Pacteau pleads guilty to murder of Karen Buckley

From RTE News

A 21-year-old Glasgow man has pleaded guilty to the murder of Irish student Karen Buckley in Scotland earlier this year.

It has been requested that we reopen the previous thread on this subject, however we think a new thread would be more appropriate.

Please play nice, and keep in mind that Karen's family and friends may read this thread.

Thank you.

smash

Good. Hope the scumbag doesn't get out.

Menas

So, Pacteau has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced for her murder.
Seems he killed her in his car after taking offence about something she said. Still not clear why she went with him to his car. He then dumped her bag in the bin and took her body home.
Two days later he moved the body to that farm to try to dispose of her remains. How he did that is not for the faint hearted...

I hope her family can find some peace now… and he never does.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33859134

Rosie Gardens

Good. Her poor family and friends have suffered far too much already without a 'not guilty' plea.

purplecow1977

How long is the mandatory life sentence? At least he pleaded guilty so her family don't have to endure the horrors of a full trial
Eerie looking man. What came over him? I watched a clip of him going to the hardware to buy the causic soda. He looked as cool as a cucumber. Reading the details of what he did is very chilling. I wish people like him did not exist.

Aidric

He used his mobile phone to look up the properties of a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda.
He then bought quantities of the chemical from B&Q and Poundstretcher along with masks and gloves.

That's grim stuff for the family to have to hear.

Miaireland

My heart goes out to her friends and family. I am pleased that he pleaded gulity and has spared her family the added trauma of a trial and possibly appeals etc.

VisibleGorilla

Very sad reading about it.

- Why did she get in his car?
- Did he plan to murder someone that night?
- Why caused him to attack her?

He has issues, he was previously found not guilty of rape. Dangerous man.

Meglamonia

Sickening reading the details from the court hearing today.

Impossible for me to understand how a person is capable of such actions.

Also, the cctv footage of him in the hardware store appearing calm as if nothing happened is chilling.

What a horrible bastard.

The Backwards Man

purplecow1977 wrote: »

How long is the mandatory life sentence? At least he pleaded guilty so her family don't have to endure the horrors of a full trial
Eerie looking man. What came over him? I watched a clip of him going to the hardware to buy the causic soda. He looked as cool as a cucumber. Reading the details of what he did is very chilling. I wish people like him did not exist.

I don't think there is a mandatory term in Scotland, it's up to the judge.

riffmongous

Such a sad case for the family.

If his story his true and he reacted to a 'trivial remark' he shouldnt be let out into society again. Actually scratch that he shouldnt be let out full stop

Generally I have a very thick skin and I find it very hard to sympathize with people. This story was one of the ones that made me sad to my very bone... RIP poor girl.

wilhelm roentgen

Pure evil, I hope every day is a living hell for this b@stard and that life means life.

conorh91

Very touching address by the Buckley family on the BBC News website

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-33859134

padd b1975

[Deleted User] wrote: »

From RTE News



It has been requested that we reopen the previous thread on this subject, however we think a new thread would be more appropriate.

Please play nice, and keep in mind that Karen's family and friends may read this thread.

Thank you.

Does the policy of not allowing the discussion of court cases until after sentencing no longer apply?

whiskeyman

Fantastic work by the police force to put the pieces together to catch him and find the body.
It was the only solace the family could have.

I'm surprised he pleaded guilty.

padd b1975

padd b1975 wrote: »

Does the policy of not allowing the discussion of court cases until after sentencing no longer apply?

This is not an Irish court case, so those rules do not apply.

Is there a chance of him getting life and life actually meaning in jail until he dies?

hatrickpatrick

This case is fascinating to me because of how the police handled it - interviewing him and searching his apartment while insisting that he wasn't a suspect and that in fact he was being incredibly nice and helpful about the whole thing, when clearly they suspected him from the get go.

I wondered at the time how they managed to connect him with that farm they searched - at the time, they simply said that the farmer had reported hearing suspicious noises from his yard early in the morning. From this, they already had far more leads than they let on at the time.

Fair play to them for an amazingly efficient investigation.

SEPT 23 1989

Deleted User wrote: »

Is there a chance of him getting life and life actually meaning in jail until he dies?

No

A Dub in Glasgo

Evil git, he will get his comeuppance

I have seen a timeline on a Celtic forum and it makes very grim reading

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

I wondered at the time how they managed to connect him with that farm they searched - at the time, they simply said that the farmer had reported hearing suspicious noises from his yard early in the morning. From this, they already had far more leads than they let on at the time.

Fair play to them for an amazingly efficient investigation.

