INVERNESS MURDER: LEE GAYTOR AND MOTHER SENTENCED FOR CHILD'S DEATH

In September 2003, a man responsible for the murder of Inverness schoolgirl Danielle Reid was sentenced to life imprisonment. Lee Gaytor, from Hull, pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend's five-year-old daughter, whose body was discovered in the Caledonian Canal in January. The High Court in Edinburgh ordered that Gaytor must serve a minimum of 18 years before he could be eligible for parole.

Daniel's mother, Tracy Reid, and Gaytor's brother, Christopher Gaytor, received sentences of eight years and one year respectively, for perverting the course of justice by aiding in the disposal of Danielle's body.

In June at the High Court in Perth, Gaytor admitted to murdering Danielle at a residence in Inverness. He was responsible for a violent, drug-fueled assault on the child, which may have been survivable if medical help had been sought.

Tracy Reid confessed to neglecting to seek medical attention for her daughter and conspiring to destroy evidence by helping to hide Danielle's body. Christopher Gaytor admitted to assisting in transporting Danielle’s body through Inverness in a weighted suitcase and dumping it into the Muirtown Basin.

The disappearance of Danielle remained unknown for two months because Reid falsely told Crown Primary School, where Danielle was a pupil, that her daughter had been taken to Manchester.

The judge criticized Reid for her neglect and her actions of carrying her daughter’s body through the streets of Inverness and disposing of it. Lord Hardie stated, "You must accept responsibility for the death of your own child. Although you did not inflict the fatal injuries on Danielle, it is clear from the Crown narrative that if you had sought medical help, she might have survived. The death of your daughter will weigh heavily on your conscience for the rest of your life because of your serious breach of parental trust and responsibility."

The sentencing followed a lengthy three-day hearing that examined whether Reid was entirely under Gaytor’s influence. The court considered expert testimony from Dr. Mairead Tagg, who discussed issues related to battered women. Nevertheless, Lord Hardie dismissed her claim that Reid's spirit was completely broken and that she would have obeyed Gaytor’s demands.

The judge remarked that it remained speculative whether Reid's conduct was driven by drug abuse or selfishness. John Campbell QC, representing Reid, expressed remorse, stating, "There was nothing to suggest she willingly participated in that horrible, surreal walk across Inverness with her child's body in a suitcase."

Detective Inspector Stevie MacKay, who led the investigation, described the murder as brutal. He expressed his disbelief and sorrow that Danielle’s mother had aided in her daughter’s body disposal, describing it as “beyond belief” and “difficult for Inverness residents to understand.” He added, “My sympathies go out to the other family members who must live with the pain of her death, inflicted by someone they trusted implicitly.”