Tony Parsons: Family of cyclist killed and buried by drink-driver receive six-figure payout
The family of a charity cyclist who was killed by a hit-and-run drink-driver and secretly buried in a shallow grave have received a six-figure compensation payout.
Alexander McKellar struck Tony Parsons with a vehicle and left him dying on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute, in Scotland, in September 2017.
Instead of alerting emergency services to get help for the 63-year-old, Alexander and twin brother Robert left the scene, before returning in another vehicle to collect Mr Parsons’ body, bike, and belongings.
Alexander, known as Sandy, later buried Mr Parsons’ body in a remote peat bog and disposed of evidence linking him to the fatal collision. Robert helped him to cover up the crime.
Twin brothers Alexander (left) and Robert McKellar (right). Pic: Police Scotland
The pair were caught after Alexander confessed to his then girlfriend, Caroline Muirhead, years after Mr Parsons’ death and took her to the grave site.
Ms Muirhead left a can of Red Bull as a marker before reporting it to police.
An aerial view of the Auch Estate. Pic: Crown Office
The Red Bull can which was left at the grave site by Alexander McKellar’s girlfriend. Pic: Crown Office
Mr Parsons’ remains were eventually recovered on the remote Auch Estate in January 2021.
The twins were jailed in 2023 after admitting attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Robert was jailed for five years and three months, while Alexander received a 12-year sentence for additionally pleading guilty to culpable homicide.
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Judge Lord Armstrong sentencing the twins in 2023
Solicitors for Mr Parsons’ family confirmed legal action was launched against Alexander and a settlement has now been agreed with the insurer of the vehicle driven by the killer.
The civil case was settled out of court the day before a trial was due to begin at the Court of Session in Edinburgh last week.
The car that struck Mr Parsons. Pic: Crown Office
Gordon Dalyell, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors, said: “I can confirm the civil action for the Parsons family has now concluded.
“The manner of Tony’s death and what happened subsequently was appalling and the pain of his loss understandably continues to cause huge distress to his loved ones.
“While compensation does not, in any way, heal the pain, it does help protect the futures of his relatives.
“I commend the strength of the Parsons family throughout this whole period as they try to move on with their lives.”
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Mr Parsons. Pic: Police Scotland
The High Court in Glasgow heard how cancer survivor Mr Parsons was struck by an Isuzu D-Max pick-up during a 100-mile solo charity bike ride from Fort William to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire.
The collision happened during heavy rain at around 11pm on 29 September, 2017.
The McKellars, who were self-employed farm workers, were driving home from the Bridge of Orchy Hotel following dinner with a hunting group.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC told the court the brothers were witnessed drinking alcohol.
The Bridge of Orchy Hotel, where Mr Parsons was last seen
Shortly before being struck, Mr Parsons had stopped at the hotel for a cup of coffee.
The hotel’s manager had urged Mr Parsons to stay for the night, but he wished to continue with his charity bike challenge.
The A82
The court heard the former Navy petty officer suffered severe blunt force trauma and would have died within 20-30 minutes, if not sooner.
Mr Parsons’ body was initially hidden by the twins within the grounds of Auch Estate, near the A82.
Alexander later buried Mr Parsons in a remote peat bog used to dispose of dead animals.
In 2020, the killer confessed to then-girlfriend Ms Muirhead and admitted he destroyed Mr Parsons’ mobile phone and SIM card and burned his rucksack, wallet and helmet.
Mr Parsons’ bike was reportedly hidden behind a waterfall and has never been recovered.
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Caroline Muirhead, who helped police solve the killing, spoke to Sky News in 2023
The brothers also arranged for repairs to be carried out on the vehicle that struck Mr Parsons and pretended the damage had been caused by a collision with a deer.
His disappearance sparked a major search involving Police Scotland, mountain rescue teams, volunteers and repeated media appeals.
The court heard Mr Parsons’ body would most likely have never been found had it not been for Ms Muirhead’s revelation.
Speaking to Sky News’ Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies in August 2023, Ms Muirhead admitted being fearful that one day Alexander would “come knock on my door” when released from prison.
However, Alexander’s defence lawyer, Brian McConnachie KC, told the court that his client “never held it against” his partner that she went to the police, adding: “He fully accepts she made the right decision in doing so.
“He blames no one but himself.”
Mr Parson’s family in 2023 at the High Court in Glasgow, including widow Margaret (centre) and children Mike (left) and Victoria (right). Pic: PA
In a statement released through Police Scotland after the twins pleaded guilty, Mr Parsons’ family said the case had “taken its toll” on the family.
Describing Mr Parsons as a “much-loved husband, dad and grandad”, they added: “At last justice has been done.”
UK
Teenager living in ‘continuous pain’ after surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar carried out ‘inappropriate’ operations
A 15-year-old boy who was operated on twice by a now unlicensed Great Ormond Street surgeon is living with “continuous” pain.
