A 21-year-old man has appeared in court in connection with the death of Irish student Karen Buckley, who went missing after a night out in Glasgow last weekend.
Alexander Pacteau is charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He made no plea during a private hearing at Glasgow sheriff court on Friday and was remanded in custody.
Karen’s body was found on farmland on the north-west outskirts of Glasgow on Wednesday following a four-day search. The 24-year-old occupational therapy student at Glasgow’s Caledonian University was reported missing by friends after she went to the Sanctuary nightclub in the city’s West End on Saturday.
A Crown Office spokesman said: “Alexander Pacteau, 21, from Glasgow, appeared at Glasgow sheriff court today charged with the murder of Karen Buckley, and with attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
“He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody. It is anticipated he will appear again next week for a further hearing.”
Karen moved to Scotland from Cork in February. Her body was recovered at High Craigton Farm after a search involving specialist police divers, a helicopter crew and search dogs.
A candlelit vigil for the student was scheduled to take place in Glasgow’s George Square on Friday afternoon. A Facebook page for the even, which has been organised by a former Scottish Socialist politician, Rosie Kane, encouraged attendees to bring flowers and candles.
Kane said that the vigil would be a chance for the dead student’s family and friends to “embrace each other in Karen’s honour and hope that those hurt by loss and fear and trauma will know we care”. She added: “I have spoken with police, and family are happy for us to have this vigil. I contacted them to point out it had got bigger than I’d imagined. They have been very supportive.”
In a separate show of support, more than £50,000 was raised in 24 hours to aid the Buckley family in their time of need. The campaign, organised by Karen’s former school and university classmates, closed on Thursday after reaching 10 times its initial target.
A message on the GoFundMe page by the organisers read: “This page has been set up by Karen’s University of Limerick nursing classmates in the hope of raising funds to help Karen’s family in any way possible during this difficult time.
“Please donate anything you can to assist with accommodation expenses, travel expenses and upkeep of their farm in Co Cork.”
Karen’s former classmates at St Mary’s secondary school in Mallow, south-west Ireland, described her as “lovely, quiet and sporty”. Her family, who travelled to Scotland on Tuesday, released a statement saying they were “absolutely heartbroken”.
Her father, John Buckley, 62, said: “Marion and I, together with our sons Brendan, Kieran and Damian, are absolutely heartbroken. Karen was our only daughter, cherished by her family and loved by her friends. She was an outgoing girl who travelled the world, where she met lots of people and thoroughly enjoyed her life. We will miss her terribly.”
