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Revealed: Killer’s confession to double murder in Dundee 40 years ago

Crimes of the 80s: Carnage at Roseangle

Dundee ‘murder house’ to be auctioned off

Brian Kirk obituary: Superintendent who probed notorious Dundee murders

No Trial Over Scots Deaths A Man Who Murdered .a Retired Dundee Doctor and His Wile In Their Home Will | Aberdeen Evening Express | Monday 15 December 1980 | British Newspaper Archive

Man Held In , . . S Priest Murder Hunt Police Hunting Runaway Prisoner Henry Gallagher Travelled To York Today | Aberdeen Evening Express | Thursday 29 May 1980 | British Newspaper Archive

Murder casefiles – DD Tours

St Ethelbert’s Church, Ramsgate – Wikipedia

The gruesome double murder at Roseangle ‘house of horrors’ which still haunts Dundee after 40 years

Crime Scene Real Estate: 15 Creepy Houses For Sale Today

Dundee Matters: Buildings are key part of city’s narrative

Councillors Fraser Macpherson & Michael Crichton – working for the West End: Roseangle empty property – action taken

Overview – Broadmoor Hospital – NHS

Murder casefiles – DD Tours

Roseangle death house – YouTube

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn

Researched and Written by Dawn Young

Produced and Edited by Dawn Young and Peter Bull

Voice Talent by Eleanor Morton

Production Company Name by Granny Robertson

Music:

Dawn of the Fairies by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Gothic Wedding by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Introduction by Eleanor Morton:

Welcome Wee Ones to Scottish Murders. Dawn will shortly be taking you through a solved or unsolved murder involving people from or living in Scotland. So get ready to hear about the darker side of Bonnie Scotland.

Dawn:

It was Sunday the 18th of May 1980 and the residents of Dundee had been enjoying a beautiful hot weekend. Many relaxed in their gardens enjoying the sunshine with a cold drink, while others were enjoying spending time in the parks, including four medical students from the University of Dundee, who, about 6.30pm, were on their way to have a game of football at a nearby park. While on their way they were having a kick about with the ball when one of them accidentally kicked their ball over the railings into the garden of a house in Roseangle. One of the students, Thomas, while being jokingly berated by his friends, made his way over the railings and into the garden to retrieve the ball. Thomas was just about to return with the ball when he happened to notice that a basement window of the property was broken, so, being curious, he decided to take a closer look.

Roseangle is a street in the west end of Dundee, which is known for its cobblestone roads, leafy green areas, older properties and beautiful views of the River Tay. And where Roseangle meets Perth Road is number 2 Roseangle, a magnificent detached home, which is directly across the street from the Dundee West Church of Scotland. 2 Roseangle was a large, grand property, and its occupants were that of Dr Alexander Wood and his wife, Dorothy, both 78 years old. Dr Wood had been a very popular GP in Dundee since 1930, however, due to his ailing health he had retired in 1975 at the age of 73. By 1980 Dr Wood and his wife’s health had deteriorated significantly, with Dr Wood only being able to get around with the aid of two sticks, in part due to him having an artificial leg. On Saturday the 17th of May 1980, Dr Alexander Wood had only been out of hospital for a few days and so the couple’s son, Nicholas, who was a dentist in Banchory, which was about 56 miles or 90 kilometres north of his parents home in Roseangle, had visited his parents to check they were both okay. Nicholas left his parents home on Saturday late afternoon, with the couple waving him off, before going back inside to prepare their tea. About an hour or so later, Dorothy heard the sound of breaking glass coming from their basement kitchen. Despite her frailty she went to investigate. Upon opening the door to the basement kitchen she came face to face with an intruder. She immediately shouted for her husband to phone the police, before pointing at the intruder and shouting at them to get out, at which point the intruder grabbed Dorothy by the arm. Dr Alexander Wood, having heard his wife’s distress and shouting, had also managed to make his way to her side, just in time to see the intruder put his hands on his wife, at which point Alexander began hitting the intruder with his cane. The intruder, shocked by the couple, immediately looked around for a weapon, with his eyes falling on a slater’s hammer lying nearby. He picked this up and began to strike the elderly couple repeatedly, again and again, until they both lay motionless on the floor of the basement kitchen. After the attack, Henry dropped the slater’s hammer and looked towards the couple who were now lying on the floor covered in blood, with their eyes open staring at nothing. At this point Henry began to laugh and cry at the same time, before being physically sick. He then slowly sunk to the floor and sat there in a daze.

29 year old Henry John Gallagher was born in Dundee on the 3rd of April 1951 as Henry John Reid, but had at some point changed his name to Gallagher. He was brought up in Dundee by his mother, but never knew his father. According to an article in The Courier newspaper on the 18th of May 2020, Henry Gallagher had a long record of burglary and assault, mainly directed towards clergyman, having assaulted a minister in Dundee in 1972, as well as a year later attacking a priest, and in 1979 he broke into a property to rob it and when he found they had a pet dog he cut its throat. Henry Gallagher had been on leave from Maidstone prison in England, which is about 531 miles or 854 kilometres from Dundee, where he was serving a three-year prison sentence for burglary. For whatever reason, during his leave Henry Gallagher returned to his hometown of Dundee, whereupon he approached a local club and asked a woman there for directions to the home of the Roman Catholic Bishop and the woman directed him towards Roseangle, where the Bishop’s residence was located. When Henry Gallagher arrived at Roseangle, he saw the grand house directly opposite the church and assumed that this was the residence he was looking for, which he planned to break into and rob. He then proceeded to make his way to the basement window of the property, which he broke and climbed through, where within minutes he would be carrying out his atrocious act on the helpless and frail Dr Alexander Wood and his wife, Dorothy.

Coming out of his daze, which Henry felt had been a long time, following his frenzied attack on Dr Wood and his wife, he got up from the floor and decided to carry out the very robbery he had intended to do in the first place. Going from room to room Henry Gallagher packed a suitcase belonging to the couple full of jewellery and silverware worth about £2,000, which in today’s money would be about £6,900 or $8,600. He then put on Dr Wood’s long raincoat to cover the blood on his clothes, picked up the suitcase and left the property. However, due to the hot weather that evening, Henry’s odd appearance of wearing a raincoat had been noticed.

Thomas, with his football in hand, had made his way to the broken basement window and was now scrambling back up the steps towards his three friends, to inform them of the horrendous sight he had just seen, before then also alerting the police. By 7.30pm, an hour after Thomas had made the gruesome discovery, 2 Roseangle had been declared a crime scene, and Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Cameron had arrived at the property to lead the inquiry into the murder of the “well nigh defenceless” Dr Alexander Wood and his wife Dorothy, both 78 years old. However, despite the lead detective being an experienced old-school detective, he was shocked by the level of violence that had been displayed towards the elderly couple, saying in the Courier newspaper on the 24th of September 2013 that it was “not normal.”. As Detective Jim Cameron surveyed the devastation inside 2 Roseangle, the street outside of the property was a flurry of activity, with a mobile incident van setting up nearby, 40 police officers beginning to canvas the area for witnesses, and an appeal being made for information, and it wasn’t long before a picture began to emerge.

Students from the nearby University of Dundee, who had been sunbathing on the grassy area adjacent to Dr and Mrs Wood’s property on Saturday, had said that they had seen a man leaving the property on late Saturday afternoon, with the couple waving him off from the doorway. It was established quickly that this was the couple’s son, Nicholas, that had been seen, and it was determined, following the post-mortem, that the couple had likely been murdered within an hour of their son leaving. According to the Law Killers book, another witness came forward, who worked at a nearby club, who said that on late Saturday afternoon a man, she estimated to be about 30 years old, had come to the club and asked her to give him directions to the Roman Catholic Bishop’s home, which was located on Roseangle. She went on to say that he was odd looking as he wore a dated style of shirt which had large floral patterns on it. Upon the police speaking to the Roman Catholic Bishop who resided in Roseangle, it was quickly established that the same male had shown up in the garden of the Bishop’s home, but that he’d scarpered pretty quickly when he was confronted by the Bishop’s housekeeper. As news of the atrocious and vicious attack got out, locals were disgusted by what had happened to the elderly couple and made sure to contact the police with any scrap of information they thought might be helpful to catch the murderer. Such information included witnesses coming forward to say they had seen a male on Saturday evening wearing a raincoat and a stained hat carrying a suitcase and hurriedly making his way along Perth Road, which particularly stood out due to the weather being so hot. As more and more witnesses came forward with sightings of this out of place man on the Saturday, it led the police directly to the railway station, although this man had at least a day’s head start so finding out where he went next wasn’t going to be easy.

While detectives were working hard to establish who the murderer was and where he had gone, a phone call that was received from a local GP sounded very promising. The female GP had eventually called the police, having wrestled with her conscience, to give them the name of one of her patients she felt strongly could have committed these murders. This line of inquiry was immediately followed up, however, it shortly fell flat when the GP’s patient had a solid alibi for the time of the murders. With this line of inquiry proving fruitless, the detectives were even more determined to find out who this brutal murderer was, and, so, they appealed for information again, this time though they appealed to the Dundee underworld for information, hoping that they too would be disgusted at the level of violence shown to the elderly couple, and they would be right. However, while they did receive information from the underworld, it also led nowhere. And then a few days after the discovery of the murders, the latest edition of the police Gazette landed on the desk of a detective working on the murder inquiry. While having a quick perusal of it he just happened to notice a short listing about how 29 year old Henry John Gallagher or Reid had not returned to Maidstone prison following his home leave on the 12th of May, and it just so happened that the detective reading this listing knew all about Henry John Gallagher and alarm bells started ringing.