Finias Sandu has been told by an independent review the procedures he underwent on both his legs were “unacceptable” and “inappropriate” for his age.
The teenager from Essex was born with a condition that causes curved bones in his legs.
Aged seven, a reconstructive procedure was carried out on Finias’s left leg, lengthening the limb by 3.5cm.
A few years later, the same operation was carried out on his right leg which involved wearing an invasive and heavy metal frame for months.
He has now been told by independent experts these procedures should not have taken place and concerns have been raised over a lack of imaging being taken prior to the operations.
Yaser Jabbar rescinded his UK medical licence last year. Pic: LinkedIn
His doctor at London’s prestigious Great Ormond Street Hospital was former consultant orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar. Sky News has spoken to others he treated.
Mr Jabbar also did not arrange for updated scans or for relevant X-rays to be conducted ahead of the procedures.
The surgeries have been found to have caused Finias “harm” and left him in constant pain.
“The pain is there every day, every day I’m continuously in pain,” he told Sky News.
“It’s not something really sharp, although it does get to a certain point where it hurts quite a lot, but it’s always there. It just doesn’t leave, it’s a companion to me, just always there.”
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Finias’s surgery pictures
Care of over 700 patients being assessed
Mr Jabbar rescinded his UK medical licence in January last year after working at Great Ormond Street between 2017 and 2022.
The care of his 700-plus patients is being assessed, with some facing corrective surgery, among them Finias.
“Trusting somebody is hard to do, knowing what they have done to me physically and emotionally, you know, it’s just too much to comprehend for me,” he said.
“It wasn’t something just physically, like my leg pain and everything else. It was emotionally, because I put my trust in that specific doctor. My parents and I don’t really understand the more scientific terms, we just went by what he said.”
Doctors refused to treat Finias because of his surgeries
Finias and his family relocated to their native Romania soon after the reconstructive frame was removed from his right leg in the summer of 2021.
The pain worsened and they sought advice from doctors in Romania, who refused to treat Finias because of the impact of his surgeries.
Dozens of families seeking legal claims
His mother Cornelia Sandu is “furious” and feels her trust in the hospital has been shattered. They are now among dozens of families seeking legal claims.
Cyrus Plaza from Hudgell Solicitors is representing the family. He said: “In cases where it has been identified that harm was caused, we want to see Great Ormond Street Hospital agreeing to pay interim payments of compensation for the children, so that if they need therapy or treatment now, they can access it.”
Finias is accessing therapy and mental health support as he prepares for corrective surgery later in the year.
A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital told Sky News: “We are deeply sorry to Finias and his family, and all the patients and families who have been impacted.
“We want every patient and family who comes to our hospital to feel safe and cared for. We will always discuss concerns families may have and, where they submit claims, we will work to ensure the legal process can be resolved as quickly as possible.”
Finias with his mother and sister
Service not ‘safe for patients’
Sky News has attempted to contact Mr Jabbar.
An external review into the wider orthopaedic department at the hospital began in September 2022.
It was commissioned after the Royal College of Surgeons warned the hospital’s lower limb reconstruction service was not “safe for patients or adequate to meet demand”.
The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Sir Keir Starmer has said closer ties with the EU will be good for the UK’s jobs, bills and borders ahead of a summit where he could announce a deal with the bloc.
The government is set to host EU leaders in London on Monday as part of its efforts to “reset” relations post-Brexit.
A deal granting the UK access to a major EU defence fund could be on the table, according to reports – but disagreements over a youth mobility scheme and fishing rights could prove to be a stumbling block.
The prime minister has appeared to signal a youth mobility deal could be possible, telling The Times that while freedom of movement is a “red line”, youth mobility does not come under this.
His comment comes after Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, said on Friday work on a defence deal was progressing but “we’re not there yet”.
Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen later that day while at a summit in Albania.
Ursula von der Leyen and Sir Keir had a brief meeting earlier this week. Pic: PA
If agreed, the deal will be the third in two weeks, following trade agreements with India and the US.
Sir Keir said: “First India, then the United States – in the last two weeks alone that’s jobs saved, faster growth and wages rising.
“More money in the pockets of British working people, achieved through striking deals not striking poses.
“Tomorrow, we take another step forward, with yet more benefits for the United Kingdom as the result of a strengthened partnership with the European Union.”
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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she is “worried” about what the PM might have negotiated.
Ms Badenoch – who has promised to rip up the deal with the EU if it breaches her red lines on Brexit – said: “Labour should have used this review of our EU trade deal to secure new wins for Britain, such as an EU-wide agreement on Brits using e-gates on the continent.
“Instead, it sounds like we’re giving away our fishing quotas, becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again and getting free movement by the back door. This isn’t a reset, it’s a surrender.”
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