A woman who along with two friends murdered a schoolgirl and evaded justice for nearly three decades has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison.

Donna Marie Brand, Robert O’Brien and Andrew Kelly deny killing 14-year-old Caroline Glachan in 1996 ), who were teenagers at the time, and lied about their whereabouts on the night of the murder.

However, the trio convicted of murder In December last year, after the High Court heard Glasgow.

In January this year, O’Brien was sentenced to serve at least 22 years before being eligible for parole, and Kelly was sentenced to 18 years.

Since then, both O’Brien and Kelly launched the struggle for freedom and intends to appeal against it conviction and sentencing.

Bland, 44, who was unfit to appear in court at the time, received his sentence on Monday.

Judge Lord Justice Braid previously described the murder as “cruel, depraved and, above all, evil”.

On 25 August 1996, her mother’s 40th birthday, Caroline’s body was found in the River Leven in West Dunbartonshire.

The murderer was finally caught by the police Scotland The case will be re-investigated in 2019.

More than 200 testimonies were taken from people who had not previously spoken to police, from which officers from the Major Investigation Team were able to disprove their alibi.

During last year’s trial, the jury heard that Caroline met her boyfriend O’Brien, Kelly and Bland on a bridge near the riverside towpath between Renton and Bunhill.

There, Caroline was yelled at and cursed at. She was also punched and kicked multiple times on the head and body.

The court also heard they threw bricks or “similar instruments”, causing blunt force trauma.

She was pushed or fell into bushes and her body was later found in the river in Bunhill Square, Renton.

Lord Braid said O’Brien was the main perpetrator and used “extreme violence” against the teenager.

The judge said that while Kelly played a smaller role, he was also involved in “murderous violence”.

During the trial, the court heard evidence from Caroline’s mother Margaret McKeach, who said her daughter was “obsessed” with O’Brien but she did not consent to the relationship because he was several years older than her.

Mrs McKeach said her daughter had previously revealed O’Brien “raised his hands to her”.

Forensic pathologist Dr Marjorie Turner told the court Caroline’s condition Cause of death was drowning.

She told the trial: “She was still alive when she fell into the water. Drowning was the ultimate cause of death.”

Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC argued evidence from the boy Archie Wilson, who was four at the time of the murder, was “vital” to the case.

The boy’s mother gave evidence that the boy was taken to the river on the night of Caroline’s murder and witnessed her being attacked and thrown into the water.

Lord Braid said the trio’s actions had prevented Caroline’s family from seeing the woman she was meant to be.

mrs macchie Previously spoke outside court After O’Brien and Kelly were sentenced, she said she was “ecstatic” that her daughter had received justice.