Man accused of West Lothian murder '˜violently assaulted 3 more women'

A MAN accused of murdering his wife at a house in West Lothian attacked his former partner when she confronted him about having an affair, a court heard.

Leighanne Cameron. Picture: contributed

Erhan Havaleoglu has denied murdering Leighanne Cameron at her home in Calder House Road, Mid Calder, on October 28, 2015.

Havaleoglu, 36, is also charged with assaulting three other women in an alleged eight-year campaign of violence.

His trial at the High Court in Paisley heard yesterday that he started a relationship with Edinburgh woman Lisa Clark in his home country of Turkey around 2001 or 2002.

She had just bought a house there and met Havaleoglu while he was working in the bar of the hotel where her parents were staying when they went to visit her.

In 2003, Havaleoglu moved to Scotland on a six-month visa, which was then changed to a two-year visa which allowed him to work.

The couple got married in Edinburgh in 2004 and lived with Clark’s parents until 2005, when they got their own place in Parkhead Avenue.

Clark, 43, said that the marriage came to an end on October 16, 2007, when she confronted Havaleoglu about his affair, before he attacked her.

Clark, a team leader and carer, said: “He had an affair. His phone bill was in my name because initially he couldn’t get any credit and there was all these texts to this one number.

“I didn’t know the name of the person at the time but I managed to get the name of the person and find out who it was. I confronted him and he denied it. I said I would phone the woman, then, and ask her.

“He pinned me against the door to stop me getting to the phone and said, ‘you can’t phone her, she’s at home with her husband just now and he’s just had a knee operation’.”

Clark said that was the marriage at an end in her eyes but the couple kept in contact to sort out the sharing of their possessions.

Havaleoglu denies assaulting Clark in Parkhead Avenue on October 16, 2007.

He also denies assaulting Shona McLean on three occasions at a house in Davidson Terrace, Haddington, between May 2008 and November 2009.

On one occasion he is alleged to have attempted to murder Ms McLean by grabbing her by the throat, pushing her head under bath water and holding it there until she fell unconscious, after gaining entry to her house with a key.

And he has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Lynn Johnston by grabbing hold of her arm, pressing a brush handle against her throat, pinning her head against a wall, hitting her, grabbing her by the throat and hitting her on the head.

Prosecutors claim that alleged assault took place in Methil, Fife, some time in June 2009.

The trial, before Temporary Judge Johanna Johnston QC, continues at the High Court in Paisley.