Following Henry Gallagher arriving at the train station in Dundee on Saturday evening still wearing the raincoat and stained hat, he boarded a train to London, about 482 miles or 775 kilometres from Dundee, before boarding another train to Ramsgate, about 80 miles or 128 kilometres east of London located on the coast. He spent a few days hiding out and slowly getting rid of the jewellery and silverware he had stolen from the Woods’ home, before he then met a couple who said they could provide him with new identification in order for him to be able to travel onwards to France. The couple then told him to meet them later that night and they would provide him with the identification he needed, and in return Henry would pay them in jewellery. Henry then strolled away from the couple, before stopping a passer-by in the street to ask for directions to the home of the nearest Roman Catholic Priest, who was frail 88 year old Father Paul Hull who lived with his 73 year old housekeeper Maud Lelean. Upon arriving at the priest’s home Henry knocked on the door, which was answered by the welcoming priest who invited Henry into his home. In return for the kind priest welcoming Henry into his home, he sadly was beaten repeatedly and savagely with his own walking stick by Henry, before Henry also turned the priest’s walking stick onto his housekeeper. With Father Hull and Maud Lelean lying severely beaten and close to death on the floor of Father Hull’s study having sustained severe head injuries, Henry ransacked the house looking for jewellery, money and silverware, before about an hour later being seen leaving the home and walking away wearing a raincoat he had not been wearing when he entered. About 30 minutes later, Father Whealan arrived at the home of Father Hull and went inside. Upon calling out to Father Hull and his housekeeper Maud and receiving no reply, he opened the door to Father Hull’s study, where he faced the devastation that Henry Gallagher had left in his wake. Father Whealan immediately called an ambulance and the police, but sadly 88 year old Father Paul Hull was declared dead at the scene. However, 73 year old Maud Lelean was still alive, albeit barely, and she was rushed to hospital, but sadly she died three days later never having regained consciousness.

With detectives now on the murder scene at Father Hull’s home, and having recovered from the bloodied brutality and violence that had met them, they began to call door-to-door to see if there were any witnesses to this horrific murder, which is when they discovered that a male had been seen arriving at the property and leaving about an hour later dressed in a raincoat, and about 30 minutes before Father Whealan arrived. Now detectives had a brief description of who they believed was their murderer, they just had to find out who and where he was.

Upon a detective working on the murder inquiry of Doctor and Mrs Wood in Dundee seeing a listing in the Police Gazette about Henry John Gallagher having not returned to prison following his leave, he immediately shared his belief with other detectives that Henry may have made his way back to his hometown of Dundee and had been involved in the horrific murder of Dr and Mrs Wood. If this were the case then more people, particularly clergyman, could be at risk of being attacked or worse by Henry too. And so the detectives sought a recent photo of Henry Gallagher from Maidstone prison, which they then showed along with nine other photos of similar looking men to the lady at the club near the Woods’ home who had given directions to the Roman Catholic Bishop’s home located on Roseangle to an odd looking man, as well as to the housekeeper of said home who had confronted a man who had appeared in the garden of the Bishop’s home on late Saturday afternoon. Both witnesses, having looked at all ten photos, picked out the man they had seen on Saturday afternoon, who was that of Henry John Gallagher. The detectives were pretty sure they had discovered the identity of the murderer of Dr and Mrs Wood, however, before any inquiry could be carried out to find Henry Gallagher, word reached the Dundee detectives that an attack and murder had taken place in Ramsgate in England of an elderly priest and his housekeeper. The police immediately contacted Ramsgate detectives and informed them that they believed they were now both looking for the same man, advising them who this man was and what his background was. The hunt was now on to find Henry John Gallagher, a man who had so savagely attacked and murdered four people in the space of seven days, before he was able to strike again.

Upon Henry Gallagher walking away from Father Hull’s home and carrying out the brutal murders, he returned to meet the couple who had promised him new identification and paid them with some of the jewellery he had not long ago stolen from Father Hull’s home after murdering him. Henry then spent the night at the couple’s home, who had no idea of the horrific murders their house guest had committed. But at first light Henry fled Ramsgate, knowing it wouldn’t be long before the news broke about the attack and murder of Father Hull and his housekeeper, Maud. With the Dundee detectives having alerted the Ramsgate detectives of the likely murderer being Henry John Gallagher, it was immediately arranged by the Ramsgate police for a photo of Henry to be distributed to every newspaper in the country, with headlines stating, according to the Law Killers book, ‘Catch this man’ and ‘Danger Man’. However, back in Scotland, according to the Law Killers book, the newspapers in Scotland were not allowed to publish Henry’s picture in their publications as his identification might infringe on him having a fair trial. Thankfully, Henry wasn’t making his way back to Dundee as had been thought, but instead decided to stay in England, and, due to newspapers there being allowed to publish his photograph at will, Henry would find it harder and harder to evade capture.

Henry made his way back to London again, before eventually ending up in Brighton, about 53 miles or 86 kilometres south of London on the south coast, and it just so happened that the particular weekend Henry found himself in Brighton was when the town was packed with visiting skinheads. Thinking that if he too shaved his head then he might not only blend in more but it also may aid him in remaining undetected by the ever-present police. However, he did such a bad job of shaving his head, which caused many sore, bloodied cuts to it, that it actually had the opposite effect to what he was looking for. Next he tried to pretend he was a tourist and donned a loud colourful shirt, sunglasses and a camera, but again he only seemed to draw more and more attention to himself. He eventually had to flee Brighton as he had overheard the landlady of the guest house he was spending a few days in telling a member of staff that she believed the man who was staying with them was the man the police were seeking. From here, Henry made his way from town to town, always trying to keep on the move, and in one town he broke into a Salvation Army hall and stole £400, which in today’s money is about £2,000 or about $2,500. On the 29th of May 1980, a few days after fleeing from Brighton, Henry eventually ended up in York in England, about 281 miles or 452 kilometres from Dundee and about 273 miles or 439 kilometres from Brighton, where he found himself at the home of local vicar, Derek Hall, and his wife Dorothy. Upon Dorothy answering the door to the knock, Henry, looking worse for wear, asked if he could wash their car. As Dorothy replied that her husband was away from their home with the car just now, she had a nagging feeling that she had seen this man somewhere before. Henry accepted Dorothy’s reply and turned to leave, before Dorothy closed the door and went to a window to watch the dishevelled man walk away. At that point she realised where she had seen the man before, in the morning newspaper, he was a wanted man for murder! Dorothy immediately called the police to advise them she had just had the country’s most wanted man at her door, before going on to ring round every minister or priest in the area to warn them of the dangerous man who may come calling. Upon having the door closed on him with no prospect of cleaning the family’s car, Henry walked slowly off down the street, where after walking for almost a mile or 1.6 kilometres he came upon the home of Father Curristan. He approached the front door and knocked on it, but he received no answer. Henry then sat down on the doorstep and lit up a cigarette. However, Father Curristan was inside the property and had seen from an upstairs window the dishevelled man approach his home and knock on the door. Father Curristan, not recognising this man, made the decision not to answer the door to him, and in essence likely saved his own life. As he continued to watch the man sitting on his doorstep, the phone beside him began to ring. Father Curristan answered the telephone and would have been pleased with his decision not to answer the door, as on the other end of the phone was Dorothy Hall, the wife of vicar, Derek Hall, who was phoning to let Father Curristan know that a murderer the police were seeking was in the area and had not long been at her door, and telling him to be careful about answering his door. As Father Curristan listened in disbelief and relief at what Dorothy was telling him, he noticed a police car passing his home and that the man on the doorstep had got up and was beginning to head in the opposite direction. From his position at the upstairs window, Father Curristan saw the police turn round, approach the dishevelled man and talk to him. However, without any warning the man took off at great speed, and the police officers gave chase. After leading the police on a chase over fences and through back gardens, Henry eventually stopped, turned round and declared “Okay, you’ve got me”, and he was promptly arrested, 12 days after he committed the brutal murder of Dr Alexander Wood and Dorothy Wood back in Dundee.

Both Ramsgate detectives and Detective Jim Cameron from Dundee travelled to York to question Henry Gallagher about the murders in their respective towns. When the Ramsgate detectives questioned him, Henry straight away told them, according to the Courier newspaper, that he was going to come clean and wanted to get it all off his chest, to which he proceeded to make a full confession regarding the murders of Father Hull and his housekeeper Maud Lelean in Ramsgate. Following Henry’s confession to the murders in Ramsgate, it was then Detective Jim Cameron’s turn to question him about the murders in Dundee and, as he had done with the previous detectives, Henry Gallagher made a full confession to the murders of Dr and Mrs Wood, stating that he had kept hitting them both like he had gone crazy. He went on to say that he didn’t think he was right in the head, that he had to be cured and that if he went to prison when he came out there would be more. He also apparently stated that he had told all of this to a psychiatrist ten years before, but they didn’t take any notice. Henry Gallagher was then charged with the four murders.

As Henry was arrested in England, had failed to return to Maidstone prison in England after his leave, as well as two of the murders he was charged with being committed in England, it was decided that he would appear in court for the murders he committed in Ramsgate first, before any further cases would be heard. And, so, in December 1980 Henry Gallagher appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in England where he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Father Hull and Maud LeLean in Ramsgate on the grounds of diminished responsibility. However, at this time, following assessments and reports being prepared and heard by the judge, the judge made the decision that Henry Gallagher be detained at Broadmoor Hospital with a restriction without limit on his discharge.

According to nhs.uk Broadmoor Hospital is one of three high security psychiatric hospitals that specialise in providing assessment, treatment and care for men from London and the south of England.

A few days after Henry Gallagher was detained in Broadmoor Hospital, the Lord Advocate in Scotland announced his decision that no further action would be taken against Henry Gallagher in Scotland regarding the murders of Dr Alexander Wood and Dorothy Wood.

It is believed that Henry Gallagher remains in Broadmoor Hospital to this day, and therefore has never been tried in Scotland for the murders he committed in Dundee, and this murder case still remains unsolved, despite the confession to the murders by Henry Gallagher.

In 1994 a 22-page book was published by Henry Gallagher while still in Broadmoor hospital, where he detailed his life and the crimes he committed, including the murders of Dr Alexander Wood and his wife Dorothy. When Detective Jim Cameron heard about the book he said in an article in The Courier newspaper that he was delighted to hear that Henry Gallagher had finally confessed to the Dundee murders publicly, going on to say it had finally closed the case for him, and in his eyes justice had been done as Henry Gallagher was placed where he should have been because he was beyond saving.

