'My son is innocent', says mother whose son was seen talking to Karen on CCTV

The mother of the man seen talking to Karen Buckley on CCTV footage on the night she went missing has insisted her son is innocent.

'My son is innocent', says mother whose son was seen talking to Karen on CCTV

The mother of the man seen talking to Karen Buckley on CCTV footage on the night she went missing has insisted her son is innocent.

Alexander Pacteau. Picture: Spindrift

Alexander Pacteau, 21, told police he left The Sanctuary nightclub with 24-year-old Karen, that they went back to his flat in his car and that Karen left at 4am. It is said that she was planning to walk home to her flat in Hill Street.

Forensics experts spent several hours yesterday examining Mr Pacteau's flat. Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr, from Police Scotland’s major investigations team, said police are not treating Pacteau as a suspect at this time.

Set Superintendent Kerr said: “At the end of the day, this man is a witness and is assisting in our inquiries as are other members of the public. He has been entirely co-operative with us.”

Of the night Karen was seen on CCTV talking to and leaving with Alexander Pacteau, police said: "From what we can see, she does not appear to be under duress, there's no signs of a struggle or reluctance on her part to leave the club.

"However, that does not mean that something untoward has happened to her at a later stage."

Pacteau’s mother Noreen, 43, told the Daily Record: “As you can tell by the police reports, (Alexander) is not a suspect. She left his property at four o’clock in the morning and she was seen by other witnesses, not Alexander. So he is not a suspect.”

Karen, pictured on the night she went missing

A handbag which officers believe belongs to Karen was found in Dawsholm Park, about a half a mile from Pacteau’s home in Kelvindale, Glasgow, yesterday afternoon.

Karen, a trained nurse who is studying for a master’s degree in occupational therapy, has three older brothers Brandan, 32, Kieran, 28 and Damien, 27. Her parents Marian and John are already in Glasgow and are being joined by other members of the family.

A second man Karen talked to in the club has been traced and is not thought to be significant to the inquiry.

A special Mass will be held at 8pm tonight at Analeentha Church in Karen’s home town, Mourneabbey near Mallow in Co Cork.

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