Emma Faulds: Mother alerted police over daughter's disappearance

A mother told a murder trial that she reported her daughter missing after being unable to contact her.

A major search was launched for Emma Faulds, 39, after her parents alerted police on 30 April 2019.

Margaret Faulds, 70, was giving evidence on the opening day of the trial of 41-year-old prison officer Ross Willox.

He denies murdering Emma in Monkton, South Ayrshire, on 28 April 2019 by means unknown.

Prosecutors allege Mr Willox then dumped Emma's naked body in Glentool Forest, Dumfries and Galloway.

The jury heard her body was discovered in woodland by a police search team more than six weeks later on 12 June.

Emma last saw her mother and father Ian, 70, when she had dinner at their home on 25 April.

She told them she was going to see Mr Willox that Sunday, 28 April.

The trial heard the pair had become friends when they both worked at Kilmarnock Prison as warders.

Mrs Faulds said her daughter was going to see a rescue dog Mr Willox had just acquired.

The witness then told prosecutor Paul Kearney that she became worried after Emma had not been in touch with anyone for a couple of days.

She told the court: "We were concerned because it was totally out of character. She was in touch every day. My husband and I knew something was wrong."

The court heard that on 10 May, Mr Willox appeared in court charged with Emma's murder although no body had been found.

Mr Kearney asked Mrs Faulds: "Were you told a body had been found on 12 June 2019?"

The witness tearfully replied: "Yes. I was."

Mrs Faulds then described being taken to the site.

She added: "It was very remote. No-one would walk there or drive there. You would have to see it to believe how remote it was."

Mrs Faulds sobbed as the jury was shown CCTV footage of Emma walking her Westie dog Maverick at 15:32 on 26 April 2019 and in Home Bargains in Kilmarnock on 28 April at 16:36.

Earlier Mrs Faulds told the jury that on 30 April she and her husband were visiting relatives in Brighton when she received a call from her daughter's employers at Kibble School in Paisley, Renfrewshire, to inform them she had not turned up for work.

Mrs Faulds said she tried to contact Emma without success and then discovered she also had not been in touch with other family or friends.

Later on 30 April Mrs Faulds and her husband went into Brighton police station and reported their daughter missing.

Under cross-examination by defence QC Donald Findlay Mrs Faulds accepted that her daughter was "a party girl" who like to drink.

Mr Findlay said: "The ladies and gentlemen of the jury are going to hear she was a cocaine user."

Mrs Faulds replied: "I had no idea. I would not have approved of her taking it."

The QC then said that Emma was a police officer for two years before leaving and added: "Was it found she had contact with someone it would not be appropriate for a police officer to associate with?"

The witness replied: "Probably."

Mr Willox, is also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding Emma's body for days before dumping it in a forest and attempting a cover up of his alleged involvement in her death between 28 April and 8 May 2019.

Prosecutors allege he disposed of Emma's mobile phone, clothing and belongings and carried out an online search about blood and how to remove vehicle tracking.

Mr Willox is also said to have repeatedly left voicemails on Emma's phone "pretending that he believed she was alive" and he quizzed officers about her whereabouts claiming he was "worried".

He is also accused of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Mr Willox denies all the charges against him.

The trial, before judge Lord Mulholland, continues.