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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Karen Buckley murder: Man admits killing Irish student in Glasgow | Karen Buckley murder: Man admits killing Irish student in Glasgow |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man has admitted murdering Irish student Karen Buckley, whose body was found on a farm four days after she went missing from a Glasgow nightclub. | A man has admitted murdering Irish student Karen Buckley, whose body was found on a farm four days after she went missing from a Glasgow nightclub. |
| Alexander Pacteau, 21, admitted repeatedly hitting Ms Buckley with a spanner and strangling her in his car. | Alexander Pacteau, 21, admitted repeatedly hitting Ms Buckley with a spanner and strangling her in his car. |
| At the High Court in Glasgow, sentence on Pacteau, from Glasgow, was deferred. He faces a mandatory life term. | At the High Court in Glasgow, sentence on Pacteau, from Glasgow, was deferred. He faces a mandatory life term. |
| Ms Buckley, 24, from Cork, disappeared on 12 April. Her body was found at a farm near Milngavie. | Ms Buckley, 24, from Cork, disappeared on 12 April. Her body was found at a farm near Milngavie. |
| The court heard how Pacteau had met Ms Buckley outside the Sanctuary nightclub in the early hours of Sunday 12 April and drove with her in his car to nearby Kelvin Way. | The court heard how Pacteau had met Ms Buckley outside the Sanctuary nightclub in the early hours of Sunday 12 April and drove with her in his car to nearby Kelvin Way. |
| Spanner attack | Spanner attack |
| The car was parked on the street for 12 minutes, during which time Pacteau attacked and murdered her by grabbing her neck and delivering 12 or 13 blows with the spanner. | The car was parked on the street for 12 minutes, during which time Pacteau attacked and murdered her by grabbing her neck and delivering 12 or 13 blows with the spanner. |
| The court was told Ms Buckley suffered some injuries to her arm as she tried to defend herself. | The court was told Ms Buckley suffered some injuries to her arm as she tried to defend herself. |
| Pacteau's silver Ford Focus was seen on CCTV leaving the area and heading towards Dawsholm Park, where the following morning a member of the public found Ms Buckley's handbag near a bin. | Pacteau's silver Ford Focus was seen on CCTV leaving the area and heading towards Dawsholm Park, where the following morning a member of the public found Ms Buckley's handbag near a bin. |
| Four days after she was reported missing, the student's body was found at High Craigton Farm, near Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire. | Four days after she was reported missing, the student's body was found at High Craigton Farm, near Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire. |
| Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, told the court that after murdering Ms Buckley, Pacteau then drove to his flat and took her body inside to his room. | |
| At about 08:00 he used his mobile phone to look up the properties of a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda. | |
| He then locked his bedroom door and travelled to a B&Q store where he bought six litres of the chemical and masks and gloves. | |
| Pacteau also went to a Poundstretcher store near his flat and bought more of the chemical. | |
| Weapon disposal | |
| He texted his flatmate to make sure he was out for the day, then returned to the flat and left Miss Buckley's body in the bath. | |
| Pacteau was found cleaning the hall and stairwell when his flatmate returned home at about 20:00. | |
| By that time he had moved Ms Buckley's body into his locked bedroom again and wrapped her remains in a duvet. | |
| Mr Mulholland told the court how Pacteau left his flat at about 05:00 the following morning and went to a bridge of the nearby Forth and Clyde Canal where he threw the spanner into the water. | |
| He then drove to a supermarket and bought cleaning products and asked a member of staff to recommend a product for removing blood from a mattress. | |
| The court was told that Pacteau then made his first journey to High Craigton Farm, an area familiar to him as he rented a storage unit there during a previous job selling fireworks. He stopped off at a supermarket on the way to buy white spirit and a lighter. | |
| He burned some clothing while there before returning to his flat where he used his mobile phone to call a packaging company and ordered a large blue barrel. | |
| Mr Mulholland said Pacteau collected the barrel and returned to his flat, then placed Ms Buckley's body inside. | |
| He then took the mattress in his car to the farmland where he burned it along with other items before returning to the flat and taking the barrel to his car. | |
| Storage units | |
| He stopped off to buy padlocks at an Asda store then made his way to the farm where he arranged to rent two storage units for a week before moving the barrel into one of the units, covering it with a sheet and placing a bike wheel and paper shredder on top. | |
| Ms Buckley, a qualified nurse, had moved to Scotland in February and was studying occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University. | Ms Buckley, a qualified nurse, had moved to Scotland in February and was studying occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University. |
| A massive police search was launched after she was reported missing by her friends who had last seen her at the Sanctuary club in Glasgow's west end. | A massive police search was launched after she was reported missing by her friends who had last seen her at the Sanctuary club in Glasgow's west end. |
| Ms Buckley had told her friends she was going to the toilet but did not return or take her jacket. | Ms Buckley had told her friends she was going to the toilet but did not return or take her jacket. |
| CCTV images revealed that she had talked to a man - later revealed to be Pacteau - outside the nightclub, before leaving and walking towards Church Street. | CCTV images revealed that she had talked to a man - later revealed to be Pacteau - outside the nightclub, before leaving and walking towards Church Street. |
| Pacteau faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced. | |