Man who killed brother by setting fire to him as he slept jailed for at least 20 years

A man who murdered his brother by setting fire to him as he slept has been jailed for at least 20 years.

Blair Logan poured petrol on his younger brother Cameron, 23, as he shared a bed with his girlfriend Rebecca Williams on New Year's Day.

Ms Williams was rescued from the fire at the Logan's family home in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire on January 1.

But she suffered life-changing burns to her arms and face and damage to her throat, vocal cords and lungs.

Logan's parents, who were also in the house, were treated for smoke inhalation.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder last month.

The two brothers had a "hostile" relationship and had not spoken since the death of their grandma in 2013, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Logan admitted pouring petrol "with the intention of maiming or crippling" Cameron, but claimed he did not mean to kill him.

The attack was said to be in retaliation for a recent incident at the house when his brother had punched him.

The Tesco worker told police he thought his brother's girlfriend was out of the room at the time and that he did not wish to kill his parents.

The family dog Gomez was also killed in the blaze.

A computer seized from Logan's bedroom showed that from October 2016 Logan had carried out internet searches on burns victims.

Judge Lady Scott said Cameron had died a "horrible death" and that Logan "acted with wicked recklessness".

On the night of the fire, Cameron and Ms Williams had returned to the family home after a New Year's Eve party with friends.

An inflatable mattress had been set up for them in the living room and they went to sleep at around 4am.

Just over three hours later, Blair and Cameron's mother was woken by the family dog whining and went downstairs, where she saw a figure in dark clothing standing inside the living room, holding something on fire.

He threw it on the bed and then ran out, with Mrs Logan not knowing who it was at the time.

Ms Williams managed to crawl out the room and into the kitchen, where she put her head in the fridge to protect herself from the fire.

She was later rescued by Mr Logan and a neighbour.

But since the attack, Ms Williams has undergone surgery four times and may be unable to return to her job as a broadcast journalist as a result.

Although a report found Logan had "abnormal personality traits", he did not have a mental disorder and was fully criminally responsible for his actions.

In mitigation, defence QC Shelagh McCall said Logan had shown genuine remorse and views the murder of his brother as "horrific" and that it cannot be justified.

She referred to a letter that his parents had written to the court which said they "find it extremely difficult to reconcile the Blair they know with the Blair who caused Cameron's death".

Both parents were in the court room, along with Ms Williams and her family, as the sentence was passed.