Man's body put in wheelie bin in Glasgow and set alight

William Leiper's body was dumped in a wheelie bin and set alight

The body of a murdered man was so badly burned that expert anthropologists were needed to help identify him, a court has heard.

William Leiper, 31, was killed before he was dumped in a wheelie bin, dragged to a nearby park and set alight.

Jude McPhie, 42, pleaded guilty to his murder on Monday.

Another man, Christopher O'Reilly, 27, had his not guilty plea to the murder accepted but admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The details of the case emerged as a judge heard the background to the death at the High Court in Glasgow.

Warning: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting

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McPhie admitted attacking Mr Leiper at McPhie's flat in Hartstone Road, in the city's Pollok area, between 2 and 3 August 2021.

Prosecutor Derick Nelson said Mr Leiper had been an associate of McPhie and O'Reilly.

In the early hours of 2 August, Mr Leiper was said to have turned up at McPhie's home "unannounced" and demanded money.

Later that night, the men were upstairs together.

A woman downstairs heard Mr Leiper "cry out" and shout: "What are you doing, mate?"

Mr Leiper, who was described as being "terrified", was also heard being struck more than once.

McPhie yelled at him: "You've been at it for weeks." At one point Mr Leiper was heard saying: "Mate, please stop."

Burnt beyond all recognition

The same woman later spotted McPhie outside the house with what appeared to be the body of the victim lying on the doorstep.

McPhie shouted for "help" from O'Reilly, who was also in the street.

The court heard that the pair went to a local petrol station where McPhie bought lighter fluid and two bottles of bleach.

Over the next couple of days, neighbours noticed an "unusual burning smell" coming from a fire in the rear garden of the house.

A jogger and a dog walker discovered Mr Leiper's smouldering remains.

The court heard a large part of the body had been "burnt beyond all recognition". Litter and other items had been dumped around it.

Mr Nelson said: "Scene examiners, a fire crew, forensic scientists and a specialist team of forensic anthropologists were contacted to attend.

"The remains were confirmed by experts as human."

As a major murder probe was sparked, McPhie told one of his sisters: "He is a bully and he'll not be bullying anybody else."

Lighter fluid

He was also described as "ranting and raving" with another relative and admitted he had "murdered" Mr Leiper.

McPhie was later held by police, but when charged with the killing denied the claims.

The court heard that Mr Leiper's cause of death was marked as "unascertained", but that there were signs of "multiple blunt-force trauma" to the head.

The charge relating to O'Reilly stated that - along with others - he bought bleach and lighter fluid to destroy evidence.

Attempts were made to clean blood at the house while clothes and a hammer were burned in a garden. Part of a bloodstained mattress was also ditched.

The body of Mr Leiper is then said to have been removed from the murder scene and transported in a wheelie bin to nearby Househill Park in Pollok, where it was set alight.

McPhie also pled guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Lord Young adjourned the case again until next month and remanded both McPhie and O'Reilly in custody.