Emma Caldwell’s body was found in a remote part of South Lanarkshire five weeks after she went missing
The man on trial for murdering Emma Caldwell has begun giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow.
Iain Packer denies strangling the 27-year-old, who was a sex worker, and dumping her body in woods in South Lanarkshire in April 2005.
Mr Packer, 51, arrived at court using a walking stick and wearing a zipper jacket, a T-shirt and navy trousers on the 18th day of the trial.
He denies a total of 36 charges involving multiple women.
The prosecution has withdrawn 10 charges against Mr Packer. He was formally acquitted of those allegations after the Crown closed its case.
Ms Caldwell’s body was found in a ditch in Limefield Woods in Biggar five weeks after she was killed.
The murder charge alleges Mr Packer assaulted Ms Caldwell, 27, by restraining her, grabbing her wrists and strangling her with his hands and a cable.
Mr Packer was sworn in at the High Court shortly after 10:00 and began taking questions from his defence lawyer Ronnie Renucci KC.
He spoke about growing up in the east end of Glasgow with his mother, father and three brothers.
The court heard he worked for his family business.
Mr Packer was asked about an alleged rape he has been accused of in the early 1990s when he was 16 and the complainer was 14.
He told the court he was “shocked” when he first learned of the allegation.
Mr Renucci asked: “Did you ever rape her or touch her inappropriately?”
Mr Packer replied: “I never.”
He also told to the court he started using sex workers when he was 18 years old. He said he used them a lot, adding he did not have an addiction.
Jurors heard he would drive to an area known as “the drag” to pick up sex workers, as well as Glasgow Green, using his work van at different times of the day.
Mr Packer also said he would pay for sex at various saunas in Glasgow.
Jurors recently visited the woods where Emma Caldwell’s body was found
Jurors previously heard Mr Packer gave a statement to police in which he described an occasion where he continued to have sex with Ms Caldwell despite her asking him to stop.
He also told detectives he had “lied” about not knowing her.
The trial has also heard that Mr Packer told police he had driven to an area in Lanarkshire with women, including “six times” with Ms Caldwell.
He was also said to have directed officers to the remote spot in 2007.
The trial before Lord Beckett continues.
