A DUNFERMLINE man accused of murdering his mother told his trial today (Monday) that he had never "snapped" in his life.

Ross Taggart, 31, told the High Court in Edinburgh: "I didn't kill my mum."

Taggart has denied murdering his mother Carol, 54, on December 21 or 22 last year at the house they shared at 3 Hill of St Margaret, Dunfermline, or elsewhere.

It is alleged that he repeatedly struck her on the head by means unknown and seized hold of her neck and compressed her throat using his hands or an unidentified item.

He is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice between December 21 last year and January 14 by hiding her body beneath a caravan at Pettycur Bay Caravan Park, Kinghorn, near to the caravan owned by his mother.

He is also alleged to have tidied, cleaned, removed and tried to remove blood staining and other forensic evidence from the house and her caravan at the site and to have removed bedding from the properties.

Further charges of theft and fraud against Taggart were withdrawn by the Crown.

Taggart said that his relationship with his mother had "its ups and downs". He told the court: "Growing up we had quite a close relationship."

He said she was becoming more concerned about the possibility of him moving away. He said that he had told her he did not have to move out but she would have to give him "a bit more breathing room".

He added that when she left the house she grabbed her bag and keys.

"I heard the door slam at the back of her," he said. "I thought she had maybe just gone off in the car for a bit to cool down."

When she did not return he thought she had gone to the caravan.

He said that on December 22 he had gone to see a woman in Dunfermline he had met on a dating site Plenty of Fish and later travelled to Edinburgh for a meal and the cinema.

The trial continues.