A PAINTER recalled trying to save a man's life after he was shot at a house he was decorating.

Derek Griffiths had answered the door to a masked individual wearing a boiler suit who entered before the witness heard "a loud bang".

The 47 year-old had been working at the house in Ardrossan where Paul Cairns had been staying with his fiancé Victoria Woods on May 24 2020.

Mr Griffith found Mr Cairns, 42, with a chest wound before dialling 999.

He was giving evidence at the trial of 43-year-old murder accused James Ferguson.

Jurors also heard today how Ferguson had quizzed Miss Woods' daughter about what had happened and he claimed the "Liverpool ones" were responsible.

Ferguson - also known as Garland Greene - denies the killing.

Mr Griffiths told the High Court in Paisley that he was decorating the kitchen of the property that day while the couple were in bed.

The witness said a man came to the front door.

Prosecutor Alan Cameron asked what was said.

He replied: "The only words he said to me were 'Where's Paul?'"

Mr Cameron asked what his response was.

The witness said: "I replied and said he was upstairs."

Mr Cameron then questioned how the man was dressed and the witness said: "He was in a blue boiler suit that a car mechanic would wear and he had a blue mask over his face.
"I think he had a hooded top but I'm not 100% sure."

Mr Griffiths claimed to have heard Miss Woods say "get out" before hearing a "loud bang."

Jurors previously heard claims Ferguson - Miss Woods' cousin - shot Mr Cairns as the couple lay in bed.

Mr Griffiths meantime stated that he never saw the man again but was confronted by a "hysterical" Miss Woods who told him Mr Cairns had been shot.

Mr Cairns was said to have a chest wound.

Mr Cameron asked what Mr Cairns did to him when he saw him in the bedroom.

He replied: “I went straight downstairs and got my phone and called an ambulance.

“The person on the phone talked me through CPR...in the bedroom on the bed...he wasn’t conscious at all.”

Paramedics found him to be "obviously dead" when they arrived. 

Miss Woods' daughter Demi, 27, later told jurors how she was told of an incident at her mum's house by someone on social media.

The 27-year-old claimed that she received text messages from Ferguson later that day as well as a missed call.

Mr Cameron asked what was the first thing she remembered Ferguson saying.

She replied: "I remember him saying 'What's happening at your mum's?'.

"I think folk had been on the phone.

"I said to him if he knew anything about this and he said 'It must have been Liverpool ones'.
"I did not know anything had happened to Paul at this point."

Demi denied knowing what "Ferguson was talking about" when he referred to the "Liverpool ones."

She stated that she was told to go to a police station later that day to give a statement and didn't answer further calls from Ferguson.

Demi claimed that Ferguson phoned her while she was at the station and an officer took the call.

Mr Cameron asked how she knew it was Ferguson that had phoned her.

She replied: "When I answered, it was his voice on the phone."

The trial continues before judge Lord Arthurson.