 Agnes Mechen's remains were found in a flat in Govanhill |
A man has admitted killing a Glasgow grandmother whose body was found four years after she went missing. Robert Kelly, 32, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to murdering Agnes Mechen, 64, in August 2002.
The court heard that he strangled Ms Mechen, known as "Nessa", when she called at his Govanhill flat on her regular round for a credit company.
He then hid her body beneath the floor. Sentence has been deferred for background reports.
Kelly, a first-time offender, will be jailed for life next month when judge Lord Brailsford will determine how many years he must serve before he is eligible for parole.
'Sweetest woman'
He admitted murdering Mrs Mechen by seizing her, placing a cord around her neck and tightening it.
Kelly also admitted robbing her of a handbag and cash.
Advocate depute Bernard Ablett, prosecuting, told the court that Kelly had planned the killing of the woman he described to police as: "the sweetest woman you'd ever meet".
She went into his ground floor flat in Jamieson Street, near her own home in Govanhill Street on Friday, 30 August 2002.
After murdering her, Kelly dragged Mrs Mechen down a trap door and dumped her body under the floorboards before covering it with soil.
The court heard that the day before Kelly had boasted to his partner Angela McGeown he was going to strangle Mrs Mechen.
Mr Ablett said: "He showed her a length of flex about two feet in length and demonstrated he would carry out the killing.
"He said that he would bury the body with rubble and bricks.
"Angela McGeown repeatedly told him not to do it."
After the murder he told Ms McGeown "I did it".
Kelly also disposed of a blood-soaked carpet and destroyed Mrs Mechen's handbag.
The court heard that Kelly also confessed his guilt to other friends, including a man he met in an internet chatroom.
 Mrs Mechen's husband Danny and two daughters were at court |
Ms McGeown confided to a family friend who was a police woman and at the end of January this year, the flat was sealed off by police.
Forensic archaeologists spent three days excavating the site and uncovering Mrs Mechen's body.
The court was told that pathologists were unable to determine the exact cause of death and had to rely on Kelly's confession.
Mrs Mechen's friends and family spent over four years trying to find out what had happened to her.
They appealed for information in Glasgow and in Arbroath, where she holidayed.
A BBC documentary featuring Mrs Mechen's grandson Daniel, 11, and her niece 18-year-old Lesley Anne was broadcast in December last year.
'Insane scheme'
Donald Findlay QC, defending, said that Kelly had been bullied every day of his life at school and by his mother and had been left with "a personality which is severely disordered".
Mr Findlay added: "He contrived this insane scheme to solve all his problems by taking the life of the provi woman and taking her money."
Mrs Mechen had three grown-up children Lynne, 36, Graham, 27, and Melissa, 23, and a grandson Daniel, 11, and was also legal guardian of her niece Lesley-Anne.
Her husband Danny and other family members left court afterwards without commenting.
As well as collecting money for a provident club in the tenements around Govanhill she also worked full time in Poundstretcher.
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He said that he would bury the body with rubble and bricks
