Bailey Gwynne case: Andrew Lowe to chair independent review

The chairman of an independent review into the circumstances surrounding the death of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne in Aberdeen has been announced.

Andrew Lowe will lead the inquiry which has been commissioned by Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland.

Bailey Gwynne died after being stabbed with a knife at Cults Academy in October last year.

His 16-year-old killer was found guilty of culpable homicide earlier this week.

The outcome of the review will be published in September.

Mr Lowe is currently the independent chairman of child and adult protection for Renfrewshire and the chairman of the Glasgow Public Social Partnership for Learning Disability.

He trained and worked as a lawyer before beginning a career in social work.

Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing said: "We all want to learn the lessons from this terrible event and the findings of the review will be published and widely shared.

"At the centre of this tragedy is a loving family coming to terms with the death of their son and brother who was taken too soon.

"Andrew Lowe will now work over the coming months to examine all the facts. We owe it to Bailey and his family to fully review these events and I know all the city's agencies will take the findings very seriously indeed."

Andrew Lowe has will lead the multi-agency review of the case

On Monday, the jury at the High Court in Aberdeen took an hour and 40 minutes to find his Bailey's killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He had denied murder.

The youth was also found guilty of two further charges of having a knife and knuckleduster in school.

After the trial Aberdeen City Council said the case had been "devastating" for the families affected and staff and pupils at Cults Academy.

Director of education Gayle Gorman said: "Bailey Gwynne should never have died in this way. He was a 16-year-old boy with his whole life in front of him. We will not forget him."

Following the verdict, Bailey's mother said the outcome of trial would not bring her "beloved" son back.

In a family statement released on Wednesday, she added: "Nothing will give us back what has been taken."