Man, 36, is charged with the murder of Scots Santa Safari guide in Lapland
A 36-yeAr-old man has been charged with murder following the death of a Scottish sled dog guide at a Christmas resort in lapland. rebecca Johnson was found at her flat in the remote village of Kuttanen, Finland, on december 3 last year.
The 26-year-old, who came from Burntisland, Fife, had worked for tour operator Santa Safari providing Santa-themed excursions for tourists.
Following the discovery of her death, a wide-scale man hunt was launched in temperatures of -30C for her boyfriend radek Kovac, who fled on a sled.
He was later found hiding in the wilderness, cowering in the snow and suffering from hypothermia.
Kovac was then arrested and held in connection with the incident.
originally from the Czech republic, he is believed to have lived in Stirling before moving to Aviemore, Inverness-shire, where he is believed to have met Miss Johnson.
According to her Facebook page Miss Johnson, who was a keen animal lover, kept dogs and was a director of Burntisland-based Active Woofers.
The former Balwearie High School pupil also ran stalls at dog racing events and was well-known and liked in dog racing circles before she moved abroad.
Friends told at the time how she had been ‘excited’ about emigrating.
Billy Allen, owner of Bonzo’s
‘Going out there to live her dream’
The dog Shop in Kirkcaldy, said of Miss Johnson’s move: ‘She was going out there to do her thing and live her dream.
‘That was what she always wanted to do.’
In december Miss Johnson’s family and friends also told how the ‘beautiful’ and ‘bubbly’ girl had ‘lived for her dogs’.
Her great-aunt Val laing said: ‘For her parents and grandparents to lose her just before Christmas is devastating.
‘I don’t know how they are going to cope.’
Her death shocked sledding groups.
Jambo Smith, 36, chairman of the Sled dog Association of Scotland (SdAS), said: ‘It’s a shock to everybody. rebecca was really bubbly and her life revolved around dogs.
‘Her dogs were everything to her so I think that’s why she wanted to move away, so she could be out in the wilderness with them.’
After her death, runners taking part in a dog race at lochore Meadows Country Park, lochgelly, Fife, wore purple ribbons in tribute to her.
A best in show trophy was also named after her at a canine Christmas party in the area on december 11.
A minute’s silence was held for Miss Johnson at SdAS’s meeting the week of her death, with collections being taken for her favourite dog charity, Huskies in Need.
A spokesman for Santa Safari, the company for which Miss Johnson worked in Finland, said: ‘We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the team was discovered dead on december 3.’
The Prosecutor’s office of lapland yesterday confirmed that a 36-year-old man has been charged with murder.
A court hearing is due to take place at lapland district Court in rovaniemi on August 23 and 24.
Wednesday was the final day charges could be brought and under the Finnish legal system court documents will remain sealed until the first hearing.