First Minister Meets Parents of Murder Victim Seeking Justice System Answers

The First Minister has held his initial meeting with the family of a murder victim, who are seeking clarity regarding what they describe as deficiencies within the justice system. Claire Inglis was tragically killed by her boyfriend, Christopher McGowan, after he was released on bail to her residence in Stirling on November 28, 2021. The First Minister’s encounter with Ms. Inglis’s parents occurred while they were being interviewed on camera by the BBC. Following their discussions, Fiona and Ian Inglis informed the BBC that this represented a “huge step up for them,” expressing that they have their “fingers crossed they will get the answers they want.” Fiona Inglis, Claire’s mother, conveyed to BBC Scotland News: “The fact that he has even come and spoke to us is a big step up from last year – we never even got a handshake or eye contact or anything.” She continued, “For him to come and take time out of his day, that speaks volumes. Now that he has met us personally and heard our story so to speak, fingers crossed that we will get the answers we want.” Fiona and Ian, Claire’s father, are seeking an explanation for why a violent individual was permitted bail to their daughter’s residence, which she shared with her son. Christopher McGowan violently killed Claire after the couple had been together for only eight weeks. In February, he received a 23-year prison sentence for the murder, which the presiding judge characterized as “beyond sadistic.” According to documents previously reviewed by the BBC, the case was brought to the attention of social workers in September, and they attempted to visit the property three days prior to the homicide. Stirling Council stated that the courts had not requested reports concerning McGowan. The matter was brought up during First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) by Conservative leader Russell Findlay, coinciding with the third anniversary of Claire’s passing. Findlay stated that Claire’s killer had been granted bail five times, despite having dozens of prior convictions. He remarked: “Three years on from their daughter’s horrific murder, Claire’s parents are still fighting to find out the full circumstances around her murder. They shouldn’t have to beg for basic information. I previously raised their plight directly with the first minister and his predecessor, but they’re still waiting.” The First Minister indicated that he had initiated measures to request Stirling Council to engage with the Inglis family and conduct a “satisfactory investigation.” He added: “In the light of the exchanges we’ve had today I will look again at that issue to determine if there’s further pressure that we need to apply.” Prior to her meeting with the First Minister, Ms. Inglis stated: “They just decided we are going to bail him and put him in beside our seven-year-old grandson and our daughter, who were vulnerable. It’s just wrong and we don’t want any other family to go through this hell.” She further commented that “victims are kept in the dark” and ought to be prioritized within the justice system. “We just want John Swinney to look into this and say ‘you know what, there was failings and we don’t want this happening again’, we need to prioritise the victims in these cases,” she continued. “We’re not asking for heads on a platter, we just want answers. And here we are, three years down the line on the anniversary of our daughter’s murder and we are still fighting for answers.” The Scottish Conservative leader also brought up the case of Denise Clair during FMQs. Ms. Clair, who was raped by footballer David Goodwillie, observed the proceedings from the public gallery at Holyrood. A civil action previously determined that the former Scotland striker and his then-Dundee United teammate, David Robertson, had raped Denise Clair in 2011. However, she feels she has been “left in limbo” due to the Scottish government’s inaction in reopening criminal proceedings against Goodwillie. Her legal representatives have stated that government ministers have not responded six months after their formal request for legal aid to finance a private prosecution in a criminal court. The Scottish Conservative leader commented: “No credible explanation has ever been given as to why the crown office did not prosecute. Frankly the case stinks. Denise was forced to take civil action against the two men, and the judge agreed she had been raped. She has since asked the government to fund a private criminal prosecution but continues to be left in limbo. Denise has suffered for 13 long years.” In reply, John Swinney expressed his “dissatisfied” with the duration of the government’s decision-making process. He stated: “I think the government has taken too long to consider the request that Ms Clair has made to us and when I saw the news reports at the weekend I asked for there to be greater urgency put into the engagement with her agents on this.” The Scottish government has indicated that it is proceeding “as quickly as possible” to reach a determination. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.