State continues efforts to secure early return of Karen Buckley

The Government is continuing with its effort to facilitate the earliest possible return of the body of Karen Buckley from Scotland to her parents for burial in her native Cork.

Irish Consul General in Edinburgh Pat Bourne said the consulate was liaising closely with the Scottish authorities to have Ms Buckley's body released.

“We are in regular contact with the Scottish authorities to try and secure as early a release as possible of Ms Buckley’s body so she can be repatriated to her family as soon as possible,” he said, adding that Ms Buckley’s parents, John and Marian, were being briefed on developments.

Mr and Ms Buckley flew back from Edinburgh to Cork on Saturday evening with their son, Kieran, who had flown from Australia to join them in Glasgow.

It’s believed Ms Buckley’s body may be released to the family by Wednesday at the earliest and it’s understood the Scottish authorities are anxious to assist the family in every way.Under Scottish law, a person charged with murder can request to have their own postmortem carried out on the deceased by their own pathologist.

Such a request can lead to a delay in the release of a person’s body, but there are no indications yet as to whether this will be a factor in the release of Ms Buckley’s body.

Contacted by The Irish Times, Scotland's Crown Office which represents the procurator fiscal (DPP), declined to comment.

Last Friday, Alexander Pacteau (21) from Glasgow was charged with Ms Buckley's murder and with attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He is due to appear again in court on Friday.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council yesterday opened books of condolence at Cork County Hall and Cork County Council offices.

Mayor of Cork Alan Coleman said there was a huge outpouring of support for the family. “We saw it in Glasgow and we’ve seen it here in Cork as well – there’s great shock and a deep sadness and a huge sympathy for the Buckley family,” he said.