2 Roseangle, despite changing hands numerous times since the horrific murders that happened there, has stood empty ever since.  Once such a magnificent home is now unrecognisable; being overgrown, all windows boarded up and having been vandalised inside and out.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode then I would be so grateful if you could leave a review or a rating on your listening platform, so that more people can find this podcast. I would love to get more Scottish Murders out there. Please also don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

So that’s it, come back next time for another episode of Scottish Murders.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

ALASTAIR THOMPSON v. HER MAJESTY’S ADVOCATE

Gordon Dunbar, 1992 – DD Tours

“Whenever I’ve heard the expression ‘pure evil’ over the last 25 years I’ve thought about Alastair Thompson”

Murderer who cut up his victim gets life | HeraldScotland

“Whenever I’ve heard the expression ‘pure evil’ over the last 25 years I’ve thought about Alastair Thompson”

Brian Kirk obituary: Superintendent who probed notorious Dundee murders

Detectives Found Human Tissue In Dundee Flat Body In Pond ‘to Look Like Accident’ Detectives Investigating The Murder Of A | Aberdeen Press and Journal | Friday 07 May 1993 | British Newspaper Archive

Murderer who cut up his victim gets life | HeraldScotland

Montrose Visitor Guide – Accommodation, Things To Do & More | VisitScotland

Dundee Law – Wikipedia

Pig’s Head ‘gift’ For Newsman In ” Casw? A Pig’s Head.was Thrown Through The Wfifidow or A Dundee Journalist’s* Home | Aberdeen Press and Journal | Wednesday 08 September 1993 | British Newspaper Archive

Law Murder Appeal Wins Continuation | Dundee Courier | Friday 13 May 1994 | British Newspaper Archive

About Sacro | Sacro

Murder-Accused Denied | Aberdeen Press and Journal | Wednesday 12 May 1993 | British Newspaper Archive

Butterburn Court | UK Housing Wiki | Fandom

National Summary and Outlook Thompson Has Appeal Continued | Dundee Courier | Saturday 22 January 1994 | British Newspaper Archive

Births, M Arri, Ages and Deaths Dunbar Murder: Appeal Lodged | Dundee Courier | Thursday 17 March 1994 | British Newspaper Archive

Demolition Of Butterburn & Bucklemaker Courts Hilltown Multi Dundee 30 JUNE 2013 – YouTube

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn

Researched and Written by Dawn Young

Produced and Edited by Dawn Young and Peter Bull

Voice Talent by Eleanor Morton

Production Company Name by Granny Robertson

Music:

Dawn of the Fairies by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Gothic Wedding by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Dawn:

Trigger warning. This episode contains gruesome details that some listeners may find disturbing, so listener discretion is advised.

Before I begin, a lot of the information for this story I got from The Law Killers by Alexander McGregor, which is a book all about murders that have happened in Dundee.

It was Christmas Eve 1992, some people were carrying out last minute preparations for the Christmas Day festivities the following day, while others had started the celebrations already and were enjoying a pint or two at their local pub. Also enjoying themselves that night were two women who had struck up a conversation with two men at Arthur’s Nightclub in St Andrew’s Lane in Dundee. The four had a great night at the nightclub drinking, dancing and laughing Christmas Eve away, and before they knew it it was well into Christmas Day. Wanting to keep the party going, at about 2.30am the women invited the men back to theirs to carry on drinking and partying and they both accepted. One of the men in particular was the life and soul of the small party, keeping the others entertained until about 5am when he finally left, and all would have agreed that they had a great night, and they wouldn’t have believed for one second that there had been a murderer in their midst.

James was really looking forward to Christmas Day this year as his half-brother, Gordon, would be coming to spend the day with his family and have his Christmas meal with them. James knew that Gordon had not had it easy lately and that he’d been quite despondent, so he hoped that Gordon being around all of his family would cheer him up.

Gordon Dunbar had returned to Dundee recently having lived in France for a time with his French partner. Gordon and his male partner had opened up a café in Arras in France, which had proved very popular with the gay community. However, sadly, Gordon and his partner had split up and the business had failed, resulting in a heartbroken Gorden returning to Dundee. Gordon had lived in Scotland since the age of 11, having grown up in the Belgium Congo, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with his parents. It’s not known what happened to Gordon’s parents but at the age of 11 Gordon moved to Scotland and lived with his aunt in Montrose, which is about 38 miles or 61 kilometres north of Dundee. As a young man, Gordon had become an architect and worked for the city on some big local projects. Upon Gordon’s aunt dying he received an inheritance, which is when he moved to France to begin a new life.

However, that life was now well and truly behind Gordon, as in December 1992 he was living in a hostel in Dundee for the homeless and unemployed. According to The Law Killers book, Gordon’s fellow residents at the hostel said that he was colourful in appearance but responsible, quiet and friendly, and that he made no secret about the fact he was gay. Gordon was also said to like jewellery and wore a single earring and a nine carat gold bracelet, which had been made from his grandfather’s watch chain.

The last time Gordon had been seen was on Christmas Eve 1992. He had left the hostel where he was living in the late morning wearing his distinctive long coat and said he was going to visit at the town centre. He was next seen in a bar in Union Street where he spent some time having a festive drink or two with some of the residents from the hostel, before leaving here about 6.30pm and heading to another bar a few yards along the same street. He stayed here for about 15 minutes before leaving, and it was said that he had been alone. Gordon next attended a grocery shop in Hilltown, about a 19 minute walk from the pub, where he bought, according to The Law Killers book, cheese, garlic, granules and powdered soup. Gordon Dunbar wasn’t seen alive again. So where had Gordon gone after leaving the grocery shop?

On Christmas Day, James was disappointed that his half-brother Gordon didn’t turn up for the planned Christmas meal, but he wasn’t initially concerned, maybe Gordon was having a bad day and didn’t feel like spending his time celebrating with his family, maybe it just felt too much for him at this time.  And so the family carried on without Gordon; they ate, opened presents and had a merry time. However, as the days went by and James didn’t hear from Gordon his annoyance at Gordon not even calling to apologise turned to worry, and then fear, when he phoned the hostel where Gordon was staying to be told by the landlord that Gordon hadn’t been seen since Christmas Eve, a week earlier.  This was the point that James began to pray that the body parts that had been found on Dundee Law were not those of his brother, Gordon Dunbar.

Sergeant Ronald Fyffe had enjoyed having Christmas Day and a few days afterwards off to spend time with his wife and young daughter, but it was now the 30th of December and it was time to get back to some normality at the police station. Ronald was in charge of Tayside Police’s dog section and was in charge himself of two Alsatians, Dirk and Tyke, who he exercised up to five times a day on Dundee Law, which was close to his home.

According to Wikipedia, Dundee Law is a hill in the centre of Dundee. It has a war memorial at its summit, is the highest point in the city and is the most prominent feature on the local skyline. Apparently, The Law is what remains of a volcanic sill, which is the result of volcanic activity around 400 million years ago.

Ronald had been called to the police station to take care of other business and, so, on the 30th of December 1992 the morning exercise of the two dogs had fallen to Ronald’s young daughter. She didn’t mind though as Dirk and Tyke were part of the family. Ronald’s young daughter led Dirk and Tyke to Law Road at the bottom of Dundee Law before taking their leads off, expecting them to tear up The Law leaving her to chase after them. But they didn’t do this. Instead the two dogs went straight to three plastic bags that had been left in a grassy area at the bottom of The Law on Law Road. Ronald’s young daughter assumed this was just household rubbish that had been left there and went towards the dogs to shoo them away. However, by the time she reached the dogs and the plastic bags the two dogs had torn one of the bags open, revealing to Ronald’s daughter as she grew closer a severed human arm and hand. Ronald’s young daughter, in a state of fright, put the leads back on the two Alsatians and ran home, where she told her mother what she had seen. Her mother, Pamela, had no doubt her young daughter was telling the truth as she was clearly distressed, and so Pamela immediately called her husband, Ronald, at the police station.

Before long there was a large police presence at the bottom of Dundee Law on Law Road. The two other plastic bags that had been left at the bottom of The Law were opened and revealed, according to The Law Killers book, part of the upper portion of a human torso in one bag and the lower human torso section and upper arm in the other bag. As there was no head found at this time, it made identifying the victim tricky.

Before an appeal could be made to try and identify the killer, firstly the victim had to be identified, and so the parts of the body that had been found were forensically examined and tested until finally the police had a description of sorts to be able to appeal to the public for information on the 31st of December 1992. They advised that from examining the male body parts that had been found on the law on the 30th of December, it could be determined that the male had, according to The Law Killers book, at one time undergone surgery to his stomach and had suffered a fracture to four ribs.  Marks on his left wrist also indicated that a thick bracelet of some kind had regularly been worn there. It was also stated that the male had well maintained hands with fairly long, well manicured fingernails, and was also suntanned. He was thought to be aged between 30 to 50 and be about 5 feet 10 inches or 1.5 metres tall. What wasn’t put in the appeal that had also been found out while examining the body parts was that there had been anal tearing identified, suggesting that the male victim could have been homosexual and that sex may have taken place shortly before his murder.

Keen to find the remaining body parts to be able to build a better picture of how the victim had died, the police, according to The Law Killers book, carried out extensive searches, including sifting through more than 100 tons of Dundee domestic rubbish due to being incinerated. However, despite the extensive searches and the appeal, no further body parts were found at this time.

The police at this point had done all they could, they now needed someone to come forward who recognised the description in the appeal, someone who could positively identify the victim.

James knew he had to phone the police upon hearing the appeal about the male body parts that had been found, but he was in complete shock. Not his brother. It couldn’t possibly be his lovely, kind, quiet brother who the police were describing. But he knew deep down that it was. He knew that his brother had had abdominal surgery, he knew that his brother had four ribs broken one time when he was mugged, he knew his brother took care of himself and had regular manicures, he knew it was him they were describing, he knew. James, with tears in his eyes, picked up the telephone and called the police to let them know that he believed the body parts they had found were his brother, 52 year old Gordon Dunbar.

Upon the police receiving the telephone call from James Dunbar, who confirmed that his brother Gordon had had stomach surgery and previously had four ribs broken, as well as confirming that his brother was homosexual, the police and forensics wasted no time in attending Anchor House, where James mentioned Gordon had been living. Gordon’s room was forensically examined and fingerprints and DNA were collected, which were positively matched to that of the body parts. Now the police had identified the victim as being Gordon Dunbar, they now just needed to identify his murderer. And so they issued another appeal asking for people to come forward if they had any information around Gordon Dunbar’s murder.

