STV NewsA man and woman convicted of the murder of Caroline Glachan almost 30 years ago have had a date set for their appeal.
Andrew Kelly, 44, and Donna Marie Brand, also 44, will have their case heard at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh on January 15, 2025.
The pair are appealing their convictions for murdering teenager Caroline in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, in August 1996.
Their legal teams believe the duo, who were given life sentences alongside co-accused Robert O’Brien – were wrongfully convicted of killing Caroline, who was 14 when she died.
An official at the Court of Criminal Appeal confirmed that a judge arranged for the January 2025 hearing to take place at a procedural hearing last month.
The trio were convicted of the murder after a two-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow in January, Brand was told she’d have to serve at least 17 years in custody before she could apply for parole.
Kelly was ordered to serve at least 18 years, whilst O’Brien was told he’d have to serve a minimum of 22 years.
Earlier this year, Judge Lord Braid said O’Brien – who was 18 at the time and had been in a 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
Passing sentence on O’Brien, 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 August 25, 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 ten 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. They gathered enough evidence to arrest the trio and bring them to court.
The appeal court official also confirmed that Brand is appealing against the minimum term she’ll have to serve before becoming eligible for parole.
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