Drink-driver who killed cyclist Tony Parsons jailed for 12 years alongside twin who buried body August 26, 2023 heaneymedia Uncategorized Leave a comment Alexander McKellar, who was jailed for 12 years for killing ex Navy officer Tony Parsons. By Democrat reporter A drink-driver who killed charity cyclist Tony Parsons by hitting him and abandoning him by the side of the road has been jailed for 12 years. Alexander McKellar, 31, has been sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. McKellar caused the death of the 63-year-old grandad by hitting him with his car on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute, on September 29, 2017. Originally charged with murdering the former Royal Navy submariner, McKellar pleaded guilty to an amended charge of culpable homicide. After hitting Mr Parsons, he and his brother, Robert, went on to return to the A82 and moved Mr Parsons’ body to the Auch Estate and buried him with an excavator in a peat bog where animal carcasses were disposed of. The remains remained undiscovered for more than three years. The twins admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice when the case called at the High Court in Glasgow last month. Alexander McKellar was sentenced to 12 years behind bars when he appeared for sentencing at the court on Friday. Robert McKellar was sentenced to five years and three months in jail. Members of Mr Parsons’ family, including his widow Margaret and children Mike and Victoria, were in court for the sentencing. Retired Royal Navy officer Tony Parsons, from Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire McKellar admitted driving on the A82 at “excess speed and when unfit through alcohol”. With “reckless disregard” for the consequences of his actions, he left Mr Parsons by the side of the road “in a remote location during the hours of darkness and in inclement weather”, causing his death. Sentencing McKellar, Judge Lord Armstrong said: “Alexander McKellar, on September 29, 2017, you consumed alcohol and you did drive from there in the direction of your home. On the course of that night you collided with Tony Parsons on the A82 who was riding his bicycle. “The extensive damage to the front of your vehicle is indicative of the force you hit him with. He sustained multiple rib fractures and complex pelvic fractures. The cause of his death is likely to have been a result of impacted breathing and a bleeding thorax. “Mr Parsons’ family have been deeply impacted and the emotional harm is ongoing. There is nothing I can say or do to compensate for their loss.” The court heard last month how some time between September 29, 2017, and January 3, 2021, the McKellar brothers returned to the A82 and moved Mr Parsons’ body to the Auch Estate and buried him. A major investigation was launched by police after officers received a tip-off from a woman McKellar had begun a relationship with in 2020. She had asked him if there was anything from his past that may affect their relationship, and he told her he had hit Mr Parsons with an Isuzu D-Max pick-up while speeding. Advocate depute Alex Prentice KC told the court that McKellar had said to the woman that he had been “distracted” by headlights and struck something on the side of the A82, which turned out to be Mr Parsons. McKellar took the woman, who was in court for sentencing, to the burial site, where she marked it with a can of Red Bull. Images from the isolated location show a boggy field, where Mr Parsons’ body was later discovered. It later emerged that the twins had moved his body from a woodland area within the estate and then to another location which was used to dispose of dead animals. There, they dug a grave and buried him, as well as disposing of his belongings. The brothers also hid Mr Parsons’ bicycle behind a waterfall on the Auch Estate, however his bike has never been recovered. An aerial view of the Auch Estate shows just how remote the spot is where the cyclist was buried. It’s understood that Mr Parsons may have never been found without the woman’s revelation. The two men were arrested on December 20, 2020, and Mr Parsons’ body was recovered for forensic investigation in January 2021. The cyclist was killed while on a 100-mile charity ride from his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, to Fort William. He was logged as a missing person for almost four years. The cyclist’s family released a statement after the guilty pleas, saying he loved “nothing more” than spending time with his grandchildren. The statement said: “As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family. “At last justice has been done and we would like to thank not only the court officials and officers from Police Scotland’s major investigation team, Forth Valley Division; and other Police Scotland departments who worked on this case, but all the volunteers and mountain rescue teams who tirelessly searched for him in the earlier stages of the inquiry.” In a mitigation submission, defence lawyer Brian McConnachie KC said: “Mr McKellar is well aware of the family’s views. There is no apology he can tender that will ever be acceptable to them. He wishes me to indicate he deeply regrets the trauma he put the family through.” Mr McConnachie told the court McKellar had suffered mental health issues as a result of his actions on the night of September 29, 2017. He added: “The only explanation he offered and the only explanation that makes sense is simply fear and panic. In his own words, he accepted he behaved in an entirely selfish and cowardly manner.” John Scullion KC, representing Robert McKellar, below, said in mitigation that he had become involved out of a “misplaced loyalty” to his brother. The McKellar twins appeared to be upset as they were led away in handcuffs to serve their sentence. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading...