While the police waited for information to come in, they began to try and trace Gordon’s last known movements. They began by talking to his fellow residents at Anchor House Hostel, and a few of them said that they had had a drink with Gordon at a bar in Union Street, before he left about 6.30pm to head to another pub further along the street, confirming that he was wearing his distinctive long coat. They also confirmed that Gordon had left the pub alone and that he hadn’t said he was meeting anyone. The police also spoke to Gordon’s landlord at Anchor House, who said that Gordon had left early morning on Christmas Eve saying that he was heading into Dundee, and he said he had been wearing his distinctive long coat. The police were keen to find out Gordon’s movements while he was in Dundee that day, and the search of Gordon’s room at Anchor House would soon turn up some answers. Gordon’s bank had posted out a statement, and upon closer inspection it showed that Gordon had attended his bank on the morning of Christmas Eve, where he had deposited £60 or $75. However, another transaction on the bank statement that occurred on the evening of Christmas Eve caught the detectives eye. It appeared that Gordon had withdrawn £150 or $188 from a cash machine at 9.22pm on Christmas Eve in Commercial Street, which is a two-minute walk from where Gordon was last seen in Union Street and a 34-minute walk from where some of Gordon’s body parts were found at the bottom of Dundee Law. But why would Gordon deposit money on Christmas Eve morning and then withdraw over double the amount again that same evening? Was it perhaps the killer who had done this?

The police then began receiving information from the public which further helped them trace Gordon’s movements on Christmas Eve. A grocery shop owner told the police that he had served Gordon in his shop on Christmas Eve shortly after 7pm, where he had bought cheese, garlic granules and powdered soup. The bags that the body parts had been found in were also forensically examined and it was established that they had been from a particular batch that had been supplied to Spar shops in Dundee, and the closest Spar shop where the body parts had been found was in Hilltown, about a 19 minute walk from Dundee Law, and also the same area where Gordon had bought his groceries on Christmas Eve. So, the police were starting to build a picture of Gordon’s movements that fateful evening. However, his grocery purchases, speaking to the residents and landlord at Gordon’s hostel and from forensically examining Gordon’s room, wasn’t taking the police any closer to identifying a suspect.

That was until the 8th of January 1993 when police received a phone call from a male living in Perth, about 22 miles or 35 kilometres from Dundee, saying that a man called Alistair Thompson had spent the New Year weekend in Perth and that he’d talked in great detail about the Dundee Law murder.

Alistair Thompson was known to the police as in 1967, when he was 18 years old, he had been given a life sentence and ordered to spend at least 16 years in prison before being eligible for parole, having been found guilty of murdering his grandmother by stabbing her 16 times with a carving knife in a frenzied attack, before hitting her in the head twice with a hammer, smashing her skull. Alistair had spent his 16 year sentence in Perth prison, and upon being released in 1984 on license he married a social worker that he had met while in prison. The marriage didn’t last long though and Alistair had moved to England. However, he found himself back in prison again in 1989 having been charged with serious assault, for which he spent two years and six months in prison for. He was released in January 1992, where he returned to Dundee and secured a job working, according to The Law Killers book, as a resident caretaker at a home used by the Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, whose aim, according to sacro.org.uk is to provide a wide range of direct, innovative services in community justice, public protection and care and housing, which are all designed to help build safe communities by reducing conflict and offending, and at the time of Gordon Dunbar’s murder 43 year old Alistair Thompson was still working as the caretaker for this organisation.

Upon receiving the phone call from the male from Perth who gave Alistair Thompson’s name as possibly being connected to Gordon Dunbar’s brutal murder and dismemberment, detectives headed to Perth to take a statement from the man, and any other potential witnesses they could trace. Following the visit to Perth, the police not only came away with statements from witnesses who had been in Alistair’s company on the New Year weekend in Perth, but also in possession of an antique gold chain that Alistair had given to a female he knew in Perth, which matched exactly the gold chain that Gordon wore on his left wrist. With the police feeling confident they had enough evidence to arrest Alistair Thompson for the murder of Gordon Dunbar, they arrived at the home where Alistair Thompson was a residential caretaker and had a room and arrested him and took him to the station for questioning.

While Alistair was at the police station, police and forensics officers were examining Alistair’s room, and what they found cemented their belief that Alistair Thompson was the man who had murdered Gordon Dunbar. Hidden in a suitcase under Alistair Thompson’s bed was a blood-stained shirt, trousers and a t-shirt. Also found in the room was a block of cheese, garlic granules and powdered soup, the exact items Gordon had bought at a local grocers before disappearing. A scrap of paper with four numbers written on it was also found in the room, as well as a distinctive long coat, which would later be identified as Gordon’s by his brother. But it was a set of keys found in Alistair Thompson’s room that was even more interesting.  It was quickly established that none of the keys opened any door in the property he was living in. But the mystery surrounding where the keys did open would soon be solved, when an electricity bill with the address 91 Butterburn Court on it was also found in Alistair’s room. And it just so happened the Butterburn Court was located close to Dundee Law, and overlooked the exact place where the body parts in plastic bags had been found.

According to the website UK Housing, Butterburn Court was built in 1971, and, at 67 metres or 220 feet tall, it was one of Dundee’s tallest tower blocks, with flat 91 being on the ninth floor of the 22 floors.

After a few checks it was determined that the occupant of 91 Butterburn Court was that of a murderer who was out on license. Could this male also have been involved in the murder of Gordon Dunbar? No, he wasn’t, as it was quickly established that the man who had once occupied the flat at 91 Butterburn Court had left Dundee and moved to London two months prior. Just how Alistair Thompson had come to have the keys of 91 Butterburn Court was never determined, but it was likely that he and the occupant of the flat had been acquaintances in prison, or he and Alistair Thompson had become known to one another through the Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders Organisation, where Alistair was currently a residential caretaker for them, and perhaps the occupant had handed the keys to Alistair upon him leaving, assuming that Alistair would arrange for a new occupant to move into 91 Butterburn Court. Little did the previous occupant know that Alistair had other ideas of how the flat could be used.

Having discovered the Butterburn Court address and still having the set of keys that didn’t fit in any of the locks at Alistair’s lodgings, the police set off to Butterburn Court, and soon discovered that this indeed was the property where the keys fitted. Upon unlocking the door, the police opened the door of the flat and entered.

Back at the premises where Alistair was residing, while his room was being forensically examined, his fellow residents were being questioned to see if they could remember anything odd about Alistair on Christmas Eve 1992, and the police wouldn’t be disappointed. According to a couple of residents, on Christmas Eve Alistair had returned to the premises shortly before 10.30pm. They said he had been very jovial, flashing cash that he said he had won on the races and wearing a distinctive long coat that he said had been given to him by a female friend as an early Christmas present. They said he had then washed, changed his clothes and headed back out again to enjoy the rest of the Christmas Eve celebrations. Armed with this information, and the evidence that had been found in his room, detectives returned to the police station to question Alistair Thompson about his involvement in Gordon Dunbar’s murder. They started by asking what his relationship to Gordon Dunbar was, how did he know him, and had he had sex with him, to which Alistair stated that he had never been in the company of Gordon Dunbar, he didn’t know him and denied having sex with him. The police then asked how he had come to be in possession of Gordon’s gold chain, as well as a key fob of Gordon’s, which had also been given to another acquaintance of Alistair’s in Perth, to which Alistair stated that he had found both items on the street in Dundee and he had just picked them up, going on to say that, yes, he had given them to acquaintances of his.  The detectives followed up by asking how Gordon’s exact shopping purchases had come to be in Alistair’s room, to which Alistair just shrugged. They asked about the blood-soaked clothing under his bed, but again he just shrugged. Detectives realised they wouldn’t be getting a confession from Alistair, but they were still confident they had more than enough evidence to prove that Alistair had been involved in Gordon’s murder, which was just about to be compounded when police officers opened the door to 91 Butterburn Court.

Upon officers opening the flat door of 91 Butterburn court and walking into the living area, they saw plastic bags similar to the ones that the body parts had been found in. They also found a roll of tape similar to what had been used to seal the plastic bags the body parts had been in. Officers were already feeling pretty sure that this is where the body of Gordon Dunbar had been dismembered, however, their suspicions were confirmed when they walked into the bathroom and found it splattered with blood and body tissue, and on the bathroom floor lay two hacksaws; one broken but both covered in blood. The whole flat was subsequently forensically examined, which only further confirmed Alistair Thompson’s involvement in the murder and dismemberment of Gordon Dunbar. However, back at the police station, upon these latest developments being passed onto the detectives questioning Alistair, he was told he was going to be charged with the murder and dismemberment of Gordon Dunbar, but firstly he was asked, according to the Aberdeen Press and Journal on the 12th of May 1993, if he could help with the recovery of the missing pieces of Gordon’s body, for the sake of Gordon’s family, to which Alistair replied that he knew nothing whatsoever about the murder of Gordon Dunbar. He was then taken away to be held in custody until his trial, while the police continued to take statements from witnesses who called in with information, as well as the results becoming available from the forensic examination of Alistair’s room and 91 Butterburn Court, which all pointed to Alistair Thompson being Gordon’s murderer.

As word spread around Dundee about Gordon’s murder and dismemberment, more and more people came forward with information. One of which was a male who had apparently been the one to lend Alistair the hacksaws, and he had a very interesting story to tell. According to The Law Killers book, this male said that Alistair had asked him on Christmas Day if he could borrow a hacksaw so he could cut up some pipes. However, the very next day Alistair approached his friend again saying that the hacksaw had broken and could he borrow another one, and at which point he admitted his friend that he was using the hacksaws to try and cut up a body, which apparently he was doing for two hitmen from Glasgow who had actually killed the man he was trying to dispose of. Apparently Alistair continued by saying that he’d already disposed of some of the body parts having placed them in plastic bags and taken them to Dudhope Park, an 18-minute walk from Dundee Law and Butterburn Court. He went on to say that he had also disposed of the head of Gordon already by putting it in a skip. He also said that he would be dumping the rest of the body parts at Dundee Law as it was closer. Apparently Alistair also asked the same man if he had an open fire in his home as he wanted to get rid of Gordon Dunbar’s bank card, with the man confirming to the police that Alistair did actually use Gordon Dunbar’s name when referring to the man he was dismembering. The man he had told this to, who was now recounting the conversation to the police, said that he thought Alistair was just joking. However, the police took this very seriously and a team of officers went to Dudhope Park to carry out a search of the area, where they did in fact uncover more of the same plastic bags that had been dumped at the bottom of Dundee Law. Upon forensics being called to the scene, the bags were opened and revealed a lower leg, feet, one of which was in a lady’s stocking, and the remaining arm. Sadly, Gordon’s head and the rest of his upper torso were never found. The police already had so much evidence against Alistair, as well as numerous witnesses coming forward, but the icing on the cake came from forensics.

