Nobody went looking for our Emma when she didn't appear. It would not have changed what happened to her but it could have saved the life of John Paul Duffy

Family demand welfare checks after axe killing

THE family of a woman murdered by her partner say his brother's life could I have been saved if the alarm had been raised after she missed a court date.

Peter Duffy, 47, stood trial accused of violently abusing Emma Baillie, 26, but the case was adjourned when she failed to give evidence in March 2022.

Duffy had turned up for the court date having already strangled and stabbed Emma 12 days earlier at his home in Calder Street, Coatbridge before leaving her body to rot.

It took five weeks for Emma's death to come to light.

By then Duffy had killed his brother, John Paul, 51, stabbing him repeatedly with a knife and hitting him with an axe.

Now Emma's family have demanded police call on victims of violent crimes if they miss a court appearance.

They believe Duffy could have been caught before he killed his brother.

Emma's dad Stuart Baillie, 57, and stepmother Carol Austin, 56, say police should have gone all out to locate Emma after her no-show for the original trial.

Carol said: "No information had been given to us at any point before the trial of Peter Duffy for the two murders so hearing the details of Emma's last few months were very upsetting for both of us.

"The shock being the length of time Emma lay dead at his property before being found.

"That was something that we weren't expecting at all.

"But if someone had gone looking for Emma when she failed to appear at court, although it may not have changed Emma's outcome, it could certainly have saved the life of John Paul Duffy.

"As parents, it doesn't seem right that if the accused hadn't turned up in court, everybody and his brother would have been out looking for him.

"But when Emma failed to appear after such a horrendous domestic abuse charge there was no alarm raised about where she might be.