Life for man who killed neighbour
A MAN who tortured his neighbour then drowned her in a bath was yesterday jailed for life.
Thomas Meiklem was ordered to serve at least 18 years before being eligible for parole for the murder of Janette Cooper, 41.
The killer was also jailed for an additional three years for attempting to destroy evidence.
Temporary judge Rita Rae QC said: “This was a truly evil, callous and despicable crime.
“You took advantage of a vulnerable woman and killed her in a most brutal way.”
The High Court in Glasgow heard Meiklem’s girlfriend, Karen McFadden, had accused Ms Cooper of trying to steal her boyfriend, leading to stress which caused a miscarriage.
After Meiklem, 39, killed Ms Cooper in a flat in Maryhill, Glasgow, McFadden told a friend: “I’ll have no more miscarriages – the stress has gone.” McFadden, 37, was also charged with murder but the case was found unproven. She was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and jailed for five years.