Family of charity Scottish cyclist killed by drunk driver and buried receive six-figure pay-out

The family of a cyclist who was killed by a drink driver and then buried in secret has received a six-figure pay-out.

Tony Parsons, 63, was killed when Alexander McKellar, 31, hit him with his car while speeding on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute, on September 29, 2017.

Along with his twin brother Robert, McKellar then hid the body of Mr Parsons. The cyclist’s remains were not found for more than three years. Both Alexander and Robert McKellar were jailed in 2023.

Tony Parsons, 63, from Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire. Picture: Family Handout/PA Wire

Lawyers for Mr Parsons have now agreed a settlement with the insurer of the car driven by McKellar.

The civil action case was settled out of court the day before a trial was due to begin at the Court of Session last week.

Gordon Dalyell, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors, said: “I can confirm the civil action for the Parsons family has now concluded. The manner of Tony’s death and what happened subsequently was appalling and the pain of his loss understandably continues to cause huge distress to his loved ones.

“While compensation does not, in any way, heal the pain, it does help protect the futures of his relatives.

“I commend the strength of the Parsons family throughout this whole period as they try to move on with their lives.”

Mr Parsons was killed while on a 100-mile charity cycle from his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, to Fort William. A missing persons’ inquiry was launched on October 2, 2017 when he failed to return home.

He had previously been treated for prostate cancer and wanted to do the ride to raise money for charity to "give something back".

After McKellar collided with Mr Parsons, he did not seek medical assistance for the man. The brothers then dumped the damaged car at the nearby Auch Estate along with their phones.

They then returned with a truck, which they used to transport the body of Mr Parsons and his belongings back to the Auch Estate. They initially hid Mr Parsons' body in part of the woods, but he was later taken to another location used for "the purposes of disposing dead animals".

Extensive search operations were carried in an attempt to find Mr Parsons.

Three years after the collision, McKeller reportedly took his girlfriend to see the grave site and confessed to what happened. She reported it to the police. Mr Parsons' remains were eventually found in January 2021.

The brothers had been due to stand trial accused of Mr Parsons' murder, but Mr McKellar pled guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow in 2023. He was jailed for 12 years.

His brother had his not guilty plea to murder accepted and was sentenced for five years and three months.

The family of Mr Parsons said the ordeal of not knowing where their relative had gone and what had happened to him took its toll.

In a statement read out in court in 2023, they described Mr Parsons as "a much-loved husband, dad and grandad".

They said: "When he said goodbye and set off on his charity cycle from Fort William that Friday, none of us expected it to be the last time we would be able to see or speak to him.

"Throughout the six years since he went missing and then the subsequent criminal investigation, we had been left with many unanswered questions and it has been heart-breaking for each and every member of the family being unable to get these answers.

"As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family."