Alleged “confession” had finer details but no alibi, claims prosecution 29/5/13
Stefan Millar’s cell mate recalled points of his alleged “confession” which police never revealed it was claimed at a murder trial in Glasgow High Court today.
Stefan Millar and Johnathan Mackinnon, 22, both of Lewis, deny murdering 16-
Mr Millar was being cross examined by prosecutor Iain McSporran at Glasgow High Court in the closing stages of the evidence.
The jury previously heard from witness Dominic Long who alleged that Mr Millar told him he and Mr Mackinnon had killed Liam. The pair were sharing a cell in Porterfield Prison when Mr Millar was on remand custody.
On the stand, Mr Millar insisted he had simply told Mr Long of what the police were
saying about him -
He said Mr Long -
Mr Millar told the court: “He got things wrong, he just got confused.”
He said he had similar conversations with many others while he was in custody but at no time had said he was ever involved Liam’s death.
Mr McSporran said Mr Millar had given Dominic Long some detailed information such as the name of the aftershave which Liam allegedly took from Mr Mackinnon.
Mr Millar replied: “I didn’t think they are.”
The prosecutor said that the police never said that Liam was “knocked unconscious” as Mr Long had claimed Mr Millar had said.
Mr Millar agreed: “The police never said that. They never said that to me.”
Mr McSporran said that Mr Long had said: “He had gone unconscious and then Jonny cut his throat or stabbed his throat.
He added: “If he’s telling the truth about that, the only way he could have got that is from a person who saw that in that room.”
Mr Millar said: “He’s not lying. He just got it mixed up.”
Mr McSporran claimed that Mr Millar had failed to mention his “cast iron alibi” to Mr Long nor explained that the accused pair had been “as far away as they could be” by Fusions at the time.
Mr Millar said: “The conversation started to peter out “ and they began to talk about other things.
Dominic Long recalled so well the “dramatic conversation” but you did not bother telling him about the “boring details” about an alibi said Mr McSporran.
Mr Millar rejected the prosecution’s claimed that he wanted to confess and to brag.
He said: “I just wanted to speak to someone.”
He added: “I had nothing to get off my chest.”
The prosecutor responded: “Essentially you are telling us you are an innocent man.”
Mr Millar: “That’s right.”
Mr McSporran asked how many places did Johnathan Mackinnon drip blood.
Mr Mackinnon had bled in some other houses as he “was bad for self-
The prosecutor suggested he “bled in Steinish on the morning you and he murdered Liam Aitchison.”
In response to defence QC Frances McMenamin, Mr Millar said he was unaware of the brand of the aftershave which caused friction between Liam and Mr Mackinnon until he saw it in Dominic Long’s statement.
He had called it “1 Million aftershave” in conversation with Mr Long and it was his
cell-
The QC asked: “Did you unburden yourself to some one because you were so low you had it get it out.”
Mr Millar replied: “No.”
He explained he had family living near the Inverness area and knew he would be receiving a daily visit on top of phoning them everyday.
He agreed he had no reason to pour his heart out.
Frances McMenamin also raised earlier claims from Mr McSporran that the two accused had devised a “very simple story which was simple to maintain” and the reason Mr Millar went to Mr Mackinnon’s house the following night was to get their story straight.
Mr Millar said that when they had returned after Liam left them he had told Mr Mackinon’s mother they had been to Fusions.
He also said that Johnathan’s mother said she had taken a meat cleaver from his room and hid it under the couch but he had never seen a knife that night.
Instead of being a “ruse,” Mr Millar believed Mr Mackinnon phoned Stephanie Flannigan ostensibly to check up on Liam but really as “just an excuse” to talk to her.
They had not long broken up and he agreed Mr Mackinnon may have wanted a reconciliation, the court heard.
Mr Millar was the last person to give evidence. The trial continues with speeches from the prosecution and defence lawyers.