Alexander Brennan, 54, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years for the murder of his partner Brodie MacGregor, 23, at her flat in Springburn, Glasgow, on August 26, 2024.
Brennan repeatedly struck Brodie with glass bottles, leaving her face effectively hanging off, in an attack a witness said would "stay with me forever." He disposed of his blood-stained trousers and locked Brodie's body inside her flat before calling 999. He then boarded a train to the Falkirk area, where he told a friend's partner, "I just couldn't stop."
Court details and sentencing
Brennan, of Larbert, was found guilty of murder today and sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. Judge Lord Scott told him: "You murdered her when she was 23 - there were no victim impact statements but I am told about surviving siblings and a young child left without their mother. You brutally murdered a woman who offered no threat to you."
The judge added: "You showed complete disregard to whether she lived or died." The court heard a doctor described her injuries as ones seen in high velocity impacts or falling from a building. Brodie lay for around an hour, conscious or unconscious, with no medical assistance sought.
Timeline of the attack
The court heard Brennan had fallen out with Brodie. A taxi from Stirling dropped him at her home around 1.35am. Brodie dialled 999 around 4.35am, heard saying: "You attacked me." Officers attended but were told the call was a mistake and she was safe. CCTV showed the pair leaving separately and returning to the flat.
Around 9.41am, footage showed Brennan placing his blood-stained trousers in a clothing bin. He made a 999 call at 9.55am lasting over 90 seconds. When asked if the patient was breathing, he replied: "I don't think so." Paramedics could not enter, so the fire brigade forced the door open.
Injuries and aftermath
Witnesses found Brodie lying face down on the living room floor, surrounded by broken glass. Detective sergeant David White said: "It looks like her mouth has been severed completely. Her face more or less was hanging off." He added: "There was a lot of blood spraying which extended to the ceiling. This was one that stood out for me and will stay with me forever."
A post-mortem identified 78 injuries to her head and body. Pathologist Dr Julie McAdam stated cause of death as "facial injuries," noting an injury separating Brodie's lips from her gumline that she had never seen before. Brodie had swallowed a lot of blood, filling her lungs and airways, and would have survived had medical assistance been sought sooner.
Brennan was arrested at an associate's house in Stirling on August 28. The blood-stained jumper and trousers were recovered and linked to Brodie. He has previous convictions for assaults. Brian McConnachie KC, defending, said Brennan has "very little recollection" of events. Family and friends paid tribute on social media, with one writing: "So sad. RIP Brodie, thoughts go out to her family."
