Rhys Bennett raped mother and burned her body jailed for 24 years

The body of Jill Barclay, 47, was discovered on Stoneywood Road in the Dyce area of Aberdeen in the early hours of Saturday, September 17 last year.

Rhys Bennett, 23, of Ballingry, Fife — just north of Edinburgh — admitted committing the crimes at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning.

Depraved Bennett was charged with assault, rape, and murder as well as attempting to defeat the ends of justice after he set her body alight.

Jill, who has a six-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, was last seen leaving the Spider’s Web pub on Station Road after a night out, The Sun reports.

Her body was found at around 3.30am outside an address close to the Marriot Hotel.

Judge Lord Arthurson branded his crimes “unimaginably wicked and medieval in their barbarity”.

He said: “Ms Barclay was a stranger to you and you hid from her view before launching a murderous attack.”

He told the court that Bennett used “feral violence” and confirmed that evidence showed that a sharp implement had been used.

After battering and raping Ms Barclay, Bennett went to his pad where he collected his works van and drove back to the scene.

There he doused Ms Barclay in accelerant and burnt the defenceless mum alive.

Lord Arthurson added: “Your victim was still alive when you set her on fire. You burnt her alive.

“She was a beloved mother and lived a full and happy life. Your crimes were unimaginably wicked and medieval in their barbarity.”

Sick Bennett was sentenced to 24 years behind bars.

He was emotionless and briefly glanced at the gallery as he was led away in handcuffs by two guards.

Before sentencing, advocate Iain McSporran KC said Bennett had no criminal record prior to the barbaric murder of proposals engineer Jill.

Following a psychology report Mr McSporran revealed he had been diagnosed with autism.

He also told the court that Bennett said he had no recollection of his crimes.

But Mr McSporran said he had made an “effort to destroy evidence.”

A statement from Jill’s family after sentencing described her as “a deeply loved life partner, mother and daughter”.

It read: “We would like to thank family, friends and the community for their comforting support following Jill’s tragic death as we have waited for justice.

“Jill was a deeply loved life partner, mother and daughter.

“She didn’t deserve to die that day and especially in the unspeakable, brutal way it happened.

“This man has taken so much from us and changed our lives forever.

“Our family would like everyone, including the press, to respect our privacy at this difficult time so we can be left in peace to grieve.”

Following the hearing, the officer who led the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick said: “I hope that today’s sentencing brings some comfort to Jill’s family and friends who have shown immense strength throughout this investigation.

“Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.

“Jill’s senseless and brutal murder had a significant impact on the local community in Dyce and throughout the North East.

“I would like to thank the public for their support throughout the investigation to bring Bennett to justice.

“On Saturday, 17 September, 2022, 47-year-old Jill was found dead near to Stoneywood Road and a murder investigation was launched.

“Our inquiries, including CCTV analysis, quickly led to 23-year-old Bennett being traced in Fife, where he was arrested and charged later that day.

“I believe that the evidence we were able to gather has led to Bennett’s guilty plea and, as a result, Jill’s family has been spared the further distress of a trial.

“This was a particularly harrowing investigation and it deeply affected everyone involved.

“I am glad that Bennett will now face the consequences of his depraved and wicked actions.

“Thankfully crimes like these are extremely rare in our communities.

“When such incidents take place we will use all resources necessary to carry out thorough, rigorous inquiries to ensure we track down those responsible to bring them to justice as swiftly as possible.”

This story was published by The Sun and reproduced with permission