Alexander Pacteau charged with Karen's murder

Alexander Pacteau (21) is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

He made no plea during a private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was remanded in custody.

There was a heavy security presence at the court, which is located on Carlton Place near the city centre.

A major police search was launched when the 24-year-old student vanished after a night out in Glasgow last weekend.

Her body was found at High Craigton Farm on the north-west outskirts of the city following a four-day search.

A Crown Office spokesman said: "Alexander Pacteau (21) from Glasgow, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court today charged with the murder of Karen Buckley, and with attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Remanded

"He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.

"It is anticipated he will appear again next week for a further hearing."

Mr Pacteau is the company director of a courier firm who lives in Glasgow.

Karen's friends raised the alarm on Sunday morning when she failed to return from a night out at The Sanctuary nightclub in the west end of Glasgow.

Missing

Karen moved to Scotland in February and was a first-year occupational therapy student at Glasgow Caledonian University.

She was reported missing on Sunday afternoon when she had not contacted friends. She was last seen on CCTV outside the Sanctuary nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A large-scale search operation was launched at Dawsholm Park on Tuesday following the discovery of the Co Cork native's handbag in a bin at the park entrance.

However, search efforts moved to the farm on Wednesday.

It is understood that a key piece of information given to police by a civilian played a vital role in the discovery of the remains.

A post-mortem was carried out to establish the cause of Karen's death on Thursday, but the results have not been released.