MUM AND DAUGHTER ACCUSED OF KILLING STORE SECURITY WORKER: NOT PROVEN

A mother and daughter have been cleared of killing a shop security guard in Fife by attacking him with a walking frame.

Bill Ireland, 62, collapsed and died at Rejects store in Kirkcaldy, in January 2023 after trying to stop the pair 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.

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 post-mortem 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.