Christopher McGowan jailed for at least 23 years for the murder of Claire Inglis in Stirling
A man who murdered his girlfriend in what was described as a “beyond sadistic” attack has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years.
Christopher McGowan, 28, violently beat and strangled mother-of-one Claire Inglis.
He also burned the 28-year-old with a lighter and jammed a wet wipe down her throat.
Ms Inglis sustained 76 injuries in the fatal attack, which left her with bleeding inside her skull and extensive injuries to her neck.
McGowan was handed a life sentence with at least 23 years behind bars at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Judge Michael O’Grady said: “To those who have not listened to the evidence in this trial, it is difficult to truly convey the utter brutality of the death you inflicted on Claire Inglis.
“By the time her broken and lifeless body was found, she had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury.
“The fact is, this young woman was not only murdered; she was subjected to nothing short of torture.
“I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like.
“To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic.”
Claire Inglis captured on CCTV before she was murdered by Christopher McGowan. Pic: Crown Office
Ms Inglis died at her home in St Ninians, Stirling, on Sunday 28 November 2021.
McGowan was found guilty last month following a trial at the High Court in Stirling.
He had initially claimed he had been acting in self-defence.
‘He should never have been in flat with my grandson’
McGowan was said to have a “long record of offending”, comprising some 39 previous convictions.
The court heard his relationship with Ms Inglis was “new”.
McGowan had previously been remanded in custody on charges including dangerous driving but was bailed to Ms Inglis’ home address a few weeks before the attack.
Four of the five bail orders in force against McGowan at the time of the murder were granted in little more than two months before the killing.
Speaking after the case, Ms Inglis’ parents criticised the decision to release McGowan to live at their daughter’s home.
Her father Ian said: “He should never ever have been put in her flat with my grandson and Claire – not with the criminal record he had.”
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‘You have shown not a flicker of emotion’
Judge O’Grady noted a background report which said McGowan had accepted full responsibility for the murder and had shown “remorse and regret”.
However, the judge added McGowan had gone to “great lengths” to “minimise and deny” his responsibility for Ms Inglis’ death.
The judge said: “And as for your remorse and regret, I have watched you carefully throughout these proceedings.
“Even in the face of the most graphic and distressing evidence, you have shown not a flicker of emotion, not a hint of distress, not a shadow of remorse.”
The judge said McGowan’s detailed account of the events of that night was a “self-serving tissue of lies and a grotesque distortion of the awful truth”.
He added: “It is that dishonesty which is the true measure of your remorse.
“As for the tears you shed at interview, I have no doubt they were shed for none but yourself.”
Young son ‘bereft and bewildered’ after ‘evil’ crime
The judge said Ms Inglis’ life “ended in pain and terror at the age of 28”.
He said: “I have in particular mind the victim impact statement of her young son who now spends each day lonely, bereft and bewildered, unable to make sense of why he must grow up without his mother.”
Judge O’Grady added: “It is often said in these courts – because it is always true – that no sentence a judge can impose can truly reflect the taking of a life.
“It cannot bring back one who is lost, or change the past, or turn back time.
“All it can do is, in some measure, punish the perpetrator and mark the horror and despair that all right-minded people feel when forced to confront the evil done by such as you.”
Ms Inglis was a mum-of-one. Pic: Crown Office
Following the court case, Moira Orr, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for homicide, said McGowan showed “cruelty and contempt” for Ms Inglis.
Ms Orr added: “As prosecutors, we have worked to deliver justice for Claire.
“The case was carefully investigated by COPFS working with Police Scotland, demonstrating that McGowan had displayed aggressive and controlling behaviour towards Claire prior to her murder.
“By not accepting responsibility for his actions, McGowan made Claire’s family go through the ordeal of a trial. Our prosecution team unpicked his deception, and this has resulted in his conviction for murder.
“Our thoughts are now of Claire, and we offer condolences to everyone who loved her.”
UK
Reward of £20,000 offered to identify parents of three siblings abandoned as babies over eight years
A £20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the identification of the parents of three siblings found abandoned in London over eight years.
The Metropolitan Police said that despite more than 450 hours of CCTV being reviewed, the parents of the three children, known as Elsa, Roman and Harry, remain unidentified.
However, it is believed their mother has lived in an area of east London “over the past six years”.
Elsa was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found by a dog walker on 18 January last year, in East Ham, east London.
In the months that followed it was found that she had two siblings who were also abandoned in similar circumstances, in the same area of London, in 2017 and 2019.
On Saturday, police said the independent group Crimestoppers had offered a £20,000 reward for information passed to the charity, which will expire on 18 April.
Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, of the Met’s child abuse investigation team, said: “We have carried out extensive inquiries over the past year to try and locate Elsa’s parents.
