Retired academic, 82, jailed for life 45 years after beating former partner to death
9 March 2023, 18:11
A retired academic, 82, has been has been handed a life sentence for beating his ex-wife to death 45 years ago.
Christopher Harrisson, was found guilty at the High Court in Aberdeen of murdering fellow academic Dr Brenda Page.
Harrisson forced entry to a flat in Aberdeen where Dr Page had moved after fleeing their abusive marriage.
The body of the genetics expert was discovered on July 14, 1978 by concerned colleague and neighbour Elizabeth Gordon.
She had suffered more than 20 head and face injuries in the brutal attack.
“I found her in the bedroom,” she told police through floods of tears, “I saw nothing but blood and hair.”
Harrisson was apprehended in the hours after the murder and interviewed, and a report was submitted to prosecutors.
But it was decided there was insufficient evidence to take him to court at the time.
He spent decades denying the crime but , prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were able to disprove his account through the use of DNA examination and forensic techniques.
Biological samples collected from Dr Page's bed were re-examined using state-of-the-art analysis.
Judge Lord Richardson sentenced Harrisson to life in prison with a minimum period of 20 years before he would be eligible for parole.
National Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime, David Green, said he hoped that the sentence handed down to Harrisson brought some degree of comfort to the Dr Page's family.
Mr Green said: “The relatives of Dr Brenda Page have waited a very long time for justice and our thoughts are with them as they come to terms with today’s outcome.
“Christopher Harrisson took the life of their loved one and subjected them to further torment by maintaining his pretence of innocence for many years.
“Our skilled prosecutors were able to ensure that a jury saw through his callous deception.
“Evidence collected at the time painted a picture of a bullying and manipulative man but it has taken breakthroughs in science and forensics to allow us to prove the case beyond any doubt.
“A man once recognised as a skilled scientist himself has been brought to justice through scientific expertise.”
The court was told that Dr Page was terrified of her ex-husband and had told associates that she feared he would one day kill her.
Hand-written letters detailed some of the abuse to which Dr Page was subjected.
In one, she asked her lawyer to make sure that she received a thorough post-mortem examination should she ever die suddenly.
In another, from Harrisson to Dr Page, the killer acknowledged his “rages of which you are afraid”.
In preparing the prosecution, thousands of documents were re-examined.
David Green, who leads on murder probes for COPFS, added: “COPFS does not view any unresolved homicide as ‘closed’, and the public should be assured we will not stop seeking justice, no matter how long ago the offences took place.
“I would urge anyone with any information on unresolved murders to report it to the police, confident that we will treat any report we receive with the utmost gravity.
“Harrisson is an old man now but he is finally facing the consequences of his cruelty and violence.”
