Man who murdered brother in New Year's Day fire jailed for 20 years

A man who admitted murdering his brother and attempting to kill his brother's girlfriend in a deliberate house fire in Milngavie has been jailed for 20 years, reduced from 24 because he pleaded guilty.

Blair Logan poured petrol over his younger brother Cameron, 23, and the bed he was sharing with Rebecca Williams, then 24, as they slept in the living room of the family home in Milngavie on New Year’s morning this year.

Ms Williams was rescued from the fire by a neighbour and spent several days in intensive care in hospital. Logan's parents were treated for smoke inhalation.

Logan, 27, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and attempted murder at the High Court in Glasgow in July.

He had been arrested two weeks after the fire on January 1 amid a major Police Scotland investigation.

Logan admitted killing his brother during a police interview on January 13.

During the interview he told police: “It was not my intent to kill him but I did do it.''

The family dog, Gomez, also died in the fire.

Phillip Williams, Rebecca’s dad, spoke on behalf of his daughter outside court and said:

“I find it almost impossible to put into words the devastating impact this cowardly act has had upon me and my family. Cameron was my best friend and partner. He was a caring, respectful and loving man, who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He had great ambitions to join the police force and was working hard towards building our future together. A future that has now been stolen from us.

“The horror of what happened in that room will haunt me forever. It was a calculated and intentional attack. Cameron died in the most cruel way, in front of my eyes. I can only imagine the pain and suffering he will have experienced in his final moments. I wish more than anything that I could have saved him.

“I consider myself very lucky to have survived. I cannot thank Cameron’s dad Dave and his neighbour John Weir enough for risking their lives to rescue me from the house.

“I am still struggling with physical and psychological trauma as a result of the fire. In many ways, I will never recover and it will be years before I can get back to some form of normality. It is still unknown if I will ever be able to return to the job I love. I am very grateful for the care and support from all my colleagues and friends at Global Radio, especially my team in the newsroom.

“This terrible crime has been very painful for everyone involved. Cameron had a lot of close friends who still struggle to come to terms with the violent nature of his death.

“My family and I would like to thank the fire and ambulance crews who attended on New Year’s morning, and the medical and nursing staff of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. They all played their part in saving my life and continue to deliver outstanding care.

"We would also like to thank the police service for working tirelessly on our behalf. They have been a great support during this very distressing time. I would personally like to thank my Mum, Dad and sister Jess, as well as my close friends and wider family, for their constant love and understanding over the last several months. They keep me strong. "

“The actions of one evil individual cannot be undone. The length of the sentence imposed today was never going to be enough for such a barbaric and ruthless murder. Nothing will ever bring back my beloved Cameron."

In court, Logan was said to have had a "hostile relationship'' with his brother and searches of his computer found he had carried out internet searches looking for information on burns victims, one real fire death and video clips showing the effects of severe burning on people.

He was also charged with endangering the lives of his parents David and Catherine in the fire.

Both parents were in the court room in Glasgow in July, along with Ms Williams, as the guilty plea was made in front of judge Lady Scott.

After his arrest, Logan told police: "I didn't want to kill him.''

Advocate Depute Alex Prentice said the accused admitted pouring petrol "with the intention of maiming or crippling'' his brother.

The court was also told how Logan had been subject to two psychiatric reports which concluded there was not sufficient evidence for a plea of diminished responsibility.

On the night of the fire, Cameron and Rebecca had arranged to stay the night at the family home and his mother Catherine set up an inflatable mattress for them in the living room.

They returned from a party at around 4am and went to sleep.

At around 7.15am, Mrs Logan was woken by the family dog whining and went downstairs, where she saw a figure in dark clothing standing inside the living room.

Rebecca also saw a man in the room, holding something that was on fire, and she and Cameron both screamed.

Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, told the court: “Catherine Logan then heard Cameron roar in surprise, shock and fear, before the accused made a jerking motion with his arm as if throwing something.

“The accused then ran from the living room and went out the front door.

“Catherine Logan slammed the door behind him, shouting something like 'get the hell out of my house', still not knowing who it was.

“When she turned back towards the living room she saw 'orange and crackling' and the room turning black. She also heard Cameron and Rebecca screaming.''

She tried to open the door to the room without success and ran out of the house to ask neighbours for help, shouting to her husband to warn him.

Rebecca managed to roll onto the floor and crawl out of the room into the kitchen where she was not able to open the back door, and put her head in the fridge to protect herself from the fire.

Mr Logan senior tried to get into the living room but was beaten back by the intensity of the smoke and flames.

He managed to get out of the house, before he and neighbour John Weir rescued Rebecca from the kitchen.

She was then passed into the care of ambulance crews and taken to hospital, as were Mr and Mrs Logan.

Ms Williams suffered burns to her arms and face, and needed a skin graft on one of her hands.

She also suffered damage to her throat, vocal cords and lungs and has undergone surgery four times, including a tracheotomy procedure.

She may not be able to return to work as a broadcast journalist due to the damage caused.

The tracheostomy may be permanent, and the potential long-term damage to the lungs is not known.

Mr Logan's parents were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and discharged that day.

Police seized a computer from the accused's bedroom which showed he had carried out internet searches from October 2016 looking for information on burns victims, one real fire death and video clips showing the effects of severe burning on people.

The 27-year-old admitted killing his brother during a police interview on January 13.

During the interview he told police: “It was not my intent to kill him but I did do it.''

When charged with the attempted murder of Ms Williams, he said: “I thought she was out of the room'', and added: “I did not wish to murder my parents.''

In mitigation, Ms McCall said two psychiatric reports had been carried out on her client, one for the Crown and one for the defence.

Both said that he had a number of features consistent with an autistic spectrum disorder, but also a number of features inconsistent with such a diagnosis.

She said: “Neither says he suffers from a disorder in those terms.

“He has a lack of ability to understand the impact of his behaviour on other people.''

She added: “The conclusion of both psychiatrists is that there is nothing sufficient to make a plea of diminished responsibility.''

Ms McCall said he did not envisage that his brother would be killed, saying: “He believed his brother would simply roll over and douse out the flames, suffering only maiming.''

Detective Superintendent Allan Burton, from Police Scotland's Major Investigation Teams, said: “Today marks the end of an unusual and complex investigation which has left a family utterly devastated as a result of Blair Logan's actions.

“A mother and father have lost both of their sons and a young woman has lost her partner, in a truly incomprehensible and tragic set of circumstances.

“This investigation involved a team of specialist officers that worked around the clock to piece together the events that led up to the fire being started on New Year's morning, resulting in the death of Cameron Logan.

“This was undoubtedly a very distressful crime which took place right in the heart of Milngavie, and the support of the local community, as well as the information provided by members of the public who were in the surrounding area that morning, were absolutely vital in helping us trace the person responsible.