By Wilma Riley
A MAN is on trial accused of murdering a friend 22 years ago on waste ground close to Celtic Park.
Philip Morrison, 40, from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, denies strangling and robbing 24-year-old Derek Sheerin near to London Road, Glasgow, on September 25, 1994.
It is alleged that Mr Morrison seized hold of Mr Sheerin, struggled with him and murdered him by strangling him with a belt, and robbed him of a watch, tobacco and £20. The jury was shown crime scene photographs of Mr Sheerin lying half naked with paper and a diary strewn beside him.
In evidence yesterday, Mr Sheerin’s sister, Jacqueline Marshall, 51, told the High Court in Glasgow the last time she saw her brother alive was around lunchtime on Sunday, September 25, 1994.
She told prosecutor Iain McSporran that he was in the company of murder accused Morrison.
Mrs Marshall said that on Saturday, September 24, 1994, she met her brother and Mr Morrison at her mother’s home in Easterhouse.
She added: “Derek introduced me to him and asked if I he could stay the night at my house. I wasn’t sure of Philip, but because he was Derek’s friend I thought he was harmless.”
Mrs Marshall told the jury she thought her brother had spent the night at their mother’s house.
The jurors heard that Mr Sheerin returned on Sunday morning to collect his friend Morrison and they left around lunchtime. Mr McSporran asked her: “Is that the last time you saw your brother,” and she replied: “Yes, it was.”
She said her brother was “happy enough”, and and she had words with him about landing her with his friend. Mrs Marshall went on: “He just laughed.” The court was told that on Monday, September 26, 1994, Mrs Marshall was contacted by her sister Diane who was worried because a body had been found and she could not contact Mr Sheerin.
Mrs Marshall said: “The area had been cordoned off and police weren’t giving any information. Derek was supposed to stay at my sister’s house on the Sunday evening, but he wasn’t there.”
The court was told that another sister Elaine phoned the police and both she and Mrs Marshall were taken to the mortuary when they identified their brother’s body.
Mrs Marshall was asked if she knew her brother was homosexual and replied: “No,” then added: “I had an idea.”
Defence QC Derek Ogg asked Mrs Marshall: “Attitudes in 1994 were a bit different towards gay people,” and she replied: “Yes.”
The QC then said: “Could Derek have had a life that was secret,” and she said: “I don’t know. He might have done.”
Mr Ogg then asked if Mr Sheerin had ever expressed suicidal thoughts and Mrs Marshall replied: “I think once he wrote a wee note that said: ‘I’m fed up with life.’”
The trial before judge Lady Rae continues.
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