UK - Caroline Glachan, 14, ‘arrests over her murder’ Renton Dumbartonshire,1996

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Three people have been arrested in connection with the death of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan more than 25 years ago.

The body of the 14-year-old was discovered on the banks of the River Leven, near Place of Bonhill in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, on 25 August 1996.

Police said two men, aged 42 and 43, and a 42-year-old woman had been charged in connection with the death.

All three are due to appear before Dumbarton Sheriff Court later.

Det Ch Insp Stuart Grainger, of the major investigations team, said: "I would like to thank the members of the public who have assisted with our investigation and those who have come forward with important information surrounding Caroline's death."

Caroline, from Bonhill, was a pupil at Our Lady and St Patrick's High School in Dumbarton at the time of her death.
 
Thank you for the post on this, I hadn’t seen the news update. I recently saw the Crimewatch episode on YouTube that included the appeal about Caroline, on searching saw sadly that it was still unsolved. This is a very interesting development.
 
Trial date set for November 24th this year (2023), unless it's changed since this article (can't see anything more recent)

(1st Nov 2022)
www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Trio charged with Caroline Glachan murder accused of throwing bricks at her

They have pleaded not guilty to murdering the 14-year-old Bonhill schoolgirl, with a trial to take place in November next year.
www.dailyrecord.co.uk www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Robert O’Brien, 44, Andrew Kelly, 43, and Donna Marie Brand, 43, are accused of murdering the Bonhill teenager on August 25, 1996 in Renton.
[...]
Details of the charge have been revealed for the first time, with prosecutors claiming that on various occasions, between June 1 1996 and August 25 1996, O’Brien [...] assaulted Caroline [...] by punching, slapping her face and by placing his hands around her neck and compressing her throat.

Prosecutors claim that he pushed Caroline [...] against a wall before forcing her arm up her back. It is alleged that he then threatened her with violence.
[...]
It’s alleged that the three accused assaulted Caroline, shouted and swore at her and repeatedly punched and kicked her on the head and body [...] threw bricks or “similar instruments” [...] caused her to fall into undergrowth and rendered her unconscious before pushing her into the river.


([...] denotes my best efforts at bringing the quote down to 10%, luckily there was a lot of article about the trial date or I'd have had no chance of getting near)
 
I'm glad that there's some movement on this case.
A slightly older article below but one with further info on background,

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

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www.pressreader.com www.pressreader.com
 
Bluebear15 said:
I'm glad that there's some movement on this case.
A slightly older article below but one with further info on background,

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial.
www.pressreader.com www.pressreader.com
Click to expand...

Oh wow, yes, that certainly does add context, thank you! From that link: "Caroline had found a new boyfriend, Robbie O'Brien... Her mother disapproved of O'Brien, who was 18" - yes, he'd be 44 at the time of the article I linked above. Poor Caroline, I hope these charges prove correct and justice is finally done for her.
 
Latest on day 2 of the trial:

www.glasgowlive.co.uk

Caroline Glachan murder trial hears schoolgirl suffered 'at least 10 blows to the head'

A murder trial into the death of 14-year-old Caroline Glachan after her body was found in the River Leven in West Dunbartonshire 27 years ago continues in the High Court in Glasgow.
www.glasgowlive.co.uk www.glasgowlive.co.uk

A schoolgirl found dead in a river suffered at least 10 blows to the head and extensive skull fractures, a court heard. A pathologist today told jurors how she examined the body of 14 year-old Caroline Glachan.

The forensic pathologist found the cause of death for Caroline, of Bonhill, also West Dunbartonshire, was head injuries and drowning.
 
https://www.dumbartonreporter.co.uk/news/13954967.crossbow--caged/

This is an old article from around 2007. I assume this is the same Robert O’Brien, the ages match as does the area. Some of his previous convictions prior to this one are listed at the bottom of the page.
 
Seems it was reported at the time:

A four-year-old boy told detectives he witnessed an alleged murder victim being attacked and then saw her "in the water".
The High Court in Glasgow heard Archie Wilson was interviewed by officers investigating the murder of Caroline Glachan...The jury at the High Court in Glasgow was shown video evidence Archie gave to two male police officers in September 1996.

www.bbc.co.uk

Caroline Glachan: Murder trial told boy, 4, saw 'girl in the water'

A jury hears Archie Wilson also told officers Caroline Glachan, 14, was attacked with a stick and a pole.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
I'm a bit confused about the idea of a 4 year old describing a 14 year old as a "wee lassie". I'd have thought that, at the time, she'd have been a "big girl" to him. But I suppose he might have been parroting the words of the older ones. Or maybe he just wanted to sound big himself... It must have been very traumatic for him. He said he "closed his eyes" when she went into the water.
 
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