The detective who led the probe into Steven Donaldson’s savage murder said it was “one of the most brutal and frenzied killings” he had ever come across.
DCI Andy Patrick said the sustained and vicious assault that happened across two separate locations had shocked him and his team of investigating officers.
He said he was “delighted” at the triple guilty verdicts and pointed the finger at twisted Kirriemuir killers found guilty of 'savage and depraved' attack on Steven Donaldson, 20, who he said orchestrated the murder from the outset.
Patrick, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “From an early stage, we identified that Tasmin Glass played a key role in this.
“We talk about the ‘transfer of malice’ meaning the killing can’t happen if Tasmin doesn’t make the arrangement for Steven to come along at that particular location.
“Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson would not have had the opportunity to carry out the attack without Tasmin’s involvement so she is absolutely linked to the killing.”
Kirriemuir killers found guilty of 'savage and depraved' attack on Steven Donaldson
He revealed that Glass never co-operated with the police, adding: “In the early stages, she didn’t tell
the truth. She gave some accounts of her movements but left out the key parts which would implicate her in this crime.
“Ultimately, when people concoct a series of lies, there’s always elements of truth in them.
“The key parts that linked her to this crime – such as when the weapon was sourced and the discussions prior to and following the crime – of course she left out.”
He said the investigation wasn’t complex but presented a challenge pulling the pieces together.
He said: “We slowly but surely picked apart the key people’s accounts to shine a light on what took place. It’s been difficult working out the dynamics of who did what when because Steven’s BMW car was burnt out, which destroyed a lot of evidence.
“It would have been difficult for him to have sustained those really serious injuries in the first attack.
“Our best guess, as a result of the blood marks in the car park, is that those final blows – the big blows that probably killed him – took place out at Kinnordy Estate.
"The collusion of the three people show that it has been a planned attack. The sourcing of a weapon beforehand and the reconnaissance around the two key areas demonstrate the fact there’s been some thinking around this.”
Patrick described Dickie and Davidson as “best pals” who went through primary and secondary schools together and said they would always “back each other up” during altercations. But he struggled to understand why they committed such a barbaric crime.
The court heard how Glass arranged to meet Steven at the Peter Pan play park in Kirriemuir. He thought he was going to discuss the future of his relationship with Tasmin.
Steven was then driven to his death at the nearby Kinnordy Loch nature reserve car park. Dickie and Davidson struck Steven on the head and body with a baseball bat during the attack.
The victim was also hit repeatedly on the head and neck with a "heavy bladed weapon", such as a cleaver, machete or axe, which cut his spinal cord in two places. He also suffered 26 stab wounds and head injuries during the attack on June 6 before his body was placed on a car which was set on fire.
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Patrick added: “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they carry out attacks like this. Dickie and Davidson have a history of low-level violence while Glass wasn’t known to the police so it’s difficult to understand why they devised a plan like this.
“I’m sure the family and the communities in Angus will find it very difficult to understand why this needed to happen, too.”
He praised Steven, describing him as a “hard worker, into motorcars”. Patrick added: “There’s nothing in his background to suggest he was anything other than an innocent victim.
"During the course of the investigation there were no reports that Steven had ever assaulted Tasmin. We looked into his wider background and previous partners and we found nothing at all.”
He added: “This has had a massive impact on the community of Kirriemuir and rocked the community’s confidence. I hope they can feel a bit more reassured now that these violent individuals will be off the streets.”
Speaking about Steven’s family, he said: “It’s been a heavy weight on his family for nine months but they have engaged fully with police throughout and have been dignified. I can only imagine what they’ve been through the past few months.”
