I had '˜fearsome' heroin habit but I didn't kill Rae

Sandra Weir,41, said that she ‘abused’ the 82-year-old Leven pensioner’s trust when she took money from her between late 2014 and early 2016.

Weir told the High Court in Edinburgh that she told Mrs Logie in January 2015 about how she had illegally obtained approximately £1150 from her funds in late 2014.

She told Murray Macara QC, defence advocate, she told Mrs Logie that what she had done was illegal and she had every right to involve the police. The pensioner declined to press charges and gave her the opportunity to pay it back.

In late 2015 Weir told Mrs Logie that she had financial worries caused by her drug abuse and losing her job at a solicitor’s office.

Mrs Logie offered to help her. But she continued to take large amounts of money from the woman’s bank account.

Referring to Mrs Logie as Rae – the name which friends and family called her – Mrs Weir told the court: “I told Rae about the trouble I was in and she offered to help me. She offered to help by giving a tenner here and a tenner there. I abused that.”

Weir, of Leven, Fife, was giving evidence on the seventh day of proceedings against her.

She denies murdering her neighbour Mrs Logie at her home in the town’s Greengates on January 5 this year and other charges.

The accused also told the court of the evening Mrs Logie was allegedly murdered.

She said she was at her home, and decided to pay a visit to her neighbour. She had a key and went into Mrs Logie’s home. She said she shouted on Mrs Logie but got no response.

The court heard that she found Mrs Logie lying on the ground.

Weir told the court that she stamped on the floor to get the attention of her downstairs neighbour. She also shouted for her husband to come and help.

Aked if she “attacked” Mrs Logie, she replied: “No.”

Weir agreed with prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice QC that she had a “fearsome” heroin habit, but that she didn’t murder Mrs Logie.

At the conclusion of the Crown case, Mr Prentice told the court that he wanted to withdraw some of the charges.

Weir no longer faces a charge which alleges that she possessed heroin at various locations in Leven between April 1 2010 and January 17 2016.

Prosecutors have also dropped a charge which alleged she used Mrs Logie’s debit card to pay for goods worth £313.43 at a supermarket in Leven on various occasions between 2014 and 2015.

They have also dropped a fraud charge which alleged Weir collected for Guide Dogs for the Blind without authorisation and failed to give the proceeds to the charity.

Charges which allege she attempted to pervert and defeat the ends of justice following the alleged murder have also been dropped.

Judge Michael O’Grady QC acquitted her on these charges.

She now faces charges which allege that she stole quantities of money, two rings and a bank card belonging to Mrs Logie from her home. The offence was allegedly committed between April 1 2010 and January 5 2016.

Prosecutors also amended a charge which originally claimed Weir stole £4,460 belonging to Mrs Logie. The charge now states Weir stole ‘a sum of money’ belonging to Mrs Logie.

Prosecutors also claim that she killed Mrs Logie by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a rolling pin or similar instrument at Mrs Logie’s house on January 5 this year.

Weir has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her lawyers have lodged a special defence of alibi in relation to the murder charge.

The trial continues.