John Buckley, the father of murdered Irish student Karen Buckley, has spoken of the family's ongoing torment, haunted by the fear and panic his daughter would have experienced in her final moments. Addressing the High Court in Glasgow, he described Alexander Pacteau, 21, as 'evil' after he admitted bludgeoning and strangling the 24-year-old in April.
Mr Buckley said his daughter had been 'randomly targeted and murdered by a cowardly vicious criminal'. Surrounded by his wife Marian and their three sons, he expressed the 'incredible difficulty' of returning to the city where Karen was killed. He said the last face she saw was that of a 'cold blooded cowardly murderer'.
Court proceedings revealed that Pacteau met Karen outside a Glasgow nightclub, walked her to his car, and drove a short distance before attacking her with a spanner and strangling her. He then disposed of her body in a barrel on a farm and attempted to cover his tracks by buying cleaning products.
Mr Buckley stated: 'All Karen was doing was making her way home when she was randomly targeted and murdered by a cowardly vicious criminal. No words of ours can do justice to our feelings towards him. He is truly evil and we hope that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.'
He added that the family's hearts are broken at the thought of Karen's final moments, saying: 'The thought of her being alone, frightened and struggling for her life haunts us. The panic and fear she experienced as she fought for her very survival but she had no chance against that coward.'
Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr, who led the investigation, credited the swift action of the police and the public for bringing Pacteau to justice. He said: 'Members of the public played a vital role in helping us unlock the circumstances of her disappearance and that led us to Alexander Pacteau.' Kerr noted that forensic evidence and community tips led to Pacteau's guilty plea, sparing the family a trial.
