Woman 'cowered' before man accused of killing her, trial hears

A court heard testimony from a witness who observed a distressed woman being held closely by the man accused of her killing on the night she fell from a bridge. Daisy White, 25, described seeing Kimberley Milne “cowering” in the arms of Lee Milne near a carpet shop on 27 July 2023, suggesting that Kimberly appeared “trapped” during the incident.

White recounted to the High Court in Glasgow that she had been alarmed by the interaction between Kimberley, 28, and Lee Milne, 39, while she was out with her boyfriend. Earlier that evening, around 9:30 pm, White noticed Kimberley and Lee near a slip road beside what seemed to be a broken-down car. She briefly observed what looked like an argument as she and her partner drove past, initially assuming the pair might be father and daughter.

Later at the retail park, White saw the couple again outside the carpet shop, where she said Lee Milne appeared to be restraining Kimberley against the wall. Expressing concern for the woman’s wellbeing, White told the court that Kimberley was visibly frightened, “cowering scared,” and unable to react or speak. Under questioning, White emphasized that Kimberley was “too frightened” to say anything and noted that seeing such fear raised “alarm bells” for her.

In a separate part of the trial, Lee Milne’s older sister, Felicity Dryden, 41, gave evidence about conversations she had with her brother after he was detained by police. Initially, Dryden recounted that Milne claimed to have seen Kimberley on a bridge and had pulled over to offer assistance. However, upon further discussions, she expressed doubts about this account, explaining that his story had changed. Milne later told her Kimberley was in the car and that she pulled the handbrake, causing an accident. Dryden also read aloud from a prior police statement, noting that Milne had been reluctant to tell the truth for fear of causing trouble for her.

Additionally, Kimberley’s former partner Michael Thomson, 42, gave testimony about his contact with her after their relationship ended in 2022. Thomson recalled seeing a bruise on Kimberley’s eye a few months before her death and said she told him Lee Milne was responsible. He also described how Milne frequently called Kimberley during their relationship and that she had left him six days before her death due to his abusive behavior. Thomson recounted an incident where he heard a man shouting outside Kimberley’s home holding an object, who Kimberley identified as Milne. The trial, presided over by Judge Lady Drummond, is still ongoing

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