Rhys Bennet pleads guilty to the murder of Jill Barclay, DS Andrew Patrick statement to the media outside The High Court, Edinburgh
hys Bennet pleads guilty to the murder of Jill Barclay
A man has been jailed for at least 24 years for the rape and murder of a woman as she walked home in Aberdeen.
Mother-of-two Jill Barclay, 47, was attacked and set on fire. Her body was found in the street in the Dyce area of the city in September last year.
Rhys Bennett, 23, admitted the crimes, which a judge described as "wicked and medieval in their barbarity".
Ms Barclay's family said she had been "a deeply loved life partner, mother and daughter".
She was walking home from a night when Bennett followed and attacked her.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Bennet, from Ballingry, Fife, had been diagnosed with a mental disorder, and had apologised for what he had done.
Judge Lord Arthurson said the attack had involved "extreme, sustained and feral violence".
He said Bennet had burned his victim alive and described his crimes as "unimaginably wicked and mediaeval in their barbarity".
Bennett was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Ms Barclay, who worked for energy services firm Petrofac, was found dead in a street close to the Marriot Hotel, at about 03:30 on 17 September.