According to the Press and Journal on the 12th of May 1993, DNA profiling had been carried out on samples taken from a shirt found at the hostel where Alistair Thompson lived and a rug from the Butterburn Court flat, and were found to match those taken from the body parts, with an estimated probability of the DNA profile from the shirt and rug samples matching someone other than the deceased being less than one in 57 million. Also, according to the Press and Journal on the 7th of May 1993, fingerprints matching Alistair Thompson were found on a glass that had been in the flat at 91 Butterburn Court. So, now Alistair Thompson could categorically be placed in the flat where Gordon Dunbar had been murdered and dismembered.  The police now believed they had a good idea of the events that had taken place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they just needed the results of the post-mortem to confirm exactly how Gordon had died.

On Christmas Eve morning Gordon had gone into Dundee town centre and had deposited some money at his bank, before spending some time around Dundee. He then attended a pub on Union Street, where he spent some time in the company of fellow residents of Anchor House. About 6.30pm he left this pub and went to another one a few yards along the same street, where he had one drink then left about 6.45pm. He then made his way to the Hilltown area, about a 19 minute walk from Union Street, where he stopped at the grocery shop and bought cheese, garlic granules and powdered soup, before leaving the shop. It is believed that he met Alistair Thompson upon leaving this shop to walk home. Upon meeting Alistair Thompson, Gordon must have been persuaded somehow to accompany Alistair to the flat at Butterburn Court, which is a 19 minute walk from the Hilltown area, presumably to have sex. Upon entering the Butterburn Court flat, it appears things carried on in that vein as the post-mortem showed that Gordon did have sex, it just wasn’t clear if this happened before or after his death. However, at some point things turned sinister when Alistair is presumed to have threatened Gordon and robbed him, taking his gold chain from his wrist, his bank card, his long distinctive coat, and a key fob, before making Gordon write down his bank card code, which was later found on a scrap bit of paper in his room. The results of the post-mortem showed that Alistair had then proceeded to brutally punch and kick Gordon before stabbing him repeatedly, with a stab to Gordon’s heart being the cause of death. Alistair then put on Gordon’s distinctive long coat, presumably to hide the blood that would have been on him, then picked up Gordon’s bag with the groceries in it and left the flat. Alistair then walked to a cash machine and used Gordon’s bank card to withdraw £150 or $188 from his account using the four-digit bank code he had forced Gordon to give him, before he returned to his residence where he chatted with his fellow residents who asked him where he had got his distinctive long coat,

with Alistair saying it was an early Christmas present from a female friend. He then headed to his room where he washed and changed his clothes, before he left his room and Gordon’s groceries behind. He then headed to Arthur’s Nightclub in St Andrew’s Lane where he drank, danced, laughed and saw in Christmas Day, before accompanying two women and a male he had met that night to the female’s home, where he continued to party until 5am before leaving. Later on Christmas Day, he then asked his friend for a hacksaw, before returning to Butterburn Court flat where he carried Gordon’s body into the bathroom and placed it in the bath before beginning to dismember his body. He then placed the body parts in plastic bags, which he dumped at Dudhope Park and at the base of Dundee Law. After carrying out this atrocious act, he then travelled the 22 miles or 35 kilometres to Perth where he spent it with friends seeing in the New Year, and giving two of the friends Gordon’s wrist chain and key fob.

The trial began on the 5th of May 1993 at the High Court in Edinburgh, where Alistair Thompson faced the charge of murdering Gordon Dunbar and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by dismembering his body. At the trial all the evidence, including photographs of the scene of the crime and the post-mortem, were presented and witnesses gave their testimony. Alistair Thompson did not take to the stand, but his defence was that he had no part in the murder of Gordon Dunbar and that he had merely helped the two hitmen who had murdered Gordon by getting rid of Gordon’s body for them. No, the members of the jury didn’t believe that story either and on the 13th of May 1993, after an hour and ten minutes of deliberating, the jury returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty.  Before Judge Lord Weir gave Alistair Thompson his sentence he addressed the jury, telling them that “I would not have wished your task on my worst enemy. You have had to listen to sordid, distasteful and horrendous evidence.” He then turned his attention to 43 year old Alistair Thompson, where he gave him a life sentence and to spend at least 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole for his “nauseating and barbaric crimes”. Alistair was then led away.

One reporter who was present at the trial as the guilty verdict was read out stated in The Courier newspaper on the 30th of December 2017 that he would never forget Alistair’s chilling stare in court that he directed to anyone who looked at him after the guilty verdict was returned, and he called them his evil eyes.

And that should have been the end of Alistair Thompson, and Gordon Dunbar’s family should have been able to grieve in peace, but Alistair Thompson had other ideas. Firstly, there were the appeals. One appeal, which was issued shortly after Alistair’s conviction, was subsequently withdrawn, however, in 1994 a second appeal was issued which alleged a miscarriage of justice due to the fact that there was apparently insufficient evidence for the jury to return a guilty verdict on the murder charge, however, as expected, this appeal was duly refused. Then in 2002 a third appeal was issued, which Alistair Thompson conducted himself, this time on the grounds of Judge Lord Weir fixing Alistair Thompson’s punishment part of his sentence to a minimum of 20 years, which Alistair felt was excessive. However, following the appeal judges going through the trial documentation and taking note not only of the barbaric murder but also the act of dismembering Gordon’s body to avoid detection, the trial judges were not persuaded that the punishment period selected by Judge Lord Weir was, excessive, and therefore the appeal was refused. But still Gordon’s family couldn’t grieve in peace. What could only be described as a final act of malice, Alistair Thompson then wrote a letter to Gordon Dunbar’s family offering to tell them where he had hidden the remaining parts of Gordon’s body. According to the Courier newspaper on the 30th of December 2017, in the same letter Alistair also expressed regret over the murder of Gordon and for the pain and anguish it had caused, before going on to offer Gordon’s family a full account of exactly what had taken place on Christmas Eve 1992. Disgusted by this and simply wanting to be left alone to try and go on with their lives, Gordon’s family took legal action to ensure they did not receive any further correspondence from Alistair Thompson.

Alistair died behind bars in 2010 from a heart attack.

Gordon’s brother, James, who lives in Carnoustie, said in an article in The Courier newspaper on the 30th of December 2017, 25 years after his brothers brutal murder, that he still hasn’t come to terms with the events that happened in Butterburn Court. He went on to say that “When I cross the Tay Road Bridge and see the profile of Dundee and the Law, I can’t help but think of my brother. Once it is out of view, it goes to the back of my mind again, but it doesn’t go away.”

On the 30th of June 2013 Butterburn Court was demolished by a controlled explosion.

So that’s it. Come back next time for another episode of Scottish Murders.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murder is a production of Cluarantonn.

Andrew Hunter – murder – 1989 – murder Dundee Street, Carnoustie

Husband loses murder appeal | HeraldScotland

JUTE, JAM AND MURDER; REMEMBERED THE KILLINGS THAT ROCKED CITY OF DISCOVERY Reporter on bloody deaths on Tayside. – Free Online Library

PressReader.com – Did Crimewatch unmask a Scottish Serial Killer

Wife-killer Hunter matched photo-fit of Templeton Woods murderer

Husband loses murder appeal | HeraldScotland

A sex-mad killer in the Salvation Army – Daily Record

Landmark dog lead strangler ‘Crimewatch’ murder trial remembered 30 years on by community

Templeton Woods: Did Angus Sinclair’s brother-in-law murder two Dundee women?

Dundee: The Good Samaritan | Crime+Investigation UK

The law killers: True Crime from Dundee: Amazon.co.uk: Alexander McGregor: 9781845027247: Books

Former Lover Alleges Accused Said He Would Not ‘Feel Guilty This Time’ | Dundee Courier | Friday 22 July 1988 | British Newspaper Archive

Four Assaults On Lynda, Says Statement | Dundee Courier | Friday 22 July 1988 | British Newspaper Archive

Hunter Murder Triai Solicitor-General Mr Peter Fraser, In His Summing Up For The Crown, Said The Court In Which | Dundee Courier | Tuesday 02 August 1988 | British Newspaper Archive

Carnoustie Visitor Guide – Accommodation, Things To Do & More | VisitScotland

Carnoustie – Wikipedia

Crimewatch – Wikipedia

Glenrothes – Wikipedia

New website will celebrate Dundee Law (thecourier.co.uk)

Crimewatch UK – Scottish Crimes (1984 – 1998) – YouTube

Crimewatch UK December 1987 – YouTube

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn

Researched and Written by Dawn Young

Produced and Edited by Dawn Young and Peter Bull

Voice Talent by Eleanor Morton

Production Company Name by Granny Robertson

Music:

Dawn of the Fairies by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Gothic Wedding by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Dawn:

Trigger warning – This episode covers the topic of suicide.

Introduction by Eleanor Morton

Welcome Wee Ones to Scottish Murders. Dawn will shortly be taking you through a solved or unsolved murder involving people from or living in Scotland. So get ready to hear about the darker side of Bonnie Scotland.

Dawn:

This episode is part of the Dundee themed month which was suggested by Mhairi from New Zealand, who gave Scottish Murders a wonderful review on Apple podcasts. Thank you Mhairi, I hope I do the Dundee murders I’ve chosen to cover justice.

On Saturday the 22nd of August 1987 about 7pm, the police received a phone call from Andrew Hunter who was reporting his 30 year old wife Lynda missing, after she had left the family home on Friday the 21st of August about 10.30am with her beloved 14 year old cross collie dog Shep, in their white Cavalier Anteeb car. When police officers went out to take more information from Andrew, he reported that Lynda had recently discovered she was pregnant, about six weeks, and had been suffering awful morning sickness. He said that on Friday the 21st of August both he and Lynda had the day off from work. Lynda was the second in charge at a residential care home for the elderly and worked mainly night shifts. Andrew said about 10am on Friday he had driven Lynda to a local chemist where she had tried to buy something to help with her nausea, but had no luck and so she tried her doctor’s surgery which was just around the corner, but there had been no GP available and she was to call back later. Andrew said he had then driven an irritated a nauseous Lynda back home, where she went upstairs and proceeded to pack her bag for work, although she wasn’t due at work until 3pm the following day, and then she left the house. 

