Ex-detective accused of killing wife 'had sex texts on phone'

A former police officer accused of killing his wife had “sexually explicit” messages from another woman on a phone, a court heard.

An Apple iPhone was seized from Keith Farquharson, 60, during an investigation into the death of Alice Farquharson.

A cyber crime analyst who examined the mobile said the texts were “suggestive” in tone.

Jurors heard a phone belonging to Ms Farquharson was also checked and searches for houses in Shetland were made the night before she died last August.

Retired police inspector Farquharson is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where he denies murdering his 56-year-old wife at their home in Aberdeen.

Ewan Stewart – who works for Police Scotland – helped examine the phones taken from the couple.

The court heard there appeared to be contact between Farquharson and an unnamed female in 2018.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked the analyst: “Would it be right to say there followed a number of texts to and from the device used by the woman? These are extremely sexually explicit messages?”

Mr Stewart replied: “Yes, that would be my interpretation.”

Mr Prentice asked: “They are quite specific about sexual activity?”

The witness agreed and said other exchanges were “suggestive”.

The murder charge alleges Farquharson seized hold of his wife and struggled with her before compressing her neck and face.

It is further claimed Farquharson left her unconscious after “restricting her breathing” by covering her nose and mouth. He is then said to have caused blunt force injury “by means unknown”.

The trial, before Lady Stacey, continues.