• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
The horrific murder of Caroline Glachan that was solved 30 years later by four-year-old's statement

Home> News> UK News

Published 18:30 6 Feb 2025 GMT

The horrific murder of Caroline Glachan that was solved 30 years later by four-year-old's statement

Two men and one woman have been jailed for the killing of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan in 1996

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

The body of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan, 14, was found on the banks of the River Leven in Renton on 25 August, 1996.

It wasn't until 2023 when three people were found guilty of her murder - Robert O’Brien, Donna Marie Brand, and Andrew Kelly - who were served life sentences for their crimes.

Brand, 44, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow, alongside O’Brien, 45, and Kelly, 44, of killing O’Brien’s 14-year-old girlfriend Caroline.

The court heard that Caroline was repeatedly punched and kicked, and had bricks or similar items thrown at her, causing blunt force trauma to her head and body.

Advert

While Brand did not take part in the assault itself, the court heard that she shared responsibility for the crime because she left Caroline face down in the river.

O’Brien and Kelly are the ones who took part in the assault, as the young girl was still alive when she was thrown in the river on her mother’s 40th birthday. Caroline died of drowning.

Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team re-examined the case in 2019 and re-interviewed people who lived on the same street the three killers were on the night they committed the murder.

Two men and one woman have been jailed for the killing of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan in 1996 (Family Handout)
Two men and one woman have been jailed for the killing of schoolgirl Caroline Glachan in 1996 (Family Handout)

One neighbour said Kelly and O'Neill had been babysitting two boys - Archie Wilson, four, and his brother Jamie - who went along with them when they headed out.

Advert

It turns out that Archie told his mother at the time that he had seen a fight taking place. He was able to recall the moment Caroline fell into the river and his evidence helped convict the criminals.

His testimony - which was shown in BBC documentary Murder Trial: The Girl In The River - was discarded at the time due to his young age, but tied in with what the neighbours had been saying.

"She got hit with a metal pole because there was metal in her eye. I saw it," the boy said. "I closed my eyes when the metal was in her eyes and when she got pushed into the water.

Robert O'Brien, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand were found guilty of murder (Crown Office)
Robert O'Brien, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand were found guilty of murder (Crown Office)

Lead prosecution lawyer for the trial Alex Prentice KC said: "It is of course a concern that a very young boy is giving evidence in a murder trial and some people might think that a four-year-old boy is not someone who can be relied upon.

Advert

"Archie talks about Caroline getting metal in her eye and an injury being caused. We heard from the pathologist who illustrated to the jury that there was such an injury.

"The question would be, 'How would he know that?'"

O’Brien has been ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars, while Kelly and Brand have to serve 18 and 17 years respectively.

Featured Image Credit: Family Handout

Topics: Crime, UK News

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

11 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 11 hours ago

    World's 'first flying car' is going on sale much sooner than you think

    Flying cars are still something for the future, but apparently the rapidly approaching future

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Experts issued warning over certain tattoo colour that could increase risk of deadly disease

    There can be some long-term health risks to going under the tattoo needle

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Man who didn't sleep for a record 264 hours suffered from horrendous and potentially deadly side effects

    He smashed the record but suffered dangerous side effects in the process

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    The targets Iran could strike as it issues chilling threat to UK amid ongoing conflict

    The world isn't feeling particularly safe right now

    News
  • Dramatic footage shows four-year-old’s haunting five-word statement that solved 30-year-old-murder
  • Medical expert panel claim there is ‘no medical evidence’ to support Lucy Letby’s conviction of child murder
  • Man found someone living in and redecorating house he'd owned for 30 years
  • Former mafia boss shares darkest moment of life in crime that still haunts him 25 years later