Life for woman who shot boyfriend in Edinburgh

A woman has been jailed for life and told she must serve a minimum of 20 years for murdering her boyfriend by shooting him in the head.

Caroline Igoe, 32, killed Martyn Barclay, 26, near their home in The Inch area of Edinburgh in January 2009.

At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Bracadale told Igoe she had left Mr Barclay's family "bereft".

Her brother Paul Igoe, 37, was jailed for six years for attempting to cover up the crime. He was cleared of murder.

Lord Bracadale told him that he had hampered the police murder inquiry by taking away and disposing of the gun.

The judge told Caroline Igoe: "Martyn Barclay was your boyfriend and very unwisely he kept a handgun. That does not mean he deserved to be shot by it.

"Just why you did that is not clear, but you have left his family bereft.

"Murdering a man by shooting him in the head must carry a long punishment part, in your case of 20 years."

In a statement outside the High Court in Glasgow, Mr Barclay's family said: "We are satisfied that justice has been done for Martyn's young son, Michael, and the rest of the family.

"Martyn was much loved and will forever be in our thoughts."

Outside court Carolyn's mother Margaret Igoe, 61, said her daughter would be appealing against the conviction.

Mrs Igoe said: "I'm 100% sure Caroline did not do it. Her daughter was up from 5am. She wouldn't have left her. Caroline would also have had to walk past me to get out the house."

When asked who could have shot Mr Barclay, Mrs Igoe said she believed he could have shot himself.

She added: "I thought he had been skylarking with the gun."

Solicitor advocate Jim Keegan QC, representing Caroline Igoe, told the court that the mother-of-four continued to deny shooting Mr Barclay and did not accept the verdict of the jury.

As she was led away to begin her sentence she showed no emotion and nodded to her family.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC said Mr Barclay's death was an "act of cold blooded murder executed with a chilling military precision".

Mr Barclay, who had worked as a labourer, was discovered dying in the street outside the home he shared with Ms Igoe and her family in Hazelwood Grove by a man on his way to work.

He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he died later.

Det Supt Lesley Boal, of Lothian and Borders Police, who was the senior investigating officer in the inquiry into the murder of Mr Barclay, welcomed the sentences.

He said: "Caroline Igoe needlessly took Martyn's life, and, along with her brother Paul, continually frustrated the police investigation into his murder.

"At no point during the investigation did Caroline or Paul Igoe show any remorse for their actions or acknowledge the devastation felt by Martyn's family and loved ones.

"Martyn's death also shocked those in the wider community, particularly those living and working in the Inch area of Edinburgh."