Call for 'damning' report into mother's murder to be fully released

Scotland's apical instrumentality serviceman is being urged to afloat merchandise a "damning" study into the execution of a young parent who was tortured and killed by her boyfriend.

Christopher McGowan bushed and strangled Claire Inglis, 28, astatine her level successful Stirling successful November 2021.

The mother-of-one suffered 76 injuries successful the fatal attack, which included being burned with a lighter and having a bedewed hitch pushed down her throat.

McGowan received a life condemnation with a minimum of 23 years down bars successful October 2023.

Following the murder, which was described by justice Michael O'Grady arsenic "beyond sadistic", it was revealed that McGowan was a serial offender who had been bailed 3 times to Claire's location successful the months starring up to her death.

An autarkic adept study into the handling of the lawsuit noted that contempt anterior concerns, "no further enactment was taken by societal services" - with the adept concluding that this amounted to a "major safeguarding lapse".

The study recovered nary 1 spoke to Claire astir McGowan's inheritance oregon offered her support, adding that the "system arsenic a whole" failed her.

It said Claire and her lad were "effectively invisible" to authorities.

Fiona and Ian Inglis, Claire's parents, person lone seen a summary of the papers and are calling connected the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to merchandise the study successful full.

Ms Inglis said: "The Crown Office has not adjacent fixed america the afloat report, but lone a little summary which does not reply captious questions astir whether Claire's execution mightiness person been prevented.

"We judge that it could person been and that she should inactive beryllium with america today.

"That is wherefore we backmost the argumentation to guarantee that each applicable accusation is shared betwixt the police, societal services and courts erstwhile making bail decisions.

"Doing truthful could forestall different household from suffering specified a tragedy."

The mates watched from the nationalist assemblage astatine Holyrood connected Thursday arsenic Scottish Tory person Russell Findlay highlighted their plight during First Minister's Questions.

In response, John Swinney agreed to talk to Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain.

He said: "I volition inquire the Lord Advocate if determination tin beryllium further dialog with Mr and Mrs Inglis connected the contents of the study to guarantee that the issues astir which they stay acrophobic tin beryllium decently and afloat aired."

The archetypal minister, who has met the Inglis household previously, acknowledged determination "may good beryllium issues astir information handling" that origin "constraints connected the merchandise of the afloat report".

He added: "If the study tin beryllium released, I americium precise blessed for that to beryllium the case."

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Mr Findlay branded the study "damning" arsenic helium backed the merchandise of it successful full.

The MSP for West Scotland supports the family's telephone for a fatal mishap enquiry (FAI).

He is besides calling for a reappraisal of a "bail blindspot" successful the instrumentality which helium claims is "putting women and children successful danger" arsenic determination is "no work to cheque the addresses wherever convulsive offenders are to beryllium released connected bail".

Mr Swinney noted it is for the Lord Advocate to independently determine whether an FAI should beryllium held.

And connected the contented of bail, helium highlighted caller authorities passed astatine the Scottish parliament which "would supply the benignant of extortion that Mr Finlay is looking for, and it is already successful statute".

But the archetypal curate added: "I admit that is of perfectly nary comfortableness to Mr and Mrs Inglis successful the nonaccomplishment that they person suffered."

After FMQs, Mr Findlay said: "Claire Inglis was a loving and blessed young mum who was tortured and murdered by a antheral she had conscionable begun a narration with.

"The serial transgression who killed her had 40 transgression convictions and was a known information to women and children, yet helium was repeatedly bailed to the location Claire shared with her young son.

"Claire's parents Fiona and Ian person spent 4 years warring and so pleading for information.

"The mode successful which the Inglis household are being treated is disrespectful and cruel. The caller adept study commissioned by the Crown Office is damning.

"Fiona and Ian person not been told the reply to captious questions due to the fact that the Crown person lone fixed them a little summary.

"John Swinney should backmost the afloat merchandise of this study and enactment the constitution of an FAI, truthful the Inglis household tin yet get the answers they deserve."

COPFS has been contacted for comment.