A woman who went undercover with detectives after her fiancé confessed to killing a cyclist has told Sky News she fears he will hunt her down one day.
Caroline Muirhead single-handedly helped solve the mystery surrounding Tony Parsons who vanished near Bridge of Orchy in Argyll and Bute during a 103-mile solo trek through the Scottish Highlands in September 2017.
After three years of frantic police searches, involving mountain rescue teams, the investigation came to nothing.
In an exclusive broadcast interview, the 32-year-old doctor told Sky News she went to police in November 2020 after her then partner Alexander McKeller drunkenly confessed to mowing down and killing the cancer survivor.
Caroline has shared a video with Sky News of the pair together in a car moments before the truth came out.
She describes seeing a police car passing and Alexander flinching with nerves.
She said: “The whole dynamic in the car felt awkward. I pulled over… and asked what was wrong. He told me to give him my phone and keys.”
Caroline recalled that she thought to herself: “You’re in the middle of nowhere. You’re in danger here.”
Image: Victim Tony Parsons
She said he then blurted out: “It was an accident. We killed a man a few years ago. This guy’s on the estate. You jog past him most days.”
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Alexander (also known as Sandy) and his twin brother Robert McKeller, who was a passenger in the car, failed to call 999 before concealing Tony’s remains in nearby farmland used for disposing of dead animals.
In the aftermath of the confession, Alexander led Caroline to the burial site where she dropped a Red Bull can as a marker.
“He literally just lights a cigarette and taps around and goes ‘here’. I just threw this Red Bull can over my right shoulder. I went back to pick it up after Sandy accused me of littering.
“It was frosty. I crunched the can into the ground because…there’s no other way you’d ever know where that man was.”
Muirhead, who is a pathologist, became the prosecution’s key witness but now alleges detectives forced her to continue spying on the twins for nine months to help build as strong a case as possible.
The 32-year-old alleges officers in the Bridge of Orchy area leaked key evidence revealing the vital part she was secretly playing in the criminal inquiry.
She claims there was a moment in the local pub where her cover was blown: “And the guy behind the bar goes….’do you want a Red Bull sugar free like the gravesite’.
“Then people started spitting at me. I walked into the pub and everyone went silent. The woman told me I was not welcome.”
Criticising Police Scotland’s handling of her evidence, Caroline said: “I have not just been manipulated by being lied to. I’ve been violated. I’ve been abused and taken advantage of.
“I literally gave them as much as I could above and beyond. They never saw me as a human. They terrorised me. They intimidated me. They took me out of my job. Here I am, I’ve lost my job. I’ve lost my possessions. My family are terrified.”
Image: Caroline Muirhead and Alexander McKeller when they were together
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on these assertions as criminal proceedings have not concluded.
“There are a number of outstanding complaints which will be progressed at the conclusion of all criminal proceedings.”
Caroline told Sky News she has been offered 24 hour security cameras at the Glasgow home she shares with her parents amid concerns for her welfare.
She agrees “100%” that one day Sandy could harm her upon his release from prison.
Image: The Red Bull can used to mark the grave of Tony Parsons. Pic: Crown Office
“You’re telling me that man is not going to come knock on my door when he gets out.”
Ms Muirhead is now demanding greater support and protection for witnesses in High Court trials.
Sky News understands she has met lawyers and is exploring the option of taking legal action against criminal justice authorities in Scotland.
Tony Parsons’ family described him as “a much-loved husband, dad and grandad”.
Image: An aerial view of the Auch Estate where Mr Parsons was buried. Pic: Crown Office
In a previous statement they said: “When he said goodbye and set off on his charity cycle from Fort William that Friday, none of us expected it to be the last time we would be able to see or speak to him.
“As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family.”
Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final tour of Birmingham – with his family experiencing the love of thousands of fans who turned out to see the heavy metal star come home.
“We love you, Ozzy!” came the shouts from the crowd as his cortege stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city, a site that has become a shrine to the performer since his death at 76 last week.
His family and loved ones, including his wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Jack, Kelly and Aimee, spent several minutes taking in all the flowers, messages and other tributes left in an outpouring of love from fans.
Image: Jack, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne laid flowers. Pic: PA
Sharon was in tears as she took it all in. Supported by her children, she gave a peace sign to the crowd before returning to the procession vehicles.
Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper, tied with a purple ribbon – the traditional Black Sabbath colours. The flowers bearing his name in the hearse were also purple.
Before reaching the city centre, the cortege had travelled past Ozzy’s childhood home in Aston. Just a few weeks ago, he was on stage at Villa Park performing his final gig alongside many of the musicians his music had inspired, from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Yungblud.
Image: Tributes to Ozzy can be seen all over Birmingham. Pic: Reuters
On a hugely emotional day, his presence could be felt throughout the city, with the star’s music playing in pubs and posters paying tribute: “Birmingham will always love you.”
For fans, this was a chance to say not just goodbye, but also thank you to a star who never forgot where he came from. His remarkable achievements from humble beginnings and continued love for his hometown, even when he lived thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, meant that for many, the loss feels incredibly personal.
Image: The Black Sabbath Bridge has become a shrine in recent days. Pic: Reuters
‘The Prince of Laughter – not Darkness’
Graham Wright, a roadie who worked with Black Sabbath in the 1970s and beyond, up to the Back To The Beginning reunion gig at Villa Park, told Sky News he would remember Ozzy not by his traditional nickname, the Prince of Darkness – but as the Prince of Laughter instead.
“It was a shock he left us so soon after [the show],” he said. “The show was tough for him but he was determined to say goodbye to his fans, that was the main thing. It was important for all four of [Black Sabbath] to get back together and do a farewell.
“The tears will be flowing today to see the Ozz man – the Prince of Laughter, not Darkness. He really was. We’ll all miss him.”
Image: Pic: Reuters
‘My mum used to say he was a lovely boy’
Chris Mason, general manager of The Brasshouse pub, which is next to Black Sabbath Bridge, said music by the band and Ozzy’s solo material had been played pretty much “on loop” since his death.
“I’m a metal fan and Ozzy being the godfather of the scene – if not for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, we wouldn’t have heavy metal,” he said. “This is what Birmingham is about, bringing people together, and Ozzy and Black Sabbath did that.
“He was Mr Birmingham and his family have brought him back.”
Mohabbat Ali, who used to live on the same street as Ozzy’s childhood home, said the property had become one of the focal points for tributes in the city.
Describing what it was like living near him, he said: “He played guitars, very loud at night sometimes, but my mum used to say he was a lovely boy.”
From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal
The sea of black was always a given – but this wasn’t about respecting funeral traditions. Ozzy himself had previously said he wanted his send-off, when it came, to be a celebration and not a “mope-fest”.
This was his final tour in the city that meant so much to him.
For fans, he meant so much to them.
For his family, the emotion was raw.
Sharon, his soulmate, has spent her life and career organising his shows, and it was clear how hard this day was for her.
After they left, fans flooded the streets to lay flowers.
Not since David Bowie has an artist’s death prompted such an outpouring of emotion. From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal – one of the most notorious figures in rock, but a man who remained as Brummie as can be.
‘A true legend who never forgot his roots’
Birmingham’s lord mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, also attended the procession and spoke of the city’s pride in Ozzy.
“What a great honour for us to have him here one last time,” he said. “The love for Ozzy – well, you can feel it in the air.”
The star put both Aston and Birmingham on the map, he said, and always took the time to get to know people.
Mr Iqbal said Ozzy sent him a letter after reading on the mayor’s website biography how he had struggled with dyslexia at school – something the star identified with.
“I’ve got the letter in a frame and it’s in my office… he was just a natural human being, down to earth. You wouldn’t have known he was a rock star – but he was a true legend, who never forgot his roots.”
The population of England and Wales has grown by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024 – the second-largest increase in over 75 years.
The change was largely fuelled by international migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – accounting for only a small proportion.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up from 61.1 million the year before.
It is the second-largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began.
And it is behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
Nigel Henretty of the ONS said the population of the two countries has increased each year since mid-1982, but said the rate of population increases has been higher in recent years.
“Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century,” he said.
Net international migration – the difference between people moving to the country and leaving – accounted for 690,147 of the estimated population increase of 706,881 people, or 98% of the total.
There were slightly more births than deaths in the most recent year, which added 29,982 to the population.
There was also a net decrease in internal migration – the number of people moving from England and Wales to elsewhere in the UK.