Woman jailed for murder of schoolgirl in 1996

A woman has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for the murder of a schoolgirl in West Dunbartonshire almost 30 years ago.

Donna Marie Brand was found guilty of killing of 14-year-old Caroline Glachan, alongside Robert O’Brien and Andrew Kelly, in Renton in August 1996.

The trio were convicted of the murder after a two-week trial in January, but Brand's sentencing was deferred due to illness.

The 44-year-old was given a life sentence at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday.

She will have to serve at least 17 years before she can apply for parole.

O'Brien, 45, was sentenced to at least 22 years in prison, while Kelly, 44, was sentenced to at least 18 years.

Judge Lord Braid said O'Brien - who was 18 at the time and had been in relationship with Caroline - was the "main perpetrator" but Brand and Kelly were responsible on an "art and part" basis.

He described the killing as "brutal, depraved and above all wicked".

In Scots Law, "art and part" refers to the "aiding and abetting" of any crime.

It covers anyone who "aids, abets, counsels, procures or incites any other person to commit an offence," under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

Lord Braid said: "There is no evidence you participated in the assault itself, nonetheless, the jury must have found you planned to inflict murderous violence on Caroline.

"It was inflicted by Mr O'Brien and you must bear the consequences of that.

"The jury must have accepted that you threatened her as you were angry she was seeing Mr O'Brien when you were in a relationship at the time.

"You went there knowing violence was to be inflicted on her."

Lord Braid added: "While I accept that you played no active part in the assault, the fact remains you share equal responsibility by leaving Caroline face down on the river while she was still alive.

"Your culpability is mitigated by your age at the time but the harm done is not."

Caroline’s body was discovered on the banks of the River Leven on 25 August 1996.

During the trial, the jury heard she had been "infatuated" with O'Brien.

On the night of her murder, they had arranged to meet at a bridge over the River Leven at about midnight.

She was later killed in what prosecutors described as a "horrific and violent attack".

Caroline suffered at least 10 blows to the head and extensive skull fractures. The jury was told she may have been alive, but unconscious, when she entered the water.

Her body was found by a passer-by hours later.

A murder investigation was launched, but there was no breakthrough until the case was re-examined by Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team in 2019.

Officers re-interviewed residents of a street in Renton where O'Brien, Kelly and Brand had claimed they spent the night of the murder.

An upstairs neighbour said she had seen four people - including Kelly and his girlfriend, the late Sarah Jane O'Neill - leaving the flat before midnight.

Kelly and O'Neill had been babysitting two boys, and had been joined by O'Brien and his girlfriend, Brand.

They took four-year old Archie Wilson and his baby brother Jamie along with them when they went out.

That discovery enabled officers to corroborate an account given by Archie the day after Caroline was attacked.

Archie had told his mother, Betty, that he had been at the river and that had seen fighting and Caroline falling into the water.

Lord Braid paid tribute to Caroline in his sentencing statement, telling Brand she had "deprived her of the life she loved".

He said: "A daughter has been taken away from her mother and she spoke eloquently about the lasting pain Caroline's death has caused.

"The void left in her life cannot be filled and the incalculable deep loss and sadness will always be there."

Caroline’s father, William, and her mother, Margaret McKeich were in court for the hearing.

Mrs McKeich said the sentencing was “justice” for her daughter, but would not bring the family closure.

Speaking outside the court, she said: “It’s like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

“You don’t get closure. Closure is a void that will never be filled.

“It brings it to an end as far as court proceedings and sentencing.

“But for me and her dad, we’re serving a sentence as well, only ours doesn’t come to an end, only we don’t get parole.”