Man denies murdering 80-year-old pensioner and stealing £15,000 from her

A man has denied murdering 80-year-old pensioner Jenny Methven at her home.

William Kean, 46, is accused of murdering Janet Methven, known as Jenny, at 4 Kildinny Farm Cottage, Forteviot, Perthshire, on February 20 this year by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a blunt instrument.

Kean is also charged with stealing £15,000 or thereby from the cottage on September 14 last year.

He is also accused with attempting to defeat the ends of justice between February 20 and March 28 this year by allegedly pouring bleach or similar liquid onto bloodstained trousers and cutting a pocket from them and concealing the trousers and pocket materiel in the eaves of a garage at Ashbury, Gallowbank Road, Blairgowrie, in Perthshire.

Kean, of Blairgowrie, also faces a further charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice alleging the he repeatedly cut the finger tips and palms of both his hands with a knife or similar instrument with intent to prevent the police obtaining a useable sample and to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution.

Kean's defence counsel Brian McConnachie QC told the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday that he pleaded not guilty to the charges on the indictment and that a special defence of incrimination was lodged.

A judge was told that a trial in the case was estimated to last 10 days. Lord Bracadale fixed the case to go to trial at the High Court in Glasgow on August 6.

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