Extract from a timeline I have seen

Wednesday April 15

1.55pm Police are now treating Pacteau as a suspect and arrest him in Starbucks on Nelson Mandela Place.

3pm A member of the public calls police and tells them about Pacteau’s connections with High Craigton Farm. The farm is searched and Pacteau’s storage unit is found.

8pm Fire crews arrive at the farm and remove the corrosive liquid, revealing Ms Buckley’s body in the barrel.

SEPT 23 1989

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No

:mad: I know jail is for rehabilitation and not punishment in theory but This is one of the cases where he should just be locked up and never be left out in society again. Someone like that can never be an upstanding member of society.

seamus

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

Very sad reading about it.

- Why did she get in his car?
- Did he plan to murder someone that night?
- Why caused him to attack her?

He has issues, he was previously found not guilty of rape. Dangerous man.

I believe the speculation at the time was that she had probably been drugged. Which seems likely given that she apparently left the nightclub in a hurry without her friends or her jacket, with a man that she had not been seen with previously that night.
Her family no doubt have more details that will never be revealed, so I hope those details at least answer whatever outstanding questions they have.

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Evil git, he will get his comeuppance

I have seen a timeline on a Celtic forum and it makes very grim reading

Interesting to see how readily those around Pacteau gave up information about him. Clearly not at all any kind of habitual wiley criminal, just a psycho who probably already gave housemates and acquaintances a very creepy vibe.
Probably the kind of guy that when his name appeared in connection with this, it made sense for a lot of people.

I guess if there's any solace to be taken from this, he was such a complete idiot that he was able to be caught before he could kill or hurt someone else.

mikeym

padd b1975 wrote: »

Does the policy of not allowing the discussion of court cases until after sentencing no longer apply?

Were not in Scotland.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I looked up Scottish life sentences for Murder, average time served is just over 15 years (18 in Ireland). For pleading guilty he could end up serving less than the average.

A Dub in Glasgo

seamus wrote: »

Interesting to see how readily those around Pacteau gave up information about him. Clearly not at all any kind of habitual wiley criminal, just a psycho who probably already gave housemates and acquaintances a very creepy vibe.
Probably the kind of guy that when his name appeared in connection with this, it made sense for a lot of people.

Pacteau was cleared of sexual assault and attempting to rape a young woman he met in the same area a few years before

A Dub in Glasgo

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I looked up Scottish life sentences for Murder, average time served is just over 15 years (18 in Ireland). For pleading guilty he could end up serving less than the average.

I think he will be sentenced to a minimum of 20 years before parole

whiskeyman wrote: »

I'm surprised he pleaded guilty.

Overwhelming evidence against him

Menas

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Is there a chance of him getting life and life actually meaning in jail until he dies?

Yes, they have a minimum tariff in Scotland from what I know.

Starokan

Kudos to the Scottish police investigating this, it looks like top class work. He could have easily stuck with his lies of her going back to the flat willingly and made it very difficult to the family to ever fully know the truth.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Her dad was so brave reading that statement. Poor family, having to hear that today. At least they're spared a trial

Jayop

Not sure why people are asking why she got in his car. There's hundreds of reasons and all of them reasonable. Everyone of us has got a lift from someone or hooked up with a stranger in a bar/club.

As for the guilty plea, I'm delighted for her family not to have to go though the trauma and indignity of a trial and all the media circus that would inevitably follow that. You would imagine given the nature of the crime he'll get the most severe sentence possible and will spend a long long time locked up for this.

I think this case really effected everyone who heard about it so much.

A Dub in Glasgo

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1326374-timeline-alexander-pacteau-spent-two-days-trying-to-cover-up-murder/

NachoBusiness

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I don't think there is a mandatory term in Scotland, it's up to the judge.

Certainly being reported that there is.

Pacteau faces a mandatory life sentence when he returns to court for sentencing.

RhubarbCrumble

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Her dad was so brave reading that statement.

Absolutely. He came across as such an amazing man there. RIP Karen.

Dolbert

Police seem to think he intended to attack a woman that night and that Karen encountered him completely by chance. Looks like he might have offered her a lift as he initially drove in the direction of her apartment. She probably died within 20 minutes of meeting him, what a dangerous evil bastard. The whole thing is so utterly tragic.

Meglamonia

I don't get it, how ****ed up can you be, going out with the mindset of attacking a woman?

Jesus Christ

A Dub in Glasgo

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Certainly being reported that there is.

Doesn't mean life

I know he will be kept away from general population but so was Ian Huntly and the other criminals also got to him. He won't have a nice time in prison with what he is going to prison for.

micar

I read what he did to her body.....horrific stuff.The poor thing.

