Karen Buckley's parents: Pacteau is truly evil

The remains of 24-year-old Miss Buckley were found in a barrel on a farm on the outskirts of Glasgow four days after she disappeared from a nightclub in the city's west end in April.

Outside the court, her father John Buckley, who had travelled from Cork for the hearing with his wife Marian, said: "It is every parent's worst nightmare. There are no words to describe what we went through.

"Being told Karen was brutally murdered and having to phone our three sons and tell them Karen was dead was one of the hardest things we've had to do.

"What a waste of a young life, it all seemed unreal, we were devastated.

"All Karen was doing that night was making her way home when she was randomly targeted by and murdered by a cowardly, vicious criminal.

"He is truly evil and we hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars."

Pacteau, from Glasgow, faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced on September 8.

The court heard how Pacteau, who has a previous conviction for printing counterfeit money, met Miss Buckley outside The Sanctuary nightclub in the city's west end in the early hours of the morning on April 12.

CCTV footage captured them walking along Dumbarton Road and Pacteau then drove with her in his car to nearby Kelvin Way.

The car was parked on the street for 12 minutes, during which time Pacteau, who describes himself as a ''self-employed sales consultant'', attacked and murdered her by grabbing her neck and delivering 12 or 13 blows with the spanner.

Miss Buckley suffered injuries to her arm as she tried to defend herself.

Her family were in court as Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC, prosecuting, told how Pacteau attempted to dispose of her body.

He embarked on a journey to various stores to buy quantities of caustic soda before placing her body in the bath at his flat after making sure his flatmate was out for the day.

Pacteau made trips to High Craigton Farm where he burned a mattress, clothes and cleaning materials before buying a barrel, placing Miss Buckley's body inside and locking it in a storage unit he had rented.

Meanwhile, a major search was launched for Miss Buckley after she was reported missing from the flat she shared with friends.

When police officers knocked on Pacteau's door after he was identified on the CCTV footage, he answered saying "I was just coming to see you".

He gave detectives a version of events which said he met Miss Buckley outside the club and they both went back to his flat where they had consensual sex, but she had fallen and injured herself on the bed frame.

He told them he had burned the mattress and clothes on a forest road because he was aware he was the last person to see her alive.

Police inquiries soon led to High Craigton Farm where they found the blue plastic barrel containing Miss Buckley's body.

Defence QC John Scullion told the court Pacteau accepted ''full responsibility'' for his actions but that he can offer no "rational explanation".

Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr said there was no connection between Pacteau and Miss Buckley and that it had been a "random attack".

He said: "It could have happened to any female that night, we can't see anything from our investigation that would have predicted what he did on the night in question.

"We have no information as to why she got in the car, all we know is she left that nightclub to go home to the city centre and he headed off in the car in that direction."

Asked if Pacteau was waiting outside to prey on a woman, Mr Kerr said: "I think there was premeditated plan that night to find some victim, yes I do.

"He has been calculated and callous, you can see that from his actions after the event and what he did.

"They're complete strangers and he's made a concerted effort to destroy any evidence as to Karen's whereabouts. He had the opportunity at various times during this investigation to tell us exactly where she was and he didn't do that either."

Judge Lady Rae told Pacteau: "This crime is a very shocking and disturbing case. You killed a young woman who was a stranger to you in what appears to be a motiveless, senseless, brutal attack."

Here is the full text of the statement made by John Buckley, the father of Irish student Karen Buckley, after Alexander Pacteau admitted her murder.

"Marian and I, together with our family, would like to thank everybody here in Glasgow and back in Ireland that have helped us cope with this terrible tragedy.

"We are very grateful for the support and messages of sympathy received and for the people who keep us in their thoughts and prayers.

"We thank the Scottish police for their professionalism in the search for Karen, and in bringing her killer to justice.

"Their personal support and kindness throughout our nightmare ordeal, keeping us informed and travelling over to Karen's funeral, is greatly appreciated.

We also like to thank our own Garda force for all the help with Karen's removal and funeral and in conjunction with Glasgow High Court for keeping us informed with all aspects of this case.

"Coming back to Glasgow where our beautiful daughter/sister was brutally murdered, is incredibly difficult for all of us.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare as we know now, when we got that phone call, Karen was missing in Glasgow and her phone had gone dead. We went over, waited, hoped and prayed day and night for her safe return, only to be told she had been murdered.

"We were devastated.

"Having to phone our three sons and give them the dreadful news before they heard it on the media was one of the hardest things we ever had to do. Kieran and Damien were on route from Sydney.

"It took several hours throughout the night to make contact with them. Brendan was at home. I dread to think of them trying to deal with the shock and horror of being told that their only sister had been brutally murdered.

"When Karen's body was released a week later, we went back to Glasgow as a family and brought her to our home in Mourneabbey.

"That was a very special night as we were all together again under the one roof where Karen and her three brothers had grown up.

"Two days later after the funeral mass, our three sons and I lowered Karen's coffin into her grave, her final resting place.

"What a waste of a young life.

It all seemed unreal.

"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.

"Our hearts are broken at the thought of Karen's final moments on this world. 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.

"The last face she saw and the last voice she heard was of that cold blooded cowardly murderer, who calmly set about trying to dispose of her body so she would never be found.

"Only for the swift action of the police and the people of Glasgow we were able to find Karen and bring her home and give her a dignified burial.

"Not only did he rob Karen of her precious life and future but he robbed us of our beautiful daughter/sister. He also robbed us of Karen in death as we never got to see her, hold her or kiss her goodbye.

"It's too late now for Karen but in the future we hope Glasgow will be a safer place for women to walk in, which is their right and to not have this evil murderer to fear.

"Karen was a normal 24-year-old girl, very kind, always smiling, always happy, the youngest of four, our only daughter, and our baby. Just like her brothers she was so genuine, so caring, she loved life.

"As a fully qualified nurse she especially liked helping older people. She loved Glasgow and the Caledonian University where she studied occupational therapy.

"Like many young people, Karen loved to travel, she made lots of friends and thoroughly enjoyed her life.

"We will never see Karen again in this life. Never see her smiling face, hear her laugh and hear her voice.

"There are no words to describe our loss. We know even though she is gone from this life, she is still very close to us. She will always be in our broken hearts wherever we go.

"We talk to her, pray to her and we know that she will help us. Though Karen will never come back, we only hope someday to be with her.

"One word has come up so many times and Marian has said it again and again. Karen is our little angel, and she is right.

"She is not suffering now, she is in her new home in heaven. We miss her terribly."