosecutors claim, the man responsible could be Hector Dick of Mosstowie, Elgin. The trial continues.

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