A FORMER prison officer accused of murdering 39-year-old Emma Faulds failed in a bid to be released on bail today.

Ross Willox, 40, was due to go on trial in June but that will not happen now because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He is alleged to have killed Emma, from Kilmarnock and hidden her body at his home at Fairfield Park, Monkton, before dumping it in Glentrool Forest in Dumfries and Galloway.

Today at the High Court in Glasgow solicitor advocate Alan Gravelle argued that Willox , who has spent almost a year on remand awaiting trial should be granted bail.

Mr Gravelle said: “The impact of coronavirus is the primary reason for the trial being discharged from the trial diet on June 1 and there is uncertainty over when it will take place.

“It may be several months before jury trials will be resumed.”

Willox was not in court but participated through a video link from prison.

Mr Willox said there was no risk with Willox being granted bail and said special conditions could be put in force.

He added: “He was formerly employed by Scottish prison service and does not hold a passport. He has been held in custody for almost 12 months. A person should not be held in prison for longer than necessary where that person is presumed innocent.”

Prosecutor Paul Kearney said: “Here we have serious charges of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.”

Judge Lady Stacey told Granville: “I am not prepared to grant bail. The application for bail is refused.”

A further preliminary hearing was fixed for June.

Mr Kearney said: “Hopefully we can fix a diet for trial then.”

Willox is accused of murdering Emma and attempting to cover up her death over a ten-day period between April 28 and May 8, 2019.

He is said to have got rid of Emma’s mobile phone, clothing and belongings.

It’s claimed he bought bleach, rubber gloves, cleaner, chlorine, shower curtains, disinfectant and waterproof trousers, which he is alleged to have dumped.

He is said to have taken shrink wrap from outside Poundstretcher in Ayr and later ditched it, pressure-washed decking at his home and painted his neighbour’s fence.

And it is alleged he carried out an online search about blood and how to remove vehicle tracking.

The Crown also says he parked Emma’s car outside her home in Fullarton Street, Kilmarnock after cleaning it to remove evidence and dropped off her dog Maverick.

He is accused of telling Emma’s sister Sarah Faulds, 38, that she drove herself home with her pet on the morning of April 29, last year, the day after the alleged murder.

Willox is charged with murdering Emma at his home or elsewhere by assaulting her in an unknown way on April 28, and attempting to defeat justice.

He is said to have driven her body to Glentrool Forest, dumped it and hid it with “soil, clumps of moss and other vegetation”.

It is further claimed Willox 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, last year.

Willox is also said to have left voicemails on Emma's phone 'pretending that he believed her still to be alive' and he quizzed officers about her whereabouts claiming he was 'worried'.

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

Willox denies all the charges.