Twin brothers who knocked down and killed a cyclist before burying his body on a remote estate have been sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. Sandy McKellar, 31, admitted culpable homicide, while his twin Robert admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice. The victim, 63-year-old Tony Parsons, was struck by their pick-up truck on the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Tyndrum in September 2017.
Charity ride ends in tragedy
Mr Parsons, a retired Royal Naval petty officer and prostate cancer survivor, was cycling 104 miles from Fort William to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, to raise money for good causes. He stopped at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel around 11pm for coffee and was urged to stay overnight, but set off south towards Tyndrum about half an hour later.
The brothers, who worked as deerstalkers and farmhands on the Auch Estate, had been drinking that evening and Sandy was over the limit when he drove his Isuzu pick-up at speed. The road was quiet, and they believed the chance of encountering other cars or police was remote.
Body hidden in makeshift grave
After the collision, the twins concealed Mr Parsons' body at the side of the road, drove to the estate, and dumped the crash vehicle. They returned in another vehicle to take the body and buried it in a makeshift grave on the estate. They later claimed the damage to their vehicle came from hitting a deer.
Mr Parsons was reported missing the following day. Despite intensive searches by police and mountain rescue teams, and nationwide appeals including one on BBC's Crimewatch, his body was not found for more than three years.
Confession to girlfriend leads to arrest
The breakthrough came in November 2020, when Sandy McKellar confessed to his then girlfriend Caroline Muirhead that he had killed Mr Parsons and showed her the grave site. She dropped a can of Red Bull as a marker and reported the matter to police.
Mr Parsons' body was exhumed on January 12, 2021. Investigators found he had suffered catastrophic rib, pelvic and spine fractures, with the rib injuries considered the most immediate cause of death due to their effect on breathing. He may also have suffered a collapsed lung. The court heard he would only have survived for 20 or 30 minutes without help.
Sentencing
In July 2023, Sandy McKellar admitted the reduced charge of culpable homicide. Robert McKellar had his not guilty plea to murder accepted, but both admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Judge Lord Armstrong said the brothers had caused Mr Parsons' family "devastating loss and emotional ongoing harm" and added: "I suspect no sentence will ever be regarded as sufficient."
Sandy McKellar was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, and Robert to five years and three months. Defence lawyers said Sandy wanted to apologise for the trauma caused, and that Robert had shown "misplaced loyalty" to his brother. In a recent interview, Mr Parsons' son Mike expressed gratitude to Caroline Muirhead, saying without her intervention it was unlikely his father's body would ever have been found.
