Alexander Pacteau has dropped the appeal against his jail sentence

Karen Buckley’s killer had been planning to appeal his 23 year jail term


Karen Buckley’s murderer has dropped plans to appeal against the severity of his jail sentence.

Alexander Pacteau was given a minimum of 23 years in prison following his conviction for the murder of Irish student Karen Buckley, but had planned to appeal.

21-year old-Pacteau was due to have his appeal heard at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh this week, but the Scottish Courts Service confirmed the case has been dropped.

Karen Buckley, Alexander Pacteau’s victim

The judge who sentenced Pacteau following his murder of 24 year old Karen in April this year expressed her frustration at the time that she could not make his initial sentence more severe.

The CPS did not pursue the additional charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, which Lady Rae described as having “tied her hands” with the jail term she could give.

Pacteau will now serve 23 years before he can be considered for parole, with Karen’s father expressing his wish that “he is never released and spends every day in prison haunted by what he did”.