Christopher McGowan

Christopher McGowan was born in Scotland and accumulated a lengthy criminal record from a young age. Before the murder of Claire Inglis, he had amassed dozens of previous convictions, including offences involving violence, assault, robbery and breaches of court orders.

Despite his criminal history, McGowan was repeatedly granted bail and community-based opportunities. By 2021, he was subject to multiple bail orders and had recently been released from custody. Claire Inglis entered into a relationship with him unaware of the full extent of his violent past. McGowan was subsequently bailed to her home in Stirling, placing him in close and continuous contact with the woman who would later become his victim.

On 28 November 2021, Claire Inglis was inside her Stirling home with McGowan. During the course of the day, he launched a sustained and exceptionally violent assault against her.

Evidence presented at trial established that McGowan repeatedly punched, kicked and strangled Claire while inflicting numerous other injuries. He burned her with a lighter and forced a wet wipe into her throat during the attack. Claire suffered 76 separate injuries, including extensive trauma to her head, neck and body.

Emergency services were unable to save Claire, who died from the injuries inflicted during the prolonged assault. Prosecutors described the attack as one of the most brutal domestic homicides prosecuted in Scotland in recent years.

McGowan used prolonged physical violence rather than a weapon. The assault involved repeated blunt-force attacks, manual strangulation and torture-like abuse over an extended period.

The murder occurred within the victim's own home after McGowan had been released on bail to live there. Prosecutors established that the attack escalated through multiple forms of violence, causing catastrophic injuries before Claire ultimately died from the assault. The level of brutality distinguished the case from a spontaneous domestic assault and demonstrated sustained violence over time.

Police Scotland attended the property following reports of the incident and immediately began a homicide investigation. Forensic examination of the scene, medical evidence and witness testimony formed the basis of the prosecution's case.

McGowan was arrested and charged with Claire Inglis's murder. During the proceedings, he claimed he had acted in self-defence, but prosecutors argued the overwhelming medical and forensic evidence completely contradicted that account.

Following a trial at the High Court in Stirling, the jury rejected McGowan's defence and found him guilty of murder.

McGowan stood trial before the High Court of Justiciary in Stirling during 2023. Jurors heard extensive evidence concerning the sustained nature of the attack, Claire's numerous injuries and McGowan's violent criminal history.

On 28 September 2023, the jury convicted McGowan of murder after deliberating for just over two hours. During sentencing, Judge Lord O'Grady described the killing as a crime of "utter wickedness" and stated that describing the attack as merely sadistic failed to capture its true brutality.

In October 2023, McGowan was sentenced to life imprisonment with a punishment part of 23 years before becoming eligible to apply for parole.

The murder prompted widespread public debate in Scotland over bail decisions involving repeat violent offenders. At the time of Claire Inglis's murder, McGowan was on five separate bail orders and had approximately 40 previous convictions, including several for violent offences. Claire's family publicly questioned how he had been allowed to live in her home despite his criminal history.

The case has also become a prominent example in discussions surrounding coercive control and domestic abuse. Friends and family described Claire as a caring mother who entered the relationship unaware of McGowan's violent past. Her death led to renewed calls for stronger risk assessments before high-risk offenders are released on bail to live with intimate partners.

• Police Scotland
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• High Court of Justiciary
• Sky News
• BBC News
• STV News