Man sentenced to 23 years for the murder of Ean Coutts in Kinglassie

A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for the murder of Ean Coutts in Kinglassie, Fife, in September 2019.

David Barnes (pictured) was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, 13 December, after previously being convicted of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Ean was killed at his home in the Fife town. Barnes then took his body to an abandoned unit on an industrial estate in Glenrothes where he tried to conceal it.

Barnes also used the dead man’s bank card to withdraw money from his account, apply for finance and commit other fraud and theft.

Detective Inspector Scott Roxburgh, senior investigating officer, said: “We welcome the sentence handed out at the High Court in Glasgow and hope that it brings some kind of closure for Ean’s family and friends.

“This was a series of despicable and callous acts carried out by Barnes who deliberately concealed the body to cover up what he had done, including setting it on fire, and then going on to commit a series of frauds.

“Our investigation was complex and it took a facial reconstruction for us to be in a position of being able to identify Ean. I would like to thank all officers involved as well as members of the public who assisted with our enquiries.”