A MURDER accused demanded to know if his best friend's partner was wearing a wire when she confronted him about his death, a court was told today.

William Cameron, of Hollows Avenue, Paisley, denies murdering 43-year-old Darryl Fitch during a boys' camping weekend at an area near Bridge of Weir known as 'The Fruit Salad' between July 10 and 13, 2015.

It is alleged that 39-year-old Cameron repeatedly inflicted blunt force trauma to Mr Fitch's head by striking him with a blunt instrument or against a hard surface, causing him to fall and drown.

At the High Court in Glasgow today, Mr Fitch's partner of seven years - warehouse worker Mharie Kissell - told of how she went to visit Cameron, who had a broken leg, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley, on July 21, 2015.

She told prosecutor Richard Goddard: “He was in one of the wards in a bed. There were other people there. On seeing me, he got out of bed and said 'We'll go to a room for a private chat.'

“He was very distressed and incredibly anxious. I had questions and he answered my questions. Any time I tried to challenge him, he would become very tearful and upset.

“He asked if the police had sent me and was I wearing a wire – a listening device. “

Ms Kissell, 36, told the jury she informed Cameron that she was not wearing a wire.

She added: “He said his memory was of sitting round the camp fire, chatting and laughing with Darryl, and then waking up on an embankment, being unable to move because of his injuries.'

Ms Kissell, from Paisley, said that Cameron also told her that he remembered being hit over the head.

Mr Goddard asked: “What did he say about Darryl?”

Ms Kissell replied: “He said he had no clue where Darryl was or what had happened to him.”

Earlier in evidence, Ms Kissell said the last time she saw Mr Fitch was around 8.30am on Friday, July 10, 2015, in Wellmeadow Street, Paisley.

She told the jury: “I said to him 'Be good'.

"We were joyful and having a laugh. He said 'I will' and waved. That was the last time I saw him alive.”

Ms Kissell said that she asked Mr Fitch to text her if he intended to stay out camping on the Saturday night but she heard nothing from him, despite frequently texting and phoning him.

Her last text was sent at 7.55pm on Monday, July 13, 2015, when she wrote: “I'm so worried about u. I love you so much. Please come homexxx.”

The court heard that Ms Kissell then phoned the police and reported Mr Fitch missing.

Officers came to her door in the early hours of Tuesday, July 14, 2015, to tell her a body had been found in the River Gryffe and they suspected it was her partner.

She later identified his body.

Under cross-examination, defence QC John Scullion asked Ms Kissell: “When you spoke to William Campbell, he said he had been advised by his lawyer not to speak to anyone about the camping trip and he said he thought he was going to get stitched-up, framed, for Darryl Fitch's death?”

She replied: “Yes.”

Mr Scullion added: “You went to see him at 1.30pm and, at 3.30pm, you were sitting with police officers, saying what he had said to you?”

Again, Ms Kissell replied: “Yes.”

The trial, before judge Lord Mulholland, continues.