Mum and daughter cleared of security guard death

A mother and daughter have been cleared of killing a shop security guard after being accused of attacking him with a walking frame.

Bill Ireland, 62, collapsed and died at Rejects store in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in January 2023 after trying to stop them leaving with stolen goods.

Teresa Gordon, 59, and Nicola Gordon, 37 - who said she stole to fund a drug habit - denied assaulting and killing Mr Ireland.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh found the charges not proven. A theft charge was withdrawn by prosecutors.

The pair had been accused of behaving in an aggressive manner, attempting to wrestle a rucksack and jacket from Mr Ireland, and striking him on the legs with Teresa Gordon's walking frame.

He sustained a cardiac arrhythmia, fell to the ground and died.

The court heard that Mr Ireland took medication for high blood pressure, but following a postmortem was found to have significant coronary artery disease.

Nicola Gordon, from Kirkcaldy, told the court she shoplifted to fund an addiction to crack cocaine and heroin.

She said she was no longer using drugs but said her addiction had cost her "hundreds of pounds" a day.

She said she regularly stole from shops, and passed the stolen goods to drug dealers in exchange for drugs.

She admitted that on the day of Mr Ireland's death she stole four tins of paint before he intervened.

She said Mr Ireland got a hold of her by the "scruff" of her jacket and pinned her against a wall.

Ms Gordon said: "I didn't know who the man was. He still had not disclosed to me he was a security guard by this point.

"I have been caught shoplifting before and I have never experienced anything like that."

She said her mother pushed her wheeled walking frame towards the security officer and shouted at him to get his hands off.

Teresa Gordon accepted that it appeared in footage from the store that she was pushing her walking frame towards Mr Ireland.

A store employee told the court that after Mr Ireland fell she said: "I never touched him, I never touched him," and shouted that she hoped he died.

The mother said she was "disgusted" by her daughter's behaviour when she realised she was shoplifting from the store.

She said: "My daughter never assaulted Mr Ireland. That's not true."

Consultant cardiologist Dr Stuart Hutcheon said it was almost certain that the events of that day had exacerbated Mr Ireland's heart conditions.

Dr Hutcheon said: "When the events occurred, Mr Ireland underwent sudden and significant physical and emotional stress.

"The reduced blood supply to the heart in turn caused Mr Ireland to suffer a fatal cardiac arrhythmia."

Trial judge, Lady Ross, said: "This has been a difficult case in many respects.

"There are no easy or pleasant cases in the High Court. All cases that come before the High Court are difficult and this is no exception."

She said the women were free to go.