Murder suspect charged over death of man killed four months ago

A murder suspect is behind bars tonight after being charged over the killing of a man four months ago.

Brian O'Neill has been charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice in connection with the death of Robert Best, pictured.

O'Neill appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court today, Monday, March 16, 2026, over the death of Best, who was killed in November.

O'Neill, of Greenock, made no plea to the two charges against him and was remanded in custody, while the case against him was continued for prosecutors to investigate further.

No future court dates have been set, but the 39-year-old is expected to make a second appearance in the dock in connection with the case next week.

Best, 50, is said to have been murdered in a flat in Greenock before a botched bid to torch his body in a field.

O'Neill is the seventh person charged over his death while an eighth was released without charge.

Andrew Brodie, Stephen Shields and Gary McGowan were also previously charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice, while a 25-year-old was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Prosecutors claim Brodie, 51, and Sheilds, 44, killed the 50-year-old at Shields' flat in Lansbury Street, Greenock, on Monday, November 10, 2025.

Court papers state they "did repeatedly stab him on the body with knives... whilst acting with others".

The attempting to defeat the ends of justice charge states that "having committed the crime" and "being conscious of [their] guilt" they did "place the body or Robert Best within a rug and remove said body" from the flat.

Brodie is said to have taken the body "to a field near Devol Road, Kilmalcolm" where there was allegedly an "attempt to set fire to said body all in an attempt to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution".

Best's body was found in the field, near to High Mathernock Farm, Kilmacolm, on Tuesday, November 11.

The discovery was made after reports of a disturbance at the Lansbury Street flat saw police cordoning the property off and erecting a forensic tent in the garden of the property.

Two women also previously appeared in the dock at Greenock Sheriff Court charged over his murder.

Nicola Brisland, who is also known as Nicola Campbell, and Dorothy Shields, both of Port Glasgow, both faced a single charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Brisland, 41, and 64-year-old Shields made no plea and were released on bail after the cases against them were continued for prosecutors to investigate further.

Another man, aged 45, was also arrested by police previously but released pending further enquiries.