Man 'kept in servitude' seen driving accused around and doing shopping

A man who is said to have been kept in “servitude” done “almost everything” for the couple who allegedly murdered him, a court has heard.

A witness said Michael White, 61, did errands for Michael Joyce, 33, and Antonia Gunn, 28, at their home in the Highland village Kyle of Lochalsh.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the witness tell prosecutor Alex Prentice KC of how she lived next door to Mr Joyce and Ms Gunn.

She said that she knew Mr White – who prosecution lawyers claim was held in “servitude” by the couple.

Giving evidence via video link from Inverness, she told Mr Prentice of what she had witnessed of the interactions between Mr White and the two accused.

She said: “He would drive for them. He was going to the shops for them. He seemed he would do almost everything for them.”

Mrs Cullen was giving evidence on the second day of proceedings against Mr Joyce and Ms Gunn.

They are standing trial on charges of murder and breaching human trafficking and exploitation legislation in relation to how they allegedly treated Mr White.

On Thursday, the witness told Mr Prentice that she had known the deceased for some time prior to his death.

She said that in the time before he died, his appearance had changed.

She added: “I thought he had cancer. He seemed to have lost a lot of weight quickly.”

Her husband also gave evidence to the court and told Mr Prentice of the relationship that Mr White seemed to have with the two accused.

He added: “I thought he was a friend. He seemed to drive their cars. He was there if they needed to be driven anywhere.

“He would do their shopping for them.”

During proceedings on Thursday, jurors were also told that both prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed that a post-mortem had been carried out on Mr White’s body following his death.

They had agreed that the cause of death was “complications of blunt force trauma” to his “trunk” and heart disease.

Mr Joyce and Ms Gunn are accused of attacking and murdering Mr White on April 22 or 23 last year at an address in Kyle of Lochalsh.

It is alleged that they repeatedly struck him and inflicted blunt-force trauma injuries to his head and body.

The pair are also accused of committing an offence under human trafficking and exploitation legislation by holding Mr White in servitude between May 1, 2021 and April 23 last year.

They are said to have instructed him to transfer money into their bank accounts, to pay for food shopping and to drive them to personal appointments.

They are also said to have instructed him to request money from friends and family for their benefit and to enter into legal proceedings over the sale of his property at the Old Bank Guest House, in Kyle of Lochalsh.

Joyce and Gunn are also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice on April 23 last year.

It is alleged that they disposed of cushions, towels, and a T-shirt worn by Mr White and deleted photographs of him from a mobile phone in an effort to remove evidence.

They are also alleged to have placed a marriage certificate and photographs of Mr White and his late wife around his body and called emergency services, and pretended they found the body of Mr White and that he had committed suicide.

Joyce and Gunn have plead not guilty to the charges against them.

The trial before judge Lady Poole continues.