Man to stand trial accused of murdering Emma Faulds
A man is to stand trial charged with murdering youth worker Emma Faulds and dumping her body in remote woodland.
Ross Willox is accused of killing the 39-year-old "by means unknown" at his house in Monkton, Ayrshire on April 28 this year.
The 40-year-old also faces an allegation of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The charge lists 19 claims said to have occurred between the day of the alleged murder and May 8 of this year.
Prosecutors claim Willox hid Ms Faulds' corpse at the house in Monkton before disposing of her naked body at the end of a "remote forestry track".
The location is said to be at Glentrool Forest in Dumfries and Galloway. Willox allegedly covered the body with soil, moss and vegetation.
The charge states he also got rid of Ms Faulds' mobile phone, clothes and other belongings.
Willox allegedly took Ms Faulds' car from the Monkton property to her home in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and cleaned any evidence he had been in it.
He is also said to have bought a number of items including bleach, rubber gloves, disinfectant and waterproof trousers.
It is further claimed Willox then led other people to think he believed Ms Faulds was not dead.
He apparently told police he had been with Ms Faulds and her dog at her home in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire adding she was there when he left on the morning of April 29 - the day after the alleged murder.
Willox is also said to have left voicemails on her phone "pretending that he believed her still to be alive".
The indictment states he quizzed officers then investigating the woman's whereabouts, claiming he was "worried".
Willox further allegedly carried out a number of web searches including about blood and "vehicle tracking by the police".
The charge claims all this conduct was done to avoid detection as well as "hinder police from conducting a full and proper investigation".
On Wednesday Willox pled not guilty at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow. He also denied possessing and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Both his QC Murray Macara and prosecutor Paul Kearney asked for a trial to be fixed.
Lord Turnbull set a trial due to begin in June next year. The case is set to last around five weeks.