*Crimewatch programme audio reconstruction clip starts*

Crimewatch Host:

For some reason she began to pack the bag she used for her night shift, though she wasn’t due at work until the following afternoon. Maybe she was going to her parents.

Lynda from reconstruction:

 I’m going out. You can pick up the car from work tomorrow at 3pm.

Lynda’s husband from reconstruction:

Well I did need the car Lynda. But if you’re going to Dundee you could give me a lift.

Lynda from reconstruction:

If you’re ready now then come, if not you can get the bus. Come on Shep.

Lynda’s husband from reconstruction:

Well just give us a minute and I’ll go get my files.

Crimewatch Host:

Neither Lynda nor Shep have been seen since.

*Crimewatch programme audio reconstruction clip ends*

Dawn:

That was part of a reconstruction from the BBC program Crimewatch, which was broadcast in December 1987, and Lynda’s case was the first Scottish case to appear on the programme. Before Andrew could collect his things together Lynda had left the home and driven off. Andrew said he presumed that Lynda had gone to her parents house who lived in Glenrothes, which is about 36 miles or 58 kilometres south of where Lynda lived in Carnoustie, as she was very close to her parents, calling them every other day and often staying with them.

According to Visit Scotland, Carnoustie is a small town situated on the east coast of Scotland about 12 miles or 19 kilometres north east of Dundee, and is famed for its championship golf course, as well as swimming, sailing, windsurfing and fishing being enjoyed at the bay.

Andrew went on to tell the police that he was surprised when Lynda’s sister, Sandra, turned up at their door on the Friday afternoon for a pre-arranged meeting with Lynda, as he thought Sandra would have seen Lynda in Glenrothes where Sandra and her parents both lived, but he thought Lynda had maybe just forgotten Sandra was coming to their home. It wasn’t until the Saturday when he had gone to Lynda’s work at 3pm, Lynda’s start time, to pick up the car to discover that neither Lynda nor their car were there. Police did feel that Lynda’s disappearance was strange and so a description of both Lynda and their distinctive white Cavalier Anteeb car was circulated. However, when Lynda’s car was discovered a day later, what the police had deemed as Lynda’s strange disappearance changed to them becoming concerned for her welfare.

About 10 past 9 on Saturday the 22nd of August in the morning, before Lynda was even reported missing, Lynda’s car had been given a parking ticket having been found double parked behind a railway station in Manchester, England, about 297 miles or 478 kilometres away from her home in Carnoustie. However, it wasn’t until the following evening, Sunday the 23rd of August, when about 6.15pm a passing policeman noticed that the same car had been broken into and the radio cassette had been taken. When the police officer radioed for the car registration number to be checked, it only then was discovered that the white Cavalier Anteeb car belonged to a Lynda Hunter, and that she had been reported missing. The police who had issued the missing person report were immediately notified about Lynda’s car being found and it was arranged for the car to be transported back to Scotland to be forensically examined. But now the police had a mystery on their hands. Where was Lynda? And why would she have driven to Manchester, abandoned her car and then disappeared? The police needed to build a picture of Lynda’s life and her mental state on the lead up to her disappearance and so, knowing how close Lynda was with her sister, Sandra, they started by paying her a visit.

Sandra was asked when she had last seen her sister and she replied that it had been Thursday the 13th of August, eight days before Lynda disappeared. She said Lynda had driven to her home in Glenrothes and the pair had spent the afternoon talking. When asked what the pair had spoken about Sandra had said that Lynda had told her she was pregnant, going on to say that Lynda was overjoyed, although it was slightly marred as Lynda had been suffering terrible morning sickness. When asked if the pair had spoken about Andrew or Lynda’s relationship with him, Sandra mentioned that, yes, Lynda had said that they had been having some marital problems and they had been arguing, but Sandra stated that she didn’t think it was anything serious and she thought it would likely blow over. I mean, Lynda had been pregnant, which she had always wanted and was delighted about, she had married the man she loved, she lived in a nice house, had a great job and was earning good money. What more could she want? Sandra said the last time she had seen or spoken to Lynda was as she watched her drive away from her home after the visit on the 13th of August, after Sandra had agreed to come to Lynda’s home on the afternoon of the 21st of August so they could spend the afternoon together, a meeting that Lynda never showed up for. Sandra did mention that she had been concerned about Lynda not showing up and she had called her parents and Lynda’s friend and ex-partner, Ian Glover, but they hadn’t seen Lynda. Concerned for her sister but thinking that she may simply have forgotten, Sandra said she spent the afternoon and early evening with Lynda’s husband, Andrew, until finally heading back to her home in Glenrothes about 6.30pm.

Lynda Cairns had grown up in Glenrothes, which according to Wikipedia is a town situated in east central Scotland approximately 30 miles or 48 kilometres south of Dundee, with her parents and younger sister Sandra. According to the Law Killers book by Alexander McGregor, Lynda had led a life devoted to helping others. As a youngster, Lynda had such a caring nature and she just wanted to help people, and so she became a girl guide and then a girl guide leader. As an adult, she then moved to Aberdeen, in the northeast of Scotland, to gain teacher training experience, where she worked with children with mental disabilities, and she also became a Samaritan. Following completing her teacher training, Lynda moved to London and continued to work with children with mental disabilities. She really did have such a caring nature, which again was evident when she left London and moved to Dundee, where she worked as a social worker so she could be nearer her parents, who she adored, who lived in nearby Glenrothes as their health had deteriorated significantly. Lynda then met Dr Ian Glover in December 1980 when they both lived in Dundee, and the pair had quickly fallen in love. When Lynda’s parents health improved slightly, she then decided to move to Edinburgh for a training course, and Ian agreed to move there with her too, and by April 1982 they were living happily together in Edinburgh. Upon Lynda’s course finishing, the pair then decided to move back to Dundee, buying a house together in Broadford Terrace in Broughty Ferry, which is about a 10 minute drive east of Dundee. Initially the couple had a loving sexual relationship, however, around about July 1983 their relationship became platonic, with the pair agreeing to be just friends, but they continued to live together, sleeping in separate bedrooms. Lynda then met Andrew Hunter sometime in late 1984, when Lynda would have been 27 years old and Andrew would have been 33 years old. They both had moved to Broughty Ferry and lived across the street from each other on Broadford Terrace; Andrew with his wife, Christine, whom he had married in 1974, and their nine-year-old son Colin, and Lynda with her ex-partner Dr Ian Glover. By this time Lynda, who had such a caring and giving nature, had been working for the Samaritans for many years and was a fully qualified social worker, and so when her neighbour, Andrew Hunter, approached Lynda to ask if she would help him to gain a qualification in social work too, Lynda was only too happy to help him study. The two grew closer, found that they had lots in common, including wild uninhibited sex, and eventually they embarked on an affair. When Ian found out about Andrew and Lynda’s affair in December 1984 he wasn’t surprised, having suspected earlier that something was going on between them. Andrew’s wife, Christine, however had not suspected anything, and when she also found out in December 1984 about her husband’s affair she was distraught and pleaded that the pair ended their affair immediately, which Andrew agreed to. However, his affair with Lynda began again within weeks, with Lynda finally moving out of the house she shared with Ian Glover in July 1985 and moving to a new house she bought in Carnoustie, and she expected Andrew to join her there. However, for a time Andrew was happy to have the best of both worlds, going between his wife and lover, but he soon did leave his wife and son and move in with Lynda, but he still maintained contact with his son. While Lynda moving out of the home she shared with Ian Glover didn’t affect Ian too much and the pair continued to remain close friends, the same could not be said for Christine, she was distraught by the ending of her marriage and became depressed.

 On the 14th of December 1985, about three months after Andrew had finally left his wife, Christine dropped her and Andrew’s son at the children’s home where Andrew worked so Andrew could spend some time with his son. Andrew took his son, Colin, to the cinema and then they had their tea together, before Andrew returned his son to the family home as planned. Despite Andrew’s persistent knocking on the door and shouting through the letterbox, Christine did not answer the door. He became worried as he knew Christine was home as her car was in the drive and the lights were on in the home, so Andrew went across the street to Ian Glover’s home, as both he and Lynda were still friendly with him but mainly Lynda, to ask if he could use his phone to try to get an answer from Christine, but there was still no reply. Beginning to panic Andrew then went to a neighbour who had a spare key to the property, before running back to the family home and opening the door. It appeared that Christine had been unable to cope with the ending of her marriage, unable to cope with the betrayal of her husband, and sadly she had ended her life, a fact that Andrew took very hard, and took out on someone close to him.

While the police were trying to gain a better picture of Lynda, her mental state and her marriage to Andrew, forensic teams were working on Lynda’s car, and what they found only further deepened the mysterious disappearance of Lynda. Firstly, it was noted that the driver’s seat had been set for someone much taller than Lynda. So, if Lynda hadn’t driven the car to Manchester then who had? Also, the two grey front seat covers had been removed, as well as the passenger floor mat. This strongly indicated to the police that someone was trying to hide forensic evidence. But stranger still, the spare wheel from the back of the car had been fitted to the front offside, suggesting the driver had had a flat tyre that needed changing somewhere on the journey from Carnoustie to Manchester. However, the damaged wheel and tyre, along with the tools to replace a tyre, were all missing. What was found in the boot space was Lynda’s handbag and the bag she had packed for work. Lynda’s three credit cards and £30 or $38 in cash was missing, but medication Lynda’s dog Shep needed for a heart and bladder condition were still there in Lynda’s bag. Also found in the boot space of the car was a single earring that belonged to Lynda. While the police had initially believed that there would be an explanation for Lynda’s disappearance, that perhaps she just needed some time to herself, the more days that went by and the more they found out about Lynda and her relationship with Andrew, and now the car having been examined, the more they began to be very concerned for Lynda’s welfare.  And so it was time to try and find out more about Andrew and Lynda’s relationship, which included speaking to Lynda’s ex-partner and friend, Dr Ian Glover. And soon a more detailed picture emerged.

