Killer gets 21 years in jail for murdering Alan Gardner

A 31-year-old has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murdering another man in his Perthshire home.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Nikola Zhulev was told he must serve at least 21 years before he would be eligible for parole.

The court heard that some time during the evening of April 19 into April 20, Zhulev assaulted and murdered Alan Gardner by striking him on the head with a metal frying pan and then smothering him at the property in Balbeggie.

The heroin addict attempted to dig a shallow grave but was caught before he could dispose of the body after Mr Gardner’s ex-wife called police as she had been unable to contact him for a number of days.

Speaking following the sentencing, Jennifer Harrower, Procurator Fiscal for Major Crime, said: “After the murder Zhulev showed no remorse and did his best to evade justice but has now had to answer for this appalling crime.”