Caroline Glachan: Three guilty of murdering girl found dead in river 27 years ago
Robert O’Brien, 45, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand, both 44, have been found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow
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Two men and a woman have been found guilty of murdering a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in a river in Scotland 27 years ago.
Robert O’Brien, 45, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand, both 44, were all convicted at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday over the death of Caroline Glachan.
Judge Lord Braid condemned the actions of the trio as he remanded them into custody at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday afternoon following their convictions.
Ms Glachan’s family could be heard sobbing in court as the verdicts were delivered.
Speaking outside the court Margaret McKeich, the victim’s mother, said: “This is a day we never thought would happen. I would like to say a big thank you to detective inspector Stuart Grainger and all of the police who worked on the case over the years.
“I just don’t know what to say. This has been a great day. I can’t sum up how I feel. It will not bring her back, but at least we know who was responsible is serving time because for the last 25 years, they’ve had their Christmases and birthdays, but my Caroline has been in the ground.”
Ms Glachan’s body was discovered on the banks of the River Leven in Renton, about 28 miles northwest of Glasgow, on 25 August 1996.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC told the court after the trio had been convicted: “Obviously this is a case of some age. The sense of the loss of Caroline Glachan...has been immeasurable and has not diminished over the years.”
The trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard 10 days of evidence from various witnesses including friends and family of Ms Glachan, who was a pupil at Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton.
Prosecutors said the three accused - all teenagers when they carried out the murder - arranged to meet Ms Glachan at a bridge near a towpath beside the river between Renton and Bonhill.
They then assaulted the 14-year-old, shouted and swore at her and repeatedly kicked and punched her on the head and body.
The trio threw bricks or “similar instruments” causing blunt force injuries to her head and body, before pushing or causing her to fall into the river, and ultimately murdering her.
Ms Glachan’s mother Margaret McKeich and the teenager’s best friend Joanne Menzies gave evidence during the trial.
Forensic pathologist Dr Marjorie Turner said Ms Glachan’s cause of death was drowning, although she had sustained “significant blows” to her head which rendered her unconscious before she entered the river.
She told the court: “She was still alive when she went into the water. The drowning was the ultimate cause of death.”
The jury retired to begin its deliberations on Tuesday and returned unanimous guilty verdicts for all three on Thursday afternoon.
During the trial, the court heard from Ms Glachan’s mother Margaret McKeich, who said her daughter was "infatuated" with her boyfriend O’Brien, who then went on to murder her.
Ms McKeich said her daughter had previously disclosed O’Brien had "lifted his hands to her".
Ms McKeich said she did not approve of her daughter’s relationship with O’Brien, known as Robbie, as he was a few years older than her.
Her daughter’s body was discovered on the day of Ms McKeich’s 40th birthday.
Upon returning from celebrations in the early hours of the morning, Ms McKeich realised her daughter was not at home.
She received the news that her body had been found the following day, on 25 August.
Later in the trial, Ms Glachan’s childhood friend Joanne Menzies, 42, told the court O’Brien had threatened to kill Ms Glachan for "kissing another boy", and that she had seen O’Brien bully the schoolgirl on more than one occasion.
Dr Marjorie Turner, a forensic pathologist, told the court Ms Glachan’s ultimate cause of death was drowning.
She told the trial: "She was still alive when she went into the water. The drowning was the ultimate cause of death."
Charges of assault against O’Brien were dropped during the trial.
Jurors also heard Brand "threatened to batter" Ms Glachan after she found out O’Brien was seeing both of them at the same time and Brand was "unhappy".
The court heard three people said George Graham, who is now dead, confessed to being responsible for the 14-year-old’s murder.
Witnesses including his then girlfriend Jean McIntyre, who is now dead; his cousin, Margaret Connolly, who was 16 at the time, and Mary Rose Connolly, who is also now dead, gave statements to the police, telling them Graham had confessed to murdering Ms Glachan.
O’Brien, Kelly and Brand will be sentenced on 15 January at the High Court in Glasgow.
The trio had denied the charge and had lodged a special defence of alibi.
When they were led down to the cells, a relative of Brand shouted: “I will fight to my last breath to get you out.”