A MAN is to stand trial charged with murdering youth worker Emma Faulds and dumping her body in remote woodland.

Ross Willox is accused of killing the 39 year-old ‘by means unknown’ at his house in Monkton, Ayrshire on April 28 this year.

The 40-year-old then faces an allegation of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The charge lists 19 claims said to have occurred between the day of the alleged murder and May 8 2019.

Prosecutors state Willox hid Emma’s corpse at the house in Monkton before disposing of her naked body at the end of a ‘remote forestry track’.

The location is said to be at Glentrool Forest in Dumfries and Galloway.

Willox allegedly covered the body with soil, moss and vegetation.

The charge states he is also got rid of Emma's mobile phone, clothes and other belongings.

Willox allegedly took her car from the Monkton property to Emma's home in Kilmarnock and cleaned any evidence he had been in it.

He is also said to have bought a number of items including bleach, rubber gloves, disinfectant and waterproof trousers.

It is further claimed Willox then led other people to think he believed Emma was not dead.

He apparently told police he had been with Emma and her dog at her home in Kilmarnock adding she was there when he left on the morning of April 29 - the day after the alleged murder.

Willox is also said to have left voicemails on Emma's phone 'pretending that he believed her still to be alive'.

The indictment states he quizzed officers then investigating the woman's whereabouts claiming he was 'worried'.

Willox further allegedly carried out a number of web searches including about blood and 'vehicle tracking by the police'.

The charge claims all this conduct was done to avoid detection as well as 'hinder police from conducting a full and proper investigation'

Willox today pled not guilty at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

Both his QC Murray Macara and prosecutor Paul Kearney asked for a trial to be fixed.

Lord Turnbull set a trial due to begin in June next year.

The case could last around five weeks.