A MAN accused of killing a schoolgirl allegedly confessed to hitting her with a baseball bat.

Robert O'Brien was said to be clutching the item when spotted at a towpath at the River Leven months after the death of Caroline Glachan on August 25, 1996.

When a girl asked if he had used that to strike the 14-year-old, jurors heard he stated: "Aye, I f*****g did".

O'Brien, 45, is on trial with Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand, both 44, at the High Court in Glasgow.

The trio are accused of murdering Caroline, of Bonhill, at the River Leven 27 years ago.

Donna Talbot - one of Caroline's best friends - was today giving evidence.

The now 42-year-old recalled being out with others in early 1997 - around a week after Caroline's funeral.

Miss Talbot's group that night included Julie O'Sullivan and two boys.

The witness said they were on the towpath at the River Leven when Julie wanted to stop to write her name on a bridge.

Miss Talbot told jurors she did not "feel comfy" being there "after what happened to Caroline".

She said: "I was trying to rush. We then heard rustling in the bushes. I got a bit scared.

"I said to Julie: 'Can we hurry up? Let's get out of here'."

There was then more rustling and Miss O'Sullivan believed she could see trainers.

Miss Talbot: "She shouted: 'Is that you, Robbie?'. She did not get an answer.

"The next minute the bushes rustled again. He took a couple of steps out.

"I could see that it was Robert O'Brien. He had a baseball bat in front of him.

"Julie then shouted: 'Did you hit wee Caroline with that?'.

"He hit the bat twice on the ground and said: 'Aye, I f*****g did'."

The court was told one of the boys heard what was said and ran at O'Brien with a slab before he fled the scene.

O'Brien's lawyer later put to the witness that there had been a plan that night to "lure" him to the towpath to "assault" him.

Miss Talbot denied the accusation.

Ian Duguid KC then went on: "His was the name going through the local community as the likely suspect as he had been her boyfriend?"

Miss Talbot agreed.

The defence advocate put to her that "most people were talking about him as the perpetrator".

He suggested Miss Talbot and the others had then decided to "take the law into their own hands" and confront O'Brien.

She replied: "No."

Miss Talbot also stated during her questioning that she would "never forget" the comment O'Brien allegedly made about the baseball bat.

Miss O'Sullivan - now 44 - later gave evidence today.

The claim that O'Brien had been "set up" was also put to her.

She denied any suggestion that she and the others had arranged to meet him that night.

Miss O'Sullivan told the trial: "It is justice needed done, not vengeance.

"We want justice through the courts and the police. It is not our responsibility to take justice into our own hands.

"We would not have been going down there to set him up."

O'Brien, Kelly and Brand deny murder and have each lodged a special defence of alibi.

The trial, before Judge Lord Braid, continues.