Chilling details reveal ‘truly evil’ killer’s cover-up

Alexander Pacteau, 21, today admitted brutally murdering Karen Buckley and eroding her body in a barrel of acid.

Details from the case reveal an elaborate cover-up attempt by the killer of the 24-year-old Irish trainee nurse.

Devastated father John Buckley told reporters outside the Glasgow High Court: “The last face she saw and the last voice she heard was of that cold-blooded, cowardly murderer.

“Karen was murdered by a cowardly, vicious criminal – he is truly evil. We hope that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

As told by the BBC, in the early hours of Sunday April 12  CCTV images show Pacteau chatting to Karen before both of them get into his silver Ford Focus.

He drove the 24-year-old trainee nurse to Kelvin Way where the car was parked for 12 minutes.

During this period Pacteau murdered his victim, throttling her neck while bludgeoning her with a heavy spanner as many as 13 times.

He dumped her handbag in Dawsholm park then took her body to his flat on Dorchester avenue.

After googling substances on his phone to dissolve her body he went to several stores including B&Q and PoundStretcher the following morning.

Sickening CCTV footage shows him buying litres of caustic soda from PoundStretcher on Crow Road at around 11am.

Karen’s worried friends reported her missing around an hour after this.

Pacteau at PoundStretcher

The killer also bought masks and gloves, then returned to his flat and dumped Karen’s battered body into the bath with more corrosive chemicals.

Foiled by his flatmate coming home, Pacteau wrapped Karen’s body in a duvet and kept her locked in his room.

He used heavy-duty cleaning products to erase evidence of the 24-year-old Irish nurse from his home, even asking shop assistants to recommend the best ones for getting blood out of fabric.

The murderer threw the blood-stained spanner into the Clyde that morning, before driving to High Craigton Farm near Milngavie, where he used to sell fireworks.

He then burned clothes and ordered a big blue barrel from a packaging company.

He later burned his mattress at the farm before taking the barrel, containing Karen’s body, to his car.

After agreeing a deal with the farmer for a storage unit, he filled the barrel with more acid and put a cotton sheet, paper shredder and bicycle wheel on top of the lid.

He got his car valeted on the way back in a vain attempt to erase evidence and even created an ad to put it up for sale.

Cops had identified Pacteau as the last person to see Karen alive by the evening, and when they turned up at his home he said: “I was just coming to see you.”

Officers report being overwhelmed by a strong smell of bleach emanating from the flat.

During a search, police found a Poundstretcher receipt for the chemicals as well as padlock keys for the farm lock-up.

He said he met Karen outside Sanctuary and they both went back to his flat for consensual sex and that she had left around 4am.

In another attempt to cover his tracks and explain any DNA traces he told officers Karen had fallen and injured herself on the bed.

Pacteau admitted burning his mattress and clothes because he was aware he was the last person to see her alive.

Someone who used to work with Pacteau also tipped-off cops about the storage unit at the farm.

This crucial piece of information led police to the farm, and the remains of Karen Buckley.

Pacteau’s defence lawyer said: “He has instructed me to convey on his behalf an apology to Karen Buckley’s family and friends but he understands that such words are unlikely to give any comfort to them.”

He said Pacteau accepted “full responsibility” for his actions but could offer “no rational explanation” why he committed his reprehensible crime.

Judge Lady Rae told Pacteau: “You killed a young woman who was a stranger to you in what appears to be a motiveless, senseless, brutal attack.”

Pacteau will be sentenced on the 8th of September and faces a mandatory life-sentence.