Following Christine’s sad death, Andrew appeared to blame Lynda for what had happened, and when a fight broke out between them in public two days after Christine’s death when Linda suggested that Andrew didn’t need to go to Christine’s funeral, Andrew pushed her violently against a car. This wouldn’t be the last spout of violence in their relationship. During one argument at their home, Andrew hit Lynda in the face with an umbrella. On another occasion Andrew had twisted Lynda’s arm so severely that she’d gone to hospital, but no treatment was needed. Ian Glover also reported that when he came home one night he’d found Lynda in his home, explaining that they had keys for each other’s houses. Lynda told him that Andrew had hit her and placed his hands around her neck. Lynda had reported this incident to the police, but no further action was taken. It was reported that in January 1986, a month after Christine had ended her life, Andrew Hunter had become suicidal and had received treatment in hospital for about four months. Following being discharged from hospital in June 1986, with Andrew and Lynda’s wedding imminent, Andrew postponed the wedding as he wasn’t sure how he felt about Lynda. Following this, Lynda, worried about her future with Andrew, took an accidental overdose of her sleeping medication and was treated in hospital for a week. However, on the 1st of November 1986 the pair married. Andrew and Lynda had a church wedding and Lynda’s younger sister, Sandra, was her bridesmaid. From the photos Lynda and Andrew appeared to be so happy; Lynda smiling and looking beautiful and Andrew looking proud in his full Highland dress. The pair spent their first married night together in the 480 year old Grand Fernie Castle in Fife, before heading on to Israel for the remainder of their honeymoon. Upon their return the pair seemed really happy, content, and life got back to normal. Ian Glover also attended the wedding and confirmed that after the marriage there appeared to have been no further violence. Until that is six weeks before Lynda disappeared. Ian received a phone call from Lynda where she said that Andrew was showing signs of aggression again, no physical violence, but that his demeanour had changed.

The last time Ian Glover had seen Lynda was on Thursday the 20th of August as Lynda had been looking after his dog Jimmy from the 18th of August while he had been away on business. Ian came back on Wednesday the 19th of August but Lynda had said there was no rush to pick up his dog. However, he had then received a phone call from Lynda on Thursday the 20th of August to ask him to pick up his dog as she wasn’t feeling too well, and if he could also pick up Andrew and Colin from Dundee that evening as they were going to a football match for Colin’s birthday, which Ian did. Ian then stayed at Lynda’s and Andrew’s chatting until about 10pm, and he felt that there was some kind of tension between the pair. He said he then received a phone call on Friday the 21st of August from Sandra, Lynda’s sister, wondering if he had seen Lynda, which he hadn’t. He found out Lynda had been reported missing on the Saturday by Andrew.

While the police were building a much better picture of the relationship between Andrew and Linda, there still was far more to find out. With the police now very concerned for Lynda’s welfare and beginning to focus on the possibility her husband Andrew may be involved, they once again arrived at his home to ask him to make a statement describing in detail his movements on the lead up to and the day after Lynda’s disappearance, and it is as follows. Andrew had gone to work as normal on Thursday the 20th of August, arriving home at about 3pm. Lynda had been off sick on Thursday as she’d been feeling unwell and had spent the day in bed. Upon Andrew arriving back home though Lynda got up and helped him get some food ready for Andrew’s son, Colin’s 11th birthday celebration that evening. Lynda then returned to bed and Andrew took Lynda’s dog, Shep, and their friend Ian’s dog, Jimmy, out for a walk, arriving back home again about 4.20pm. Shortly afterwards, Andrew and Colin left the home in the minibus of the children’s home where Andrew worked, which he had borrowed for the evening. He then drove around picking up Colin’s friends to take them to a local football match scheduled for 5pm, which Andrew was refereeing at. After the football match, Andrew dropped all but one of Colin’s friends back at their homes, before returning the minibus to his workplace. Andrew, Colin and Colin’s friend, Grant, were then picked up by Dr Ian Glover and taken back to Carnoustie. Andrew, Lynda, Ian, Colin and his friend, Grant, all enjoyed a birthday tea, before Grant and Colin went to bed, as Grant was allowed to stay over as a birthday treat. Ian Glover stayed and chatted with Lynda and Andrew until about 10pm, before he and his dog Jimmy left and headed home. On Friday the 21st of August, Andrew got up about 7.20am to prepare breakfast for his son and his friend and to pack Colin’s bag, as he was staying at Grant’s house that evening, before Colin and Grant then left the house about 8.20am to catch the school bus. Lynda was still not feeling well and so she stayed in bed until just before 10am, when she asked Andrew if he would take her to the local chemist. Andrew had driven Lynda to the nearby chemist about 10am, before she went to the doctors, and then drove Lynda back home, arriving home about 10.20am. Lynda then apparently proceeded to go upstairs, pack her bag and leave, despite Andrew asking her for a lift into Dundee. Andrew did get a bus into Dundee, where he went to his work to hand in an essay that had been due as part of his training, and chatted briefly with his colleagues, before saying he would see them that night for the work party, and then left. Then about 1pm he was at a building society withdrawing money, before catching a bus home to Carnoustie, arriving back home about 2pm. He then did some tidying up, some washing, and then worked in the back garden. Then, as arranged, Lynda’s sister, Sandra, arrived at 3pm, which was a surprise to Andrew as Lynda hadn’t mentioned it. After waiting all afternoon to see if Lynda showed up, Sandra called her parents and Lynda’s friend, Ian Glover, to see if Lynda was with them, only to find out she wasn’t. About 6pm Sandra and Andrew left the house and went to a local hotel for some tea, then Sandra left to drive home between 6.30 and 6.45pm. Andrew then got himself ready to attend his works party. He said he was picked up and driven to the night out by his next-door neighbour about 8pm, and then proceeded to have a good night out. His neighbour kindly then came and picked him up again and dropped him off at his home shortly before midnight, before Andrew headed straight to bed. On Saturday the 22nd of August, Andrew left his home about 11am and went to a local shop to buy a newspaper. He then got a bus into Dundee where he had a haircut, went to a bar where he had a pint and something to eat, then he purchased a pair of trainers for his son, which he still had the receipt for and showed the purchase had taken place at 1.06pm. He spent some time just wandering around Dundee, before about 3pm heading to Lynda’s work at the elderly people’s home in Dundee to pick up the car and Shep, only to find no Lynda, no car and no Shep. He then called Ian Glover to see if he had heard from Lynda but he hadn’t, before then getting a taxi to Grant’s parents home in Broughty Ferry, where Colin had stayed the previous night, where he mentioned to Grant’s parents about Lynda not being at work, before asking if Colin could stay another night with them, which they agreed to. Andrew then went back home to Carnoustie and spoke to his neighbours about Lynda’s disappearance, before eventually calling the police to report her missing about 7pm that evening.

While Andrew was giving a detailed account of his movements on the run-up two and after his wife Lynda’s disappearance, the detectives noticed that he had shown no emotion while talking about the last time he’d seen his pregnant wife alive, and so asked him why this might be, to which he replied that this was just his way, he had trained himself to show no emotion. They also asked Andrew again about the state of his marriage and if he had been seeing anyone else, to which he replied that his marriage was okay, he said that he and Lynda did have arguments and that Lynda had been especially irritable lately due to the morning sickness, but that he had not been with anyone else since he married Lynda. The detectives also asked Andrew on numerous occasions why he thought Lynda might have disappeared, and the only explanation Andrew could come up with was to think that she just wanted space, although Andrew seemed able to have come up with other reasons when he was talking to Dr Ian Glover, which Ian had told the police about when they spoke to him. Ian said that Andrew had told him that there had been tension between himself and Lynda and that Andrew felt Lynda was behaving irrationally, believing that Lynda had disappeared in order to try and change Andrew’s behaviour towards her. While the police were beginning to suspect Andrew had been involved in Lynda’s disappearance, he appeared to have a cast iron alibi, but their instincts were telling them a different story. They were sure he was involved somehow, but how?

As sure as the police fell that Andrew had some involvement in Lynda’s disappearance and presumed death, without any witnesses, evidence, Lynda’s body, and Andrew’s cast iron alibi, there was absolutely nothing they could do. The police had gone as far as driving to Manchester from Carnoustie and taking the train back to Dundee to see if the trip could be done, between Andrew getting dropped off at home on Friday just before midnight and him purchasing trainers for his son at 1.06pm, which was the only definitive evidence of where he was. And it turned out that this could be done, as the train from Manchester to Dundee on Saturday the 22nd of August left Manchester at 7.35am and arrived in Dundee at 12.49pm, giving Andrew about 15 minutes to spare before buying his son’s trainers, assuming that is that his trip to the newsagent at 11am, his trip to the pub and the hairdressers didn’t actually happen. The police did speak to the guard who would have been on the train from Manchester to Dundee, however, when the police showed the guard Andrew’s photo he was unable to identify Andrew as being a passenger on that train. The police had the same results when showing Andrew’s picture to his local newsagent, where he supposedly bought a newspaper about 11am on the Saturday morning, when they showed his picture to the hairdressers he said he had attended, and when asking the barmaid if she could say for sure that Andrew had been in the pub at the time he said on the Saturday. Not one person could categorically say that he had attended their premises on the day and time in question. Although even the assistant in the shoe shop where Andrew had bought his son a pair of trainers on Saturday the 22nd of August at 1.06pm, for which he had a receipt for, couldn’t identify Andrew either. So, again the police were no further forward, there was no proof either way. Although the police did learn something interesting.

When speaking to the barmaid, Carol, who had been working on the 22nd of August. She told the police that she felt Andrew had been trying to coerce her to give false information. Apparently he had talked about his wife’s disappearance before it had even been in the newspapers. He had told Carol that he’d been in her pub that day having a pint asking if she remembered him being there, but she told him she didn’t, at which point Andrew told Carol that the police would be coming to speak to her and he was there so when they did if she could just tell them that he was there.

