'Beyond sadistic’ killer jailed for murder of new girlfriend

Christopher McGowan, 28, choked partner Claire Inglis, 28, and burned her with a lighter during the assault in November 2021 at her home in Stirling.

The High Court in the city heard how McGowan - a convicted domestic abuser - had been bailed from court to stay at the property a few weeks before the attack.

His victim suffered more than 76 injuries during the attack which left her with bleeding inside her skull and extensive injuries to her neck.

McGowan - who had previous convictions for domestic abuse - claimed she had “fallen downstairs”

He denied any wrongdoing but after a week long trial earlier this year, jurors took less than two hours to fin McGowan guilty of murder.

On Wednesday, McGowan appeared before judge Michael O’Grady KC at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing.

Passing sentence, the judge said: “To those who have not listened to the evidence in this trial, it is difficult to truly convey the utter brutality of the death you inflicted on Claire Inglis.

“By the time her broken and lifeless body was found, she had no fewer than 76 separate sites of injury. There is no need for me to dwell on the detail; there are those present today who have already heard too much to bear.

“The fact is, this young woman was not only murdered; she was subjected to nothing short of torture.

“I shudder to imagine what her last minutes were like. To describe what you did as sadistic falls woefully short of the mark. It was beyond sadistic.”During earlier proceedings, the court heard Ms Inglis had announced on Facebook in Autumn 2021 that she was "in a relationship" with McGowan, a painter and decorator with previous convictions for violence.

He had been released from prison , where he had been remanded on charges including dangerous driving following a high-speed police pursuit, a few weeks before the fatal attack.

A sheriff had given him bail after learning from a social work report , that McGowan had a "new girlfriend and that their relationship was “positive”.

Speaking after the case, her parents criticised the decision to release McGowan to live at their daughter's home.

Her father Ian said: "He should never ever have been put in her flat with my grandson and Claire - not with the criminal record he had.”

Yesterday, Scotland’s procurator fiscal for homicide, Moira Orr, said: “This is a heart-breaking case of the murder of a young mother – Claire Inglis by her abusive partner.

“Christopher McGowan showed cruelty and contempt for Claire, and his actions have left her family devastated.

“Our thoughts are now of Claire, and we offer condolences to everyone who loved her.”