Man jailed for rape and murder of Jill Barclay in Aberdeen

A man has been jailed for at least 24 years for the rape and murder of a woman as she walked home in Aberdeen.

Mother-of-two Jill Barclay, 47, was attacked and burned alive. Her body was found in a street in the Dyce area of the city in September last year.

Rhys Bennett, 23, admitted the crimes, which a judge described as "wicked and medieval in their barbarity".

Ms Barclay's family said she had been "a deeply loved life partner, mother and daughter".

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Bennett did not know her before the attack.

Prosecutor Lorraine Glancy KC told the court that Ms Barclay was walking home from the Spider's Web pub and that Bennett, from Ballingry in Fife, followed her.

He brutally attacked and raped her in the grounds of an empty property at Farburn Gatehouse.

Bennett then left her badly injured at the scene and returned shortly after in his van. He poured a can of petrol on her and set her alight.

Ms Barclay, who worked for energy services firm Petrofac, was found dead in the street near to the Marriot Hotel, at about 03:30 on 17 September.

The court heard that a dog walker had been nearby at the time of the attack.

Ms Glancy said: "He heard a high pitched scream by a female voice followed by her shouting 'no no no'.

"The scream and shouts came from the direction of the locus. The witness did not make any further investigation and did not contact police at this time.

"Other witnesses who live in a nearby flat also heard female screams and crying."

Ms Glancy said forensic evidence suggested Ms Barclay had been alive when she had later been set on fire.

Bennett also admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice by burning the clothes he wore.

Judge Lord Arthurson said the attack had involved "extreme, sustained and frankly feral violence".

He described Bennett's crimes as "unimaginably wicked and medieval in their barbarity".

"You took away her future and the hopes and dreams of her wider family," he said.

"Their lives will never be the same. I have read the most moving and articulate impact statements prepared by Ms Barclay's partner, her elder child and by her mother and aunt."

Bennett was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC said Bennett had no recollection of the events of the evening in question but wanted to admit his guilt.

"Those who practice in these courts become accustomed to awful cases," Mr McSporran said.

"But I can't think the court has dealt with many cases as awful as this."

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Aberdeen in November after the murder.

They called for action to make city streets safer for women, with more taxis and improved street lighting.

In a tribute at her funeral, her family said: "Jill lived a full and happy life, packing more into her 47 years than some do in an entire lifetime.

"She was struck down in her prime, in an act of unimaginable cruelty.

"It is outrageous that a woman cannot walk home safely at night."

Her partner of 20 years - who did not wish to be named - described her as his "soul mate, the love of his life".

City councillor Sandra Macdonald, a member of the Aberdeen Women's Alliance, helped organise the street safety march after Ms Barclay's death.

She told BBC Scotland: "I think there was a real reckoning within the city. I do hope out of all of that there will come changes so this never happens again.

"I think in general Aberdeen is a very safe city to live in. But there are ways we can improve the infrastructure."

The officer who led the inquiry, Det Supt Andrew Patrick, said he hoped the resolution of the case would bring some comfort to family and friends of Ms Barclay.

"Jill's senseless and brutal murder had a significant impact on the local community in Dyce and throughout the north east," he said.

"Our inquiries, including CCTV analysis, quickly led to Bennett being traced in Fife, where he was arrested and charged later that day.

"This was a particularly harrowing investigation and it deeply affected everyone involved. I am glad that Bennett will now face the consequences of his depraved and wicked actions."