Driver who killed cyclist Tony Parsons then buried body is jailed

A drink-driver who killed a charity cyclist then hid his body in a shallow grave on a remote Scottish estate has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Alexander McKellar, 31, was speeding when he hit 63-year-old Tony Parsons, then left him to die on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy in September 2017.

McKellar and his twin brother Robert later hid Mr Parsons' body. His remains were not found for three years.

Robert McKellar was jailed for five years and three months.

Alexander McKellar admitted culpable homicide, while both brothers pled guilty to defeating the ends of justice.

Judge Lord Armstrong said the brothers had caused Mr Parsons' family "devastating loss and emotional ongoing harm".

He added: "I suspect no sentence will ever be regarded as sufficient."

Mr Parsons' body was buried in a shallow grave on the Auch Estate, near Bridge of Orchy in the southern Highlands, in September 2017.

It was not found until Alexander McKellar confided in his girlfriend and showed her the grave.

Mr Parsons, a grandfather from Tillicoultry, in Clackmannanshire, had gone missing during a 104-mile (167km) charity bike ride from Fort William back to his home town.

He had previously been treated for prostate cancer and wanted to do the ride to raise money for charity to "give something back."

Police knew he passed through Glencoe Village at about 18:00 before going on to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel in Argyll.

The last known sighting of him was at the hotel at 23:30 that night, and he headed south on the A82 in the direction of Tyndrum.

Appeals about his whereabouts drew a blank. His disappearance was a complete mystery.

Extensive searches were made for the former navy officer over the following years, involving local mountain rescue teams, volunteers, Police Scotland dogs and the force's air support unit.

There were numerous police appeals and the release of CCTV showing some of the last known sightings of him. The case also featured on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

Then in January 2021 police confirmed that his body had been found and that two men, both aged 29, had been arrested.

After the McKellar twins' guilty pleas last month, the court heard that on the day of the incident they had dinner and had been drinking with a shooting party at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel.

As Alexander McKellar drove home to the Auch Estate, where the brothers were self-employed farm workers, he hit Mr Parsons. He did not seek any medical assistance.

The court heard that the cyclist's injuries were so bad that he would only have survived for 20 or 30 minutes without help but it was unlikely that he had died instantly.

The twins left the area and came back to the site in another car before transporting Mr Parson's body to the Auch Estate, where they buried him.

His body remained undiscovered for three years until 2020 when Alexander McKellar led his former girlfriend to the shallow grave.

She left a Red Bull can to mark the location before contacting police.

The court heard that Mr Parsons' body would probably never have been found without her revelation.

During the police dig investigators initially discovered a segment of red material, which matched the jacket Mr Parsons had been wearing.

His body was gradually exposed over the course of two days before being carefully recovered.

Mr Parsons was found to have suffered "catastrophic" rib, pelvic and spine fractures following the collision.

The rib injuries were considered to be "the most immediate cause of death" due the effect it would have had on his breathing. He may also have suffered a collapsed lung.

Brian McConnachie KC, the defence lawyer for Alexander McKellar, told the court that his client wanted to apologise for the trauma that he had caused to Mr Parsons' relatives.

He added: "He is not an evil man. He acknowledges that he has done a terrible thing which has caused untold distress to the Parsons family.

"He would do anything he could to alter the decision he took in September 2017, but he cannot rewind the clock."

John Scullion KC, defending Robert McKellar, said he had "misplaced loyalty" towards his brother in trying to cover up the death.

Mr Scullion said: "He bitterly regrets his callous and cowardly actions."

The McKellars showed no emotion as they were taken handcuffed to the cells.

A police watchdog is currently looking into Police Scotland's handling of the investigation.

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (Pirc) is investigating "allegations of criminality" after a complaint against the police by Mr McKellar's former girlfriend.

She had been due to appear as a key witness in the case but did not turn up to court.

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