Missing woman 'warned of trouble'

Jan 18 2013

A missing businesswoman alleged to have been murdered said she would be "in big trouble" if a deal she was involved in did not go well just before she vanished, a court has heard.

Lynda Spence, 27, who has been missing since April 2011, is said to have been "anxious" and feeling "physically sick" in the days before she disappeared, a trial was told.

Four men are accused of abducting, torturing and murdering her. David Parker, 37, from West Kilbride, Paul Smith, 47, from Largs, Philip Wade, 42, from Glengarnock, all North Ayrshire, and Colin Coats, 42, from Glasgow, all deny the charges.

At the High Court in Glasgow, cafe owner Ursula McKail, 37, said she saw Ms Spence on either April 13 or 14 when she spoke about a "big deal" possibly taking place in London, which involved someone known as "Uncle Ben".

Ms McKail, who knew Ms Spence as Lynda Zefaj, one of the missing woman's four known aliases, said: "I didn't know much about it. She just said it was some deal she had done and she just wanted it finished with. She was a little bit anxious, agitated and, towards the end when I last saw her, she was really, really distraught."

Derek Ogg QC, representing Coats, asked: "About the deal, did she say if it didn't go well, she was in big trouble?"

Ms McKail replied: "Yes she did. She was completely different from her usual self. On this occasion she was extremely agitated, said she felt physically sick. She was extremely worried... It was the worst I've ever seen Lynda."

Ms Spence "spoke in millions" about her "lifestyle in general", Ms McKail told the court.

"I made a comment to Lynda one day that we would see her on Crimewatch because I had a sense there was something going on. When I said that, her face was white. She didn't take it as a joke," Ms McKail said.

The trial before Lord Pentland continues on Monday.