Caroline Glachan: Man admitted hitting girl with baseball bat, trial told
- Published
Caroline Glachan was found dead in the River Leven in August 1996
A man accused of killing a Scottish schoolgirl admitted hitting her with a baseball bat, a trial has heard.
Robert O'Brien and his two co-accused, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand, deny murdering 14-year-old Caroline Glachan in West Dunbartonshire in 1996.
One of Caroline's best friends said she saw Mr O'Brien holding a baseball bat at the River Leven months later.
Donna Talbot said he was asked if he had hit Caroline with the bat, and replied that he did.
Mr O'Brien, 45, Mr Kelly, 44, and Ms Brand, 44, are accused of murdering Caroline, from Bonhill, at the River Leven.
Giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow, Ms Talbot said she was part of a group which had been out in early 1997, about a week after Caroline's funeral.
She said they were on a towpath at the River Leven when one of the group, Julie O'Sullivan, wanted to stop to write her name on a bridge.
Ms Talbot said she did not "feel comfy" being there "after what happened to Caroline".
She said that after hearing rustling in the bushes, she saw Robert O'Brien carrying a baseball bat.
Police divers pulled Caroline's body from the River Leven in August 1996
"Julie then shouted: 'Did you hit wee Caroline with that?'.
"He hit the bat twice on the ground and said: 'Aye, I did'."
The court was told one of the boys in the group heard what was said and ran at Mr O'Brien with a slab before he fled the scene.
Mr O'Brien's lawyer, Ian Duguid KC, suggested there had been a plan to "lure" him to the towpath to assault him.
Ms Talbot denied the accusation.
Giving evidence, Ms O'Sullivan said she could not remember reporting the incident to police - but was shown a statement she made to them in February 1997.
In that statement, she said she had seen Mr O'Brien carrying a baseball bat on the towpath.
She told police that she asked him if it was the bat he hit Caroline with, and that he replied: "Aye, it is."
Ms O'Sullivan also told the court that they had not gone down to the towpath to set him up.
Mr O'Brien, Mr Kelly and Ms Brand deny murder and have each lodged a special defence of alibi.
The trial, before judge Lord Braid, continues.