A man has been sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in jail for murdering his new girlfriend at her home in Stirling, just weeks after being released on bail. Christopher McGowan and Claire Inglis had only been together for eight weeks when he was allowed to stay at her flat, where she lived with her young son. The judge described McGowan’s actions as “beyond sadistic” and issued a life sentence, stating that Ms Inglis had endured “nothing short of torture” at the hands of McGowan. The judge also criticized McGowan for showing no remorse or emotion. The family of Ms Inglis, who attended every day of the trial, were in tears as the sentence was read out. The judge expressed his concern for what Ms Inglis’ last moments must have been like, describing the murder as “beyond sadistic.”
Ian and Fiona Inglis, Claire’s parents, expressed their relief that their daughter’s killer had been taken off the streets. They were pleased that the judge saw through McGowan’s lies. Fiona Inglis emphasized that the truth had come out and that McGowan had brutally murdered their daughter. They stated that they would have to live with this for the rest of their lives, and called for an investigation into the decision to allow McGowan to live at their daughter’s home. The family does not believe he should have been granted permission to live there due to his previous convictions.
Christopher McGowan had a criminal record of 40 previous convictions, including three for assault. He murdered Ms Inglis after being released on bail to stay at her housing association flat. Although he had convictions for assault, none of them involved Ms Inglis. He was on five bail orders at the time of her murder.
The court heard that McGowan was granted bail after claiming he wanted to be released following his mother’s death in order to attend her funeral without handcuffs. McGowan claimed that he and Ms Inglis had a positive relationship, and that he would kick his Valium habit and stop drinking. However, after moving into Ms Inglis’ flat, he began pawning her belongings and eventually killed her. The jury took only two hours to convict McGowan of murder. During the trial, he changed his initial claim of self-defense and provided various explanations for the events of the night, from Ms Inglis falling down the stairs to her overdosing on Valium. A taxi driver who had driven McGowan and Ms Inglis the night before the murder reported hearing McGowan say “I’ll kill you” under his breath after Ms Inglis exited the taxi. Ms Inglis sustained 76 injuries during the attack.
The judge expressed his frustration with McGowan’s lack of remorse and refusal to accept responsibility. He referred to McGowan’s apparent remorse expressed to social workers after his conviction as “a self-serving tissue of lies.”
Analysis by David Cowan, Home affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland, suggests that there may have been failings in the system when it allowed McGowan to be released on bail despite his previous convictions and multiple bail orders. Cowan argues that judges make bail decisions based on the information available at the time and take into account the defendant’s past behavior and current circumstances. Given McGowan’s extensive criminal record, it is possible that he should have been held on remand. However, without any prior warning signs, it is difficult to predict such an extreme escalation in a criminal’s behavior. Cowan highlights that the forthcoming Bail and Release (Scotland) Act aims to use remand as a last resort for those who pose a risk of serious harm. Campaigners have expressed concerns over the possibility of dangerous individuals being granted bail, but the Scottish government assures that the Act includes safeguards to prioritize victim safety.
Brutal Murderer of New Girlfriend Receives 23-Year Prison Sentence: Justice Served
