Neighbour heard arguing and loud thud before woman found dead in Elgin home

A neighbour of a woman who was allegedly found murdered in her own home heard shouts of “no, no, no” coming from the property before a body was later discovered, a court has heard.

The witness lived in a flat above Lucretia Donaghy, known as Kiesha, when she heard sounds of arguing coming from the downstairs address on Anderson Drive, Elgin on November 15, 2023.

She told the High Court in Edinburgh that she was at home and a friend was visiting her and said: “We heard a lot of arguing and shouting downstairs.”

She heard the sound of a thud and added, “I knew it was somebody falling on the floor because it had happened before.”

Lucretia, known as Kiesha, Donaghy, 32, was found dead at Anderson Drive, Elgin, at around 7.20pm on Thursday, November 16, 2023. STV News

She said the noise was coming from Keisha’s flat and told the court: “I think there was a time she was shouting ‘no, no, no’.”

The woman said her neighbour’s dog was barking and growling and added: “Obviously there was somebody there that he didn’t like.”

“The argument was going on for a while. It seemed like a while, it probably wasn’t,” she said.

She said she heard Kiesha’s voice but could not hear what was being said. She told the court: “I just got the ‘no’,’no’,’no’.”

She said she could not say what the argument was about.

She later heard the dog pining and contacted a friend of Kiesha’s, who had a key for the downstairs flat, before the dead woman was discovered.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Owen Grant, 43, who has denied murdering Ms Donaghy in her home.

He is accused of assaulting her and repeatedly striking her on the head and body with an unknown object, and murdering her. She died after sustaining blunt force head injuries.

Detective sergeant Lynsey McLean said that when she went to the deceased’s flat, its front door was undamaged with no sign of forced entry to the property.

She was shown photographs taken at the address and said that in one there was a passport. She said she looked at the passport and it was in the name of an Owen Grant.

She also saw a box on a countertop in the kitchen with a label on it with the same name.

The officer said the deceased was lying face down in a bedroom with her knees up towards her chest

The trial before judge Lord Scott continues.