Jury out in trial for man accused of trying to kill Kiwi wife

Photo / NZ Herald

Scotland's longest-ever criminal trial, in which a New Zealand woman is a key witness, is about to come to a close at the High Court in Glasgow.

Malcolm Webster is accused of repeatedly trying to kill his Kiwi wife Felicity Drumm in 1999.

Crime reporter at Glasgow's Daily Record newspaper Paul O'Hare says the prosecution alleges Webster murdered his first wife Claire Morris in a deliberate car crash in 1994.

He's accused of trying it again with his second wife, Felicity Drumm, by crashing the car they were in on an Auckland motorway in early 1999.

"Again a copycat car crash which resulted in serious injuries to Miss Drumm, but unlike Miss Morris she actually survived," Mr O'Hare told Newstalk ZB.

"Had she died he would've made more than half a million pounds on life insurance policies."

He says critical evidence revealed Webster had drugged both his wives.

"The most critical point of evidence in the trial was a forensic link which proves both women had been drugged by Webster and his second wife Felicity Drumm reported that she slept for 36 hours on the first night of her honeymoon."

The case is the longest single-accused trial in Scottish legal history. The jury's expected to begin deliberating today.

- Newstalk ZB