The man accused of murdering an 80-year-old woman told police he had never been near her home on the day she died.
William Kean, 46, from Blairgowrie, denies murdering Jenny Methven at her cottage at Forteviot, Perthshire, on February 20, this year.
Kean told police when he was interviewed as a witness on February 28 that he had last seen Mrs Methven three to four weeks earlier.
The court heard that Kean told DC Jillian McGregor that Mrs Methven had "seemed her usual cheery self".
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked DC McGregor: "Would it have been of assistance if someone had come forward to say they were in the house on February 20 and found Mrs Methven alive but injured," and she replied: "Yes, definitely."
The court heard that Kean gave a second short statement on March 1.
Mr Prentice asked DC McGregor: "If on March 1 he had wanted to tell you more about the case was there an opportunity to do so and she replied: "Yes."
Under cross-examination by defence QC Brian McConnachie DC McGregor was asked if people often lied to police for a variety of reasons including trying to protect someone and she said: "Yes."
Earlier Kean's sister-in-law Katherine Gregory, 47, was asked about the state of his marriage to her sister Mary and replied: "I I don't think it was great."
She was told by Mr McConnachie: "We may hear at some point that years prior to this incident your sister had paid off debts for Mr Kean, were you aware of this," and Mrs Gregory replied: "Not till recently about a year ago my sister said."
Mrs Gregory added that her sister was "not supportive" of Kean's business interests which included an internet advertising site and a car valeting service.
She said the day Kean was rushed to hospital by her husband he had phoned her and she was concerned because it sounded like he was having a heart attack.
Mrs Gregory added: "It seemed as if he was in pain. There was something far wrong. He said he was very down. I asked him if he was alright and he said no he was having chest pains."
She said she phoned her husband John Gregory and they were so concerned that he drove out to Woodside to check if Kean was alright.
Blood
Earlier Mr Gregory told the High Court in Glasgow that he found Kean covered in blood with his hands and face covered in scratches.
At first Mr Gregory, 64, told the jury he thought Kean had fallen into a prickly bush.
But he told prosecutor Alex Prentice that he then noticed a cut on Kean's throat near the windpipe.
He was asked to describe this and said: "It had been cut across and vertically. The amount of blood led me to believe it had been a substantial cut."
Mr Gregory, of Coupar Angus, said that he had gone to the village of Woodside around 3pm on March 19 after receiving a call from Kean who was complaining of having chest pains.
Kean appeared covered in blood and got into Mr Gregory's car and was driven to Perth Royal Hospital.
Mr Prentice asked what opinion he had formed of the injuries and Mr Gregory said: "I thought he had tried to take his own life."
Under cross-examination by defence QC Brian McConnachie the court heard that Kean phoned Mr Gregory the following day.
In that call Kean said: "I'm sorry. I was trying to do away with myself. The business was getting the better of me."
When he was asked by Mr Gregory what business he was referring to he said: "Scotbiz." This was an internet company set up by Kean, who also ran a car valeting business, which was not doing well.
However, the court later heard that in hospital Kean claimed that the injuries had been inflicted by someone else.
Pathologist
The jury also heard from a pathologist who said that Mrs Methven may have fought for her life with her attacker. Dr Helen Brownlow said that she died from brain injuries and blunt force trauma to her head.
Mrs Methven's two forearms were also broken with the bone piercing the skin.
She was asked if this could have been defensive injuries caused by her putting her arms up to her head as she was struck and Dr Brownlow said: "It's possible."
Dr Brownlow said that at least 11 blows landed on Mrs Methven's skull which was fractured from the left ear to the right ear.
Jagged pieces of bone had gone into her brain and Dr Brownlow said she would have been unconscious after a couple of blows.
The jury of nine women and six men was shown two pictures of the injuries suffered by Mrs Methven.
Mr Prentice asked: "Would there be any prospect of her being alive and talking to people after these blows were inflicted?" and she replied: "Certainly not speaking. She may have survived for a short time, but would have been deeply unconscious not speaking not moving after the first couple of blows."
Under cross-examination by Mr McConnachie Dr Brownlow was ased if Mrs Methven, while unconscious, could have been making involuntary sounds and she replied: "Possibly."
Weapons
The court was told that after the post-mortem examination the police took four weapons to Dr Brownlow to see if they matched the injuries suffered by Mrs Methven.
She said that she had examined a hammer, a baseball bat and two wooden handles, but none of them would, in her opinion, have given the distinctive crescent shaped marks.
She was asked if she knew what kind of weapon could have been used and said she did not. Dr Brownlow said it was not clear if it was just one weapon that had been used.
Kean is also accused of stealing around £15,000 from her home on September 14, last year.
It is also alleged that he attempted to defeat the ends of justice between February 20 and March 28, 2012 by pouring bleach onto a pair of bloodstained trousers, cutting a pocket from the trousers and then hiding then in the eaves of a garage in Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Kean is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice between March 13 and 19 by failing to turn up at Perth Police headquarters to have his fingerprints taken for elimination purposes and repeatedly cutting his fingertips and palms to prevent police taking usable samples.
Kean denies all the charges against him. He has lodged a special defence of incrimination blaming David Methven, Mrs Methven's son for the.
The trial before Lord Glennie continues.