So sad that the family were not able to see her before the funeral.

At least he pleaded guilty. He'll rot in hell.

NachoBusiness

If you were one of the members of the jury that found him not guilty of attempted rape a few years back, I'd say you'd have to feel sick. Not saying they should do, but would be only human nature to question that decision given what he went on to do.

NachoBusiness

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Doesn't mean life..

I never said it did.

I was responding to user that said they didn't think there was a mandatory term in Scotland and that it was up to the judge.

Jayop

NachoBusiness wrote: »

If you were one of the members of the jury that found him not guilty of attempted rape a few years back, I'd say you'd have to feel sick. Not saying they should do, but would be only human nature to question that decision given what he went on to do.

If the evidence wasn't there for that crime then they couldn't really do anything else. It's just such a pity that if he was guilty of that, which lets face it he most likely was, that they couldn't have put together a stronger case.

frostyjacks

The guilty plea shouldn't outweigh his efforts to destroy her remains and the lies he told police. He put that family through hell, I hope the judge shows him no mercy.

beks101

NachoBusiness wrote: »

If you were one of the members of the jury that found him not guilty of attempted rape a few years back, I'd say you'd have to feel sick. Not saying they should do, but would be only human nature to question that decision given what he went on to do.

How do you legislate for such an animal though?

I remember it was a similar case with Jill Meagher's killer in Melbourne, he was a repeat offender who had pleaded guilty to several counts of rape and was still out and about on the streets. A ticking time bomb.

Everything about this case is just so helpless, that poor woman was doomed from the word go. I can think of no greater hell than living with the knowledge of your daughter/sister's final moments for the rest of your days. That poor family.

padd b1975

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Her dad was so brave reading that statement. Poor family, having to hear that today. At least they're spared a trial

Unfortunately they won't be spared every other crime hack in the country cashing in by rushing some ghoulish book to print.

Yeah, I mean you Paul Williams.

Jayop

beks101 wrote: »

How do you legislate for such an animal though?

I remember it was a similar case with Jill Meagher's killer in Melbourne, he was a repeat offender who had pleaded guilty to several counts of rape and was still out and about on the streets. A ticking time bomb.

Everything about this case is just so helpless, that poor woman was doomed from the word go. I can think of no greater hell than living with the knowledge of your daughter/sister's final moments for the rest of your days. That poor family.

Aren't most of those who commit sexual crimes repeat offenders?

The punishment and conviction rates need to both go way up.

purplecow1977

Jayop wrote: »

Aren't most of those who commit sexual crimes repeat offenders?

The punishment and conviction rates need to both go way up.

Yeah and I was just reading up on Ian Huntley after someone mentioned him here. He had had previous 'encounters' with underage girls & accusations of sexual assaults etc. Why are these things not taken more seriously?

Jayop

purplecow1977 wrote: »

Yeah and I was just reading up on Ian Huntley after someone mentioned him here. He had had previous 'encounters' with underage girls & accusations of sexual assaults etc. Why are these things not taken more seriously?

You would say because of the time they happened, but things don't seem to have improved much.

LuckyLloyd

Seems like the speed of the police identifying him via CCTV was key to securing a relatively swift unconditional guilty plea. Horrible experience for her family and friends, hopefully this aids in the grieving process.

FouxDaFaFa

NachoBusiness wrote: »

If you were one of the members of the jury that found him not guilty of attempted rape a few years back, I'd say you'd have to feel sick. Not saying they should do, but would be only human nature to question that decision given what he went on to do.

Even if they personally thought he was guilty, it's very very difficult to secure enough evidence for a rape conviction. If it even makes it to trial in the first place.

beks101 wrote: »

How do you legislate for such an animal though?

I remember it was a similar case with Jill Meagher's killer in Melbourne, he was a repeat offender who had pleaded guilty to several counts of rape and was still out and about on the streets. A ticking time bomb.

Yup. And the Manuela Riedo case in Galway. The man who killed her had previous serious assault convictions, was involved in a manslaughter case and had raped another foreign student a few weeks before he killed Manuela.

I'm pretty concerned that even though Pacteau has admitted guilt and there is little doubt that he killed Karen, his young age means that he could get out of prison as an adult capable of re-offending. Even if he gets 30 years, he would only be in his early 50s when released. It's a frightening thought.

NotYourYear20

NachoBusiness wrote: »

If you were one of the members of the jury that found him not guilty of attempted rape a few years back, I'd say you'd have to feel sick. Not saying they should do, but would be only human nature to question that decision given what he went on to do.

Yes but even if that jury had of convicted him, it is very likely the sick scumbag would have still killed once he was released.