Killer driver's partner told police where cyclist’s body was hidden

Separately, police had earlier received an anonymous letter advising them to look into “the twins” who had been at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel on the night 63-year-old Mr Parsons was knocked down.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC read out an agreed narrative.

Earlier this week, Alexander McKellar admitted hitting Mr Parsons with an Isuzu D-Max pickup on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy on September 29 2017.

READ MORE: Man admits killing charity cyclist in Bridge of Orchy before burying his body

McKellar, who was over the drink-drive limit, left Mr Parsons by the side of the road “in a remote location during the hours of darkness and in inclement weather”, causing his death.

Both he and Robert McKellar admitted a further charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by burying him and disposing of his belongings on the Auch Estate.

Mr Prentice said: “(Alexander McKellar) knew Mr Parsons did not die instantly, he needed immediate medical attention.

“Alexander McKellar decided not to seek help.”

Mr Parsons was a former submariner who left the Royal Navy in 1994 after 22 years’ service.

Tony Parsons was on a charity cycle ride when he was hit and killed

He decided to take part in a charity cycle, attempting to ride 100 miles from Fort William to his home in Tillicoultry.

Mr Prentice said: “He was a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, as was evidenced by the victim impact statements the court has had.

“He had very close community ties.”

When Mr Parsons set off he was “in good spirits, looking forward to the challenge ahead”.

He stopped at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel for a coffee, but decided to keep cycling rather than stay the night.

On Monday October 2 2017, a missing person inquiry was launched after he failed to return home.

This turned into a major police search but no trace of him was found.

READ MORE: Family pay tribute to charity cyclist who was killed and his body hidden

Mr Prentice said: “In August 2018, an anonymous letter was received advising police to pay attention to ‘the twins'”.

Police spoke to the McKellars but were asked to leave upon raising the issue of the cyclist, with Mr Prentice saying: “No further police action was taken at the time.”

The court was shown a clip of a Crimewatch appeal in 2019 when Tony’s son, Mike Parsons, appealed for anyone to come forward with information on his father’s whereabouts.

Both brothers worked as farm workers with Alexander also being a deer stalker.

On the day of Mr Parsons’ death, they had been with a German hunting group, going drinking with them in the evening at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel.

The advocate depute said that Alexander McKellar began a relationship with a woman in September 2020.

The following November, she asked if there was in anything in his past which could affect their relationship.

Mr Prentice said: “He disclosed that three years previously, he had been driving the Isuzu.

“He said they were driving at excessive speed.”

Alexander McKellar told the woman he had been distracted by oncoming headlights and had struck something at the side of the road, which turned out to be a cyclist.

Mr Prentice said: “He said he was panicking.”

He told the woman that he and Robert had returned to the A82 road, moving the cyclist’s body and possessions into a Toyota, which they drove to the Auch Estate before burying them.

Mr Parson’s bicycle was said to have been left behind a waterfall on the estate, though Mr Prentice told the court that there are several waterfalls on the estate and it has never been recovered.

The woman whom McKellar made this disclosure to leave a can of Red Bull at the area where Mr Parson’s body had been hidden.

She informed the police, with Mr Prentice saying: “As a result of this information, a major investigation was undertaken by the police.”

Detectives found the Red Bull can in the location she had described.

It emerged the McKellars had initially placed Mr Parsons body in woods on the Auch Estate, before using an excavator to bury him in a peat bog where animal carcasses were disposed of.

Police arrested the McKellars on December 20 2020 and Mr Parsons’ body was recovered for forensic examination in January.

A pathologist determined that the cyclist had suffered “extensive injuries” and he would have been unlikely to survive.

Judge Lord Armstrong said he was adjourning the case for reports and a further hearing will take place on August 25.

Some of Mr Parsons’ friends and family attended the court hearing on Friday.

Roger Jones, 75, who served alongside Mr Parsons in the Royal Navy, described his friend as a “great person” and a “nice guy”.

Mr Jones told Sky News that Mr Parsons’ disappearance “took a big toll on his family”.

He said: “My personal opinion is, I’m disgusted with the whole thing.

“The fact that these two guys just basically let him die and then tried to cover it up – (I am) disgusted.”

Mr Jones added that he was “disappointed” that Alexander McKellar’s charge had been reduced to culpable homicide, adding: “I feel as though they got away with murder, both of them.”