Baby Roman. Pic: Met Police/PA
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“This has involved reviewing over 450 hours of CCTV and completing a full DNA structure of the mother.
“We have serious concerns for the wellbeing of the parents, especially the mother, and are continuing to work closely with Newham Council and appeal for the public’s help for information.
“I believe that someone in the area will have been aware of the mother’s pregnancies and that within the community there may be (or) have been concerns for this mother’s welfare.
“Thanks to the DNA work of forensic colleagues, police will be able to eliminate any unconnected person quickly and easily, as such I would ask you to contact police with confidence.”
The baby was found at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in Newham. Pic: PA
Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag, of which police have also released a new image, and was kept warm by the dog walker. She was uninjured.
Police said at the time that it was “highly likely” that she was born after a “concealed pregnancy”.
The Boots bag in which Baby Elsa was found abandoned by a dog walker in Newham on 18 January 2024. Pic: Met Police/PA
The BBC reported that at an initial court hearing, East London Family Court was told it took doctors three hours to record Elsa’s temperature because of the cold, and the Met Office said that temperatures dropped to as low as -4C on the night she was found.
Hospital staff named her Elsa in a reference to the character from the film Frozen.
The police investigation into the identity of the children’s parents continues, and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref Operation Wolcott.
People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously at any time on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers-uk.org.
Fresh appeals have been made for information on what would have been the 20th birthday of Ellis Cox, who was shot dead in Liverpool last June.
A number of people have been arrested in connection with the murder at Liver Industrial Estate, but no one has been charged yet.
The 19-year-old’s family and police have paid tribute to him and called for those with information to come forward.
He was shot in the back after a confrontation between his friends and another group of up to three males on Sunday 23 June.
Ellis Cox who was shot dead in June 2024. Pic: Merseyside Police
His mother Carolyn paid tribute in an appeal to coincide with what would have been his 20th birthday.
“He was so kind… so laid back, so calm, so mature for his age. And he was just funny. Very funny.
“He was my baby… no mum should have to bury a child. He was my life. And I don’t know what to do without him.”
Mum Carolyn Cox (left) and aunt Julie O’Toole (right) are looking for answers
Ellis’ mum described him as ‘kind” and “funny. Pic: Merseyside Police
Meanwhile, his aunt Julie O’Toole said he was “the sort of person I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone to say anything negative about. He was loyal, fiercely loyal… everything was about his family”.
To pay tribute to Ellis, Liverpool City Council will be lighting up the Cunard Building and Liverpool Town Hall in orange on Saturday.
DCI Steve McGrath does not believe Ellis was involved in criminality
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, the senior investigating officer, spoke about the information gathered so far, six months on from Mr Cox’s murder.
“I’m satisfied that the group that he was with was probably the target… and I would say that’s got something in relation to do with localised drug dealing in that area. But Ellis had no involvement in that whatsoever,” he said.
He added that police are looking for “really significant pieces of evidence now”, including “trying to recover the firearm that was used in relation to this, looking to recover the bikes that were used by the offenders”.
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Mrs Cox also appealed for people to come forward with information.
“If you know anything, don’t let us get to [his] next birthday and still know nothing.
“We need to get justice for Ellis. And we need to get the people who took him from us off the streets.”
Former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law has died, at the age of 84.
In a statement, his family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle, but finally, he is now at peace.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.
“We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference.”
Denis Law in 2005. Pic: PA
The Aberdeen-born footballer previously announced in August 2021 that he had been diagnosed with dementia.
A prolific striker, Law scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for Manchester United, for whom he signed for a then-British record transfer fee in 1962.
He is the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford – one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt beside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Denis Law, third from left, as a statue featuring him alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best – known as the ‘holy trinity’ – was unveiled in 2008. Pic: AP
The only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or award, in 1964, he was also part of United’s triumphant campaign in the 1968 European Cup – in which they became the first English club to ever win the competition.
In a statement, the club said: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84.
“He will always be celebrated as one of the club’s greatest and most beloved players.
Denis Law, centre, during Manchester United’s triumphant European Cup campaign in 1968. Pic: AP
“The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”
Wayne Rooney, former United captain and the club’s all-time record goalscorer, described Law as a “legend”.
“Thoughts with all Denis’s family and friends,” he said in an online post.
Another former United captain, Gary Neville, said: “A great footballer and a great man. It’s a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company. The King of the Stretford End.”
A tribute from the Scotland national team said Law was “a true great”.
“We will not see his likes again,” it said.
Law also played for Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, and Italian club Torino during his club career, and made 55 appearances for Scotland, scoring 30 goals for his country.
Manchester City said in a post on X: “The whole of Manchester, including everyone at City, is mourning with you. Rest in peace, Denis.”
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