A jury has been urged to find a man accused of killing a pensioner guilty of a “savage and brutal murder”.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC made the remarks during his closing speech in the trial of William Kean.

Mr Kean, 46, from Blairgowrie, is accused of murdering Jenny Methven at her home in Forteviot, Perthshire, on February 20.

Addressing the jury of nine women and six men at the High Court in Glasgow, Mr Prentice said: "Was murder committed, was Jenny Methven murdered? I suggest the answer to that would be unanimously yes.

"Mrs Methven was beaten round the head with a blunt instrument. The back of her skull is fractured and pieces of bone entered her brain and she died.

"The second question is who did murder her and I will be inviting you to convict Mr Kean."

The court has heard that Mrs Methven’s body was found by her son David Methven when he returned home from work at around 5.10pm.

The prosecutor said that Mr Kean’s DNA was found on Mrs Methven’s wrist and a fingerprint in blood was found on the wall phone beside her body.

His mobile phone also put him in the vicinity of her cottage on the morning of February 20 and his was seen on CCTV heading in that direction.

Mr Prentice said: "This was a savage, brutal murder and we may never know what the motive was."

The prosecutor also dismissed claims that the death had been at the hands of Glasgow gangsters, saying it was "not some kind of gangland hit".

He said: "Crime gangs resort to violence bit they don’t target an 80-year-old woman.

"They may shoot each other but a crime of this kind attracts revulsion in the community – including the criminal fraternity."

However, defence QC Brian McConnachie told the jury they had to base their decision on evidence and not try to solve the case themselves.

He said: "The one thing that will constantly be repeated in your head is the word why?

"The crown in this case are relying on the CSI generation. They are looking to show you the fingerprint, the DNA and the blood. That’s the golden ticket, that’s the crime solved.

"This is not a whodunit or a murder mystery.

"There is no evidence of any blood on him or in the car. He meets people an hour later in Broughty Ferry and he’s not covered in blood.

"There is not a single shred of evidence to provide you with why a shy, reserved private family man who has never been in trouble before would brutally murder an 80-year-old defenceless woman."

The jury is expected to be charged by Lord Glennie on Monday.

The trial continues at the High Court in Glasgow.