A murder trial heard of the "rotten" smell coming from the flat where a woman's body was dismembered.

Steven Jackson and Michelle Higgins are on trial accused of murdering Kimberley MacKenzie and dumping her dismembered body parts around Montrose, Angus.

The High Court in Glasgow heard on Tuesday from Michelle Emslie, 33, a friend of Ms MacKenzie.

She broke down in tears when she revealed the last time she spoke to her 37-year-old friend was the day before she died on October 27, 2015.

Ms Emslie said she saw Ms MacKenzie and Jackson in a Co-op store in the town at about 4.40pm on October 26.

They left together, the witness said, to go back to his house to sort things out.

Prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC asked if she ever saw Ms MacKenzie again.

Ms Emslie broke down in tears saying: "No."

The jury was told that a week later police came to the witness' house and told her they were looking for her friend who was missing.

Ms Emslie said: "I went to Steve's house the next day. I went up to his house and I was banging at the windows."

She said it was about 4pm and there were no lights on.

Ms Edwards asked: "Did you notice anything?"

She replied: "I noticed a smell coming from inside the building while I was standing outside the close."

The prosecutor said: "Can you describe the smell?" Ms Emslie replied: "Rotten."

Ms MacKenzie's 66-year-old father Terence also gave evidence. He said he saw his daughter walking along the town's High Street between 11.30am and noon on October 27, 2015.

He told prosecutor: "I was driving into High Street and she was walking along. She gave us a wave and a smile."

Mr MacKenzie said his daughter was wearing a blue cagoule, brown trousers and trainers.

He told jurors he became concerned when his daughter did not contact him the following day.

He said: "She was due money that day and she never turned up for her bank card which I had.

"I went to the police station in Montrose and reported her missing."

Earlier, the jury heard Ms MacKenzie died at Jackson's home in the town's Market Street on October 27, 2015.

Various body parts, including her head and neck, abdomen and arms and legs were found by police in various locations in Montrose between November 4 and 18, 2015.

Jackson, 40, and Higgins, 29, deny murdering Ms MacKenzie by repeatedly striking her on the head, neck and body with a hammer or similar instrument.

They are also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by dismembering Ms MacKenzie's body using a saw, knives and a screwdriver and wrapping parts of her body in bin liners and bags before hiding them in bins across Montrose.

The pair are alleged to have disposed of clothing and footwear worn by Ms MacKenzie and washing their own clothing between October 27 and November 4, 2015..

Higgins faces a charge of possessing a knife Montrose High Street on October 27, 2015.

Jackson is charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and Diazepam, as well as having a machete in his possession at the Fair O'Blair public house in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, November 3 and 4 last year.

Both deny the charges against them.