Man jailed for life for 'exceptionally brutal' murder of woman in Elgin

A killer who went on a spending spree after beating a mum-of-two to death in her own home has been jailed for life for the murder.

Owen Grant, 43, repeatedly bludgeoned Lucretia Donaghy, known as Keisha, with a weapon in the fatal attack in Elgin on December 15, 2023.

A judge ordered that Grant must serve a minimum prison term of 24 years before he is eligible to seek release on parole because of the “exceptionally brutal nature of the murder” and his extensive record for violent crime.

Lucretia Donaghy was killed at her home in Elgin Facebook

In a statement following the verdict, Ms Donaghy’s mum, Amanda Gow, said “life without Keisha would never be the same”.

“She was my only daughter and my firstborn”, she added. “Her two daughters will have to live their lives without their mum.

“I still cannot get my head around the fact that she is gone and that her life was taken in such a brutal way.”

‘Unarmed and defenceless woman’

Lord Scott told Grant that he murdered “an unarmed and defenceless” woman.

The judge said: “The attack was exceptionally savage, frenzied and, as your own senior counsel said, brutal.

“The reasons for this brutal murder remain unknown, but appear almost certainly to have been related to money.”

After the murder Grant embarked on a spending spree “frittering away” hundreds of pounds on cocaine.

The judge told him that when, if ever, he is released will be a matter for the parole board.

The 32-year-old died after sustaining multiple blunt force head injuries and was found lying face down in a bedroom at her address.

A neighbour had heard sounds of an argument coming from the downstairs flat and the victim calling out: “No, no, no.”

A passport in the name of Owen Grant was found in the property and he left his hand print in the victim’s blood on a bedroom wall at her home in Elgin, in Moray, and was caught on camera with a wad of money after the killing.

He claimed that the blood got on him after he earlier tattooed the victim’s right wrist with the name of her daughter.

Grant, of Elgin, denied murdering the 32-year-old and claimed: “I never laid a finger on her.”

He told the High Court in Edinburgh that the killing was “disgusting” and “horrible” and he was devastated by the death.

Guilty verdict

A jury found him guilty of assaulting Ms Donaghy by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with an unknown object and murdering her on November 15, 2023 in Elgin, by a majority verdict on the third day of deliberations by jurors.

Grant, a former labourer, who has previous convictions for violence and was sentenced to eight years detention in 2003 for arson to danger of life, told the court he owed the victim £300 for cocaine and he said he was planning to pay her.

He agreed that he knew £770 was counted out at her home prior to the murder, but denied that he took the money.

He denied that he was facing “a financial crisis” and claimed that he could pay the debt he incurred.

He said he went to her address intending “to pay my bill” but got no answer when he knocked on the door.

He told the court: “I was at Keisha’s but I didn’t go in.”

Advocate depute Christopher Wilson KC said that at the time of the murder Grant had just over £12 in a bank account and did not pay his rent that week.

The prosecutor told jurors: “My suggestion to you is the accused had run out of money. A drug habit and a lack of money is a bad combination.”

He said to the jury: “No one saw Owen Grant wield the hammer. The hammer itself has never been recovered, if you accept it was a hammer.”

Grant was seen on CCTV putting a bag in a refuse bin after the killing and buying cigarettes and drinks at a Scotmid store with a large amount of cash in his wallet.

No money was recovered when police searched Ms Donaghy’s home following the murder and no murder weapon was found.

After the murder Grant turned up drunk at a woman’s address and gave her £200 to source cocaine. She returned to the house and told him she had learned that Keisha was dead.

Grant cried but went on to claim the information was wrong and that police activity at her home was a drugs raid.

The woman said that Grant gave her more money over a weekend to score more drugs and gave cash to her children. He was planning a trip to Inverness and had “a shopping list”, she said.

Detective superintendent Lorna Ferguson said: “My thoughts remain with Keshia’s family and friends as they continue to try to come to terms with what happened. I hope the verdict will bring them some form of justice.

“This was a complex enquiry and I would like to thank the local community for their patience and assistance throughout our investigation.

“Grant now faces the consequences of his actions.

“Violence such as this is never acceptable in our communities and we will work tirelessly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”