Accused 'admitted having sex with Emma Caldwell'

The man accused of murdering Emma Caldwell had sex with her despite being asked to stop, his trial heard.

Iain Packer was also said to have admitted that he had initially lied to detectives about not knowing Ms Caldwell.

Mr Packer further stated he had driven other sex workers outside of Glasgow to a quiet area in South Lanarkshire.

He denies 46 charges involving multiple women, including the murder of Ms Caldwell on 5 April 2005 and 11 rapes.

A dog walker found her body lying "face down" in a ditch in Limefield Woods, Biggar, five weeks later.

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.

The trial at the High Court in Glasgow previously heard how Mr Packer told police weeks after Ms Caldwell's body was found that he had never picked her up in the past.

On Friday, jurors heard that he gave a further statement to officers in August 2006.

In his statement, Mr Packer said: "I have been asked if I have any information in relation to the Emma Caldwell inquiry.

"In my previous statement, I have told police that I did not know her.

"That is a lie. I did know her. I have been with her 10 or 11 times, maybe more, maybe less."

He said the first time was about two years earlier and he described her as "quite pretty".

He recalled one time where he picked her up in the city's east end.

Mr Packer made a particular sexual request, which Ms Caldwell was said to have initially agreed to and they went to nearby spare ground.

Describing what he was doing, Mr Packer said: "Emma called out and said that she did not want to do it any more.

"I continued to hold on to her waist. I was saying: 'We agreed before we started. I have paid for this'."

Ms Caldwell got away and was said to be "upset" before walking off. Mr Packer said he then drove away in his van.

He told police that he later tried to "find" Ms Caldwell to "apologise".

"I told her that I was really sorry for not stopping when she wanted me to," he said.

Mr Packer claimed the last time he saw Ms Caldwell was early in 2005.

He said he had never taken her "anywhere outside of Glasgow", denied ever asking her to strip or that he had "stalked" her.

But he added: "She was one of the prostitutes I specifically looked for when I was trying to pick someone up."

Mr Packer later told police that he had also been at the area in Biggar with Miss Caldwell "six times".

The court heard he directed detectives to the remote spot in March 2007.

In the statement, Packer said: "It was always my idea to go down there, never Emma's."

He further told police: "Emma was the first prostitute I took there and, the first time, I came across it by accident.

"We had been looking for somewhere quiet to have sex outdoors.

"Until that time with Emma, I had never been there before."

Packer said he "liked it" as he got a "buzz" claiming Ms Caldwell "was always willing" to go there.

He had earlier told the officers that he had been "terrified" of stating this before.

Packer said: "Although I was with her at that place, I was not in any way responsible for her death.

"I have seen all the media coverage and read the newspapers about Emma's death.

"I had no idea that her body was found near to where I went with the prostitutes."

The court heard he also stated: "I should have told you that before, but I was frightened that I would get the blame for her death."

The trial continues on Tuesday.