Man, 20, accused of killing Edinburgh schoolgirl Mhari O'Neill

A man accused of killing Portobello High School pupil Mhari O’Neill sexually assaulted the teenager before leaving her exposed and suffering from the effects of drugs and alcohol, prosecutors claim.

Mhari O'Neill's body was discovered on Calton Hill

Ewan Fulton, 20, allegedly carried out the crimes at Calton Hill on December 7 2018 and targeted a number of other teenage girls.

The culpable homicide charge initially claims he did kiss, touch, bite and compress 15-year-old Mhari’s neck.

Mhari, from Willowbrae, is also said to have been grabbed, slapped and thrown to the ground resulting in "blunt force trauma" to her head and body.

Prosecutors state Fulton did then "recklessly endanger" her by providing her with alcohol and a drug called Fluoxetine.

The teenager allegedly became "incapable of looking after herself".

It is claimed Fulton - who also allegedly stole Mhari’s bus pass - knew what condition she was in, but did "abandon her there in a remote and exposed location".

Mhari is said to have been left partially undressed and unable to get help and the charge states that Fulton also failed to seek assistance with "utter disregard for the consequences" of what allegedly occurred.

Mhari is said to have died at Calton Hill on December 7 or 8.

Fulton, of Livingston, West Lothian, is also accused of sexually assaulting four other teenage girls between November 2017 and February 2019.

He is further accused of physically assaulting and stealing from two more.

Fulton - who denies the charges - had his attendance excused during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow today.

Defence QC, Shelagh McCall said: "This is a somewhat complicated case in relation to the culpable homicide charge in particular."

Both the advocate and prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked for a further hearing to be set.

Judge Lady Stacey adjourned the case until next month and continued Fulton’s bail.

In a statement issued through Police Scotland following Mhari's death, her family said: “Mhari was much loved by all that knew her and we know that her passing will have a profound impact on her closest friends, as it has ourselves.

“Mhari was considering applying to attend university and one of her main passions was music; she loved going to gigs.

“We thank everyone for their support and ask that we be left in privacy to grieve at this time.”

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