Alexander McKellar, who was jailed for 12 years for killing ex Navy officer Tony Parsons. By Democrat reporter A drink-driver who killed charity cyclist Tony Parsons by hitting him and abandoning him by the side of the road has been jailed for 12 years. Alexander McKellar, 31, has been sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. McKellar caused the death of the 63-year-old grandad by hitting him with his car on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute, on September 29, 2017. Originally charged with murdering the former Royal Navy submariner, McKellar pleaded guilty to an amended charge of culpable homicide. After hitting Mr Parsons, he and his brother, Robert, went on to return to the A82 and moved Mr Parsons’ body to the Auch Estate and buried him with an excavator in a peat bog where animal carcasses were disposed of. The remains remained undiscovered for more than three years. The twins admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice when the case called at the High Court in Glasgow last month. Alexander McKellar was sentenced to 12 years behind bars when he appeared for sentencing at the court on Friday. Robert McKellar was sentenced to five years and three months in jail. Members of Mr Parsons’ family, including his widow Margaret and children Mike and Victoria, were in court for the sentencing. Retired Royal Navy officer Tony Parsons, from Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire McKellar admitted driving on the A82 at “excess speed and when unfit through alcohol”. With “reckless disregard” for the consequences of his actions, he left Mr Parsons by the side of the road “in a remote location during the hours of darkness and in inclement weather”, causing his death. Sentencing McKellar, Judge Lord Armstrong said: “Alexander McKellar, on September 29, 2017, you consumed alcohol and you did drive from there in the direction of your home. On the course of that night you collided with Tony Parsons on the A82 who was riding his bicycle. “The extensive damage to the front of your vehicle is indicative of the force you hit him with. He sustained multiple rib fractures and complex pelvic fractures. The cause of his death is likely to have been a result of impacted breathing and a bleeding thorax. “Mr Parsons’ family have been deeply impacted and the emotional harm is ongoing. There is nothing I can say or do to compensate for their loss.” The court heard last month how some time between September 29, 2017, and January 3, 2021, the McKellar brothers returned to the A82 and moved Mr Parsons’ body to the Auch Estate and buried him. A major investigation was launched by police after officers received a tip-off from a woman McKellar had begun a relationship with in 2020. She had asked him if there was anything from his past that may affect their relationship, and he told her he had hit Mr Parsons with an Isuzu D-Max pick-up while speeding. Advocate depute Alex Prentice KC told the court that McKellar had said to the woman that he had been “distracted” by headlights and struck something on the side of the A82, which turned out to be Mr Parsons. McKellar took the woman, who was in court for sentencing, to the burial site, where she marked it with a can of Red Bull. Images from the isolated location show a boggy field, where Mr Parsons’ body was later discovered. It later emerged that the twins had moved his body from a woodland area within the estate and then to another location which was used to dispose of dead animals. There, they dug a grave and buried him, as well as disposing of his belongings. The brothers also hid Mr Parsons’ bicycle behind a waterfall on the Auch Estate, however his bike has never been recovered. An aerial view of the Auch Estate shows just how remote the spot is where the cyclist was buried. It’s understood that Mr Parsons may have never been found without the woman’s revelation. The two men were arrested on December 20, 2020, and Mr Parsons’ body was recovered for forensic investigation in January 2021. The cyclist was killed while on a 100-mile charity ride from his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, to Fort William. He was logged as a missing person for almost four years. The cyclist’s family released a statement after the guilty pleas, saying he loved “nothing more” than spending time with his grandchildren. The statement said: “As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family. “At last justice has been done and we would like to thank not only the court officials and officers from Police Scotland’s major investigation team, Forth Valley Division; and other Police Scotland departments who worked on this case, but all the volunteers and mountain rescue teams who tirelessly searched for him in the earlier stages of the inquiry.” In a mitigation submission, defence lawyer Brian McConnachie KC said: “Mr McKellar is well aware of the family’s views. There is no apology he can tender that will ever be acceptable to them. He wishes me to indicate he deeply regrets the trauma he put the family through.” Mr McConnachie told the court McKellar had suffered mental health issues as a result of his actions on the night of September 29, 2017. He added: “The only explanation he offered and the only explanation that makes sense is simply fear and panic. In his own words, he accepted he behaved in an entirely selfish and cowardly manner.” John Scullion KC, representing Robert McKellar, below, said in mitigation that he had become involved out of a “misplaced loyalty” to his brother. The McKellar twins appeared to be upset as they were led away in handcuffs to serve their sentence.
