Man jailed over death of Annie Temple in Kinglassie

A doctor's son who murdered one of his late father's elderly patients has been jailed for at least 20 years.

Sandeep Patel, 38, suffocated 97-year-old Annie Temple at her home in Kinglassie, Fife, on 25 October 2019. The gambler had earlier preyed on Ms Temple for her money.

The medical researcher was convicted in June of murder following a trial.

He was given a life sentence at the High Court in Glasgow and must serve 20 years before applying for parole.

Judge Michael O'Grady said he had not detected "a flicker of remorse, regret or hint of humanity" from Patel.

He added: "The least Annie Temple could have expected was a dignified and peaceful passing.

"But, you robbed her of that. In its place, you inflicted on her a death filled with confusion, pain and terror."

Former insurance worker Ms Temple - known as Nan - lived alone at her home in Kinglassie.

Jurors heard how the pensioner was found was dead in her bed and police did not initially treat the death as suspicious.

Prosecutors said Ms Temple had been killed with blunt force trauma inflicted on her head and body.

She was also said to have had her airways "obstructed and constricted" by means unknown.

Patel, who lived with his mother in Cardenden, Fife, was charged with murder on 15 November 2019.

Ms Temple's friend Wendy Bradbury told the trial how the OAP "did not trust" Patel.

The witness said: "She had money gone missing from her sideboard. She believed the money had been taken by Mr Patel."

The murder and fraud probe revealed Patel was a self confessed "problem gambler".

He had bet more than £109,000 between 2016 and 2020, winning just around a quarter of that back.

Patel cashed a number of cheques - totalling £1,500 - in Ms Temple's name the week before her death.

He had then tried to take a further £1,250 two days before the murder - but suspicious staff at the pensioner's bank blocked the payment.

Ms Temple said she did not even know she had a cheque book.