The police did interview Andrew numerous times following Lynda’s disappearance and each time he appeared less and less interested in his missing pregnant wife. The police continued to appeal for witnesses to come forward, but with nothing to work with and such a large search area, spanning from Scotland to England, the case was going nowhere. This is when the police approached the producers of the British program Crimewatch UK. Crimewatch UK, according to Wikipedia, is a British television program produced by the BBC that reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in solving the case, and back in the 1980s it was broadcast once a month. A reconstruction of Lynda’s final known movements appeared in the December 1987 Crimewatch broadcast. Following the reconstruction, Detective Inspector Leslie Liney, who was working on Lynda’s case, discussed some of the details of the case with the presenter, such as describing Lynda’s distinctive car and the fact it had been found in Manchester, what had been found in the car, and what had been removed, and asked for any witnesses to come forward if anyone had seen this car or indeed Lynda since her disappearance on Friday the 21st of August. He also asked anyone to come forward if they’d seen Lynda’s beloved dog Shep, who had still not been found either and who Lynda adored and took absolutely everywhere with her, since she had saved him from being put to sleep at a rescue centre seven years prior. Shep had some distinctive markings, such as all of his paws were white, he had a small surgical scar on his right back leg, and he had been neutered. When Detective Liney was asked by the presenter what his thoughts were on finding Lynda alive he said

*Crimewatch programme audio reconstruction clip starts*

Detective Liney on Crimewatch:

We’re very concerned for Lynda’s safety and I would certainly appeal to Lynda, if she should be watching this program, to please contact us.

Host of Crimewatch:

 Do you think there is a faint possibility she might still be alive?

Detective Liney on Crimewatch:

A remote possibility I think.”

*Crimewatch programme audio reconstruction clip ends*

Dawn:

However, what was actually believed by the detectives at this stage was that Lynda was dead, and that she had been killed by her husband Andrew, they just needed to find evidence of this or hope that a witness came forward. And following the reconstruction and appeal for information on Crimewatch, that was exactly what happened, when two separate witnesses, who had been traveling through the area on Friday the 21st of August, reported citing a car that looked very much like Lynda’s white Cavalier Anteeb. Both witnesses said the car had been driven by a male, and a female had been in the passenger seat. Both witnesses believed that this was the Hunters’ they had seen, with one of the witnesses picking out Andrew Hunter and another man in an identification parade as being similar to the driver of the car, and that the female in the passenger seat looked very similar to Lynda Hunter, and that she seemed in a distressed state. One area where this sighting had taken place was near Fernie Castle, where Andrew and Lynda spent their first night as a married couple, which is 26 miles or 42 kilometres south west of Carnoustie, which is where the couple lived, and a 14-minute drive away from Glenrothes were Lynda’s parents and sister lived. Things weren’t looking too good for Andrew, but the police still needed to find Lynda’s body. And, so, when another witness came forward saying that they had seen a male carrying a bundle from a light-coloured car into St Michael’s Woods, even though these woods were located 12 miles and 19 kilometres north east of Fernie Castle and nearer to Carnoustie, the police believed this was where Lynda had been buried. And so a massive search began in December 1987 at St Michael’s Woods, with Andrew even lending a hand. However, following an extensive search lasting three days, Lynda’s body was not found. Desperate to keep the case moving forward, the police tried a different tack. On the 5th of January 1988, detectives spoke to Andrew again, this time wanting more information about Shep’s lead and collar. Andrew again advised that Shep’s lead and collar were missing from the house, which wasn’t unusual as Lynda loved Shep so much and worried all the time about losing him that she had attached two separate tags to his collar; one with her address on it and one with her parents address on. Andrew confirmed that Shep never left the house without his collar and lead. This line of questioning might have seemed odd at the time, but it would later prove vital. 

In the meantime though, again, the police had no leads and the case was in danger of becoming cold. Until that is the 11th of February 1988, almost six months after Lynda had disappeared, when Lynda’s body was found in Melville Lower Wood, Ladybank, by a dog walker. These woods are a six minute drive away from where a witness claimed to have seen who they believed were the Hunters’, and who picked out Andrew and another man from a line-up, as well as reporting that the female passenger appeared to be distressed. Incidentally, the woods where the initial search and sighting of a male carrying a bundle into the woods was about 13 miles or 21 kilometres away. So, if Andrew did have something to do with Lynda’s murder, then he helped the police search in these woods safe in the knowledge that Lynda’s body would not be found, as he had dumped her body miles away.

Having found Lynda’s body, and following the post-mortem, it was discovered that Lynda had been murdered by strangulation, and she actually had been found with her dog Shep’s lead still around her neck. The police attended Andrew’s home to tell him the news and to see his reaction to Lynda’s body being found, and it wasn’t quite what they expected to find. Upon attending Andrew’s home they discovered that he had company, namely a sex worker. Upon Andrew being told that his wife’s body had been found, detectives were surprised that he didn’t appear to be overly concerned or upset, preferring to talk about football instead. However, following the revelation that Andrew enjoyed the company of sex workers, he certainly would have reason to be concerned when detectives began to pursue this line of inquiry, and it wouldn’t be long before the real Andrew Hunter would finally be revealed.

Andrew didn’t have a great start in life as his mum had died three weeks after giving birth to him, and shortly afterwards his dad abandoned him, leaving him to be brought up by his aunt. Andrew craved family and, so, as a young man he joined the Salvation Army in Glasgow, where he met and fell in love with Christine, who was 11 years older than him. Andrew received the love, care and encouragement from Christine that he had lacked as a child, and, so, when Andrew brought up that he would like to become a social worker, Christine encouraged him all the way. Andrew and Christine married in 1973, when Andrew would have been 22 and Christine would have been 33, and in 1976 they had a son who they named Colin. While Christine was in married bliss with her wonderful husband and beautiful new baby boy, little did she know that her husband had begun having an extramarital relationship with a male he had met at a sauna. In 1977 Andrew had gained employment in Dundee at a children’s home as an unqualified social worker and so the family relocated to Dundee. The pair continued to work at the Salvation Army, but Andrew wanted to help more, and so he also began working closely with vulnerable young women who had addiction problems, whilst he also worked towards becoming a qualified social worker. However, Andrew was not there to help these vulnerable people, he was there to exploit and seduce them. This continued throughout his relationship with Christine, as well as him often turning to sex workers to satisfy his sexual appetite. Following Christine finding out about his affair with Lynda, and before going to live with Lynda, Andrew started seeing the male he had met at the sauna years before again, unbeknownst to Christine or Lynda. This affair also began again in early 1987 before Andrew married Lynda. It also emerged that before Andrew finally agreed to marry Lynda he had an affair with a female colleague, all the while still visiting the sex workers of Dundee, with many believing he had spent time with most of them. And he continued to have sex with sex workers throughout Lynda’s disappearance, finally being caught out when police arrived at his home to tell him that they had found Lynda’s body when he’d been found in the company of a 22 year old sex worker, who also was one of his vulnerable clients who was addicted to drugs. Detectives were keen to speak to the vulnerable client of Andrew’s, however, sadly, she died shortly afterwards from what was believed to have been an overdose, although some friends of the female speculated that Andrew could have possibly given her the fatal dose, while others believed that she may have felt guilty, as apparently Andrew had been complaining to her about how annoying his wife was and so the sex worker had suggested that he “bump her off.”, according to the Scottish Daily Mail on the 4th of August 2018. And, so, police were very keen to speak to friends of the vulnerable female, as well as sex workers that Andrew spent the most time with, which they did.

And then finally on the 9th of April 1988, just short of eight months since Lynda had gone missing, after police had interviewed more than 5,000 people and taken about 1,200 witness statements, Andrew Hunter was arrested. It was at this point that a search was carried out of Andrew’s home, and what this revealed was felt to be conclusive evidence that Andrew had been involved in Lynda’s disappearance and murder.

While being questioned, Andrew allegedly told detectives “I would like to tell you, but it is past that now and I still have Colin to think of.” He went on to say that “I keep wanting to get it over with. It has been a long time, but I can’t. And who would believe me now?” Following these comments though, Andrew then stuck with no comment. The murder trial began at the High Court in Dundee on Tuesday the 19th of July 1988.  Due to Lynda’s disappearance appearing on Crimewatch, it had thrown the case into the spotlight, which in turn brought vast numbers of people to the High Court every day in the hope of getting a seat in the courtroom. The accused, Andrew Hunter, faced the charge of murdering Lynda Hunter by strangling her with a ligature on the 21st of August 1987. Andrew issued a special defense of alibi saying that on Friday the 21st of August he had been in the company of various people between the hours of 7.30am and midnight on that day. After the formalities the trial began.

Witness after witness stood in the dock for the prosecution; the barmaid, the shoe shop assistant, the train guard, the hairdressers, and all when asked were unable to say whether they had seen Andrew Hunter on Saturday the 22nd of August, as Andrew was stating. Next in the dock was Lynda’s ex-lover, Dr Ian Glover. Ian reiterated what he had told the police, including him being aware of the violence directed at Lynda from Andrew before their wedding, and the fact that Lynda had told him that Andrew’s behaviour had changed to aggression again six weeks before Lynda’s disappearance. He also mentioned that in the months between Lynda going missing and her body being found, Andrew Hunter had said to him on at least four separate occasions that “I’m not going to feel guilty this time.” Dr Ian Glover went on to say, according to The Courier and Advertiser Newspaper on the 22nd of July 1988, that he assumed Andrew was referring to the death of his first wife and that he felt guilty because it might have been something to do with his behaviour leading to her death. Dr Glover went on to say “I did however, prior to the discovery of the body, feel that Hunter thought Lynda was already dead.” Next in the dock was one of the detectives working on Lynda’s case, Detective Sergeant Snedden, who stated what the those working on the case believed to have happened on the fateful day Lynda went missing. They believed that when Andrew and Lynda returned from the chemist on the morning of Friday the 21st of August an argument between the two had broken out and Lynda had stated that she wanted to go to her parents in Glenrothes, she often stayed overnight with her parents to care for them, and Andrew had offered to drive her and Shep there, as Shep went absolutely everywhere with Lynda. It was believed that the pair had continued to argue in the car, leading to Andrew to pull over into a lay-by by woods in a quiet bit of road, grabbing Shep’s lead from the back seat, placing it around Lynda’s neck and strangling her. Quickly, before anyone happened upon them, he got out of the car, went to the passenger side and picked Lynda’s lifeless body up and carried her about 100 feet or 30 metres into the woods and just left her there, before quickly returning to his car and driving off. It is then believed he stopped a few miles along the road, removed Shep’s collar and put him out of the car, before driving off and leaving him there. He then is believed to have parked his car a few miles away from his home, got a bus to Dundee and gone to his place of work to hand in an essay, get money from the building society and return home, where Lynda’s sister, Sandra, would shortly be turning up. After attending his works night out and being dropped off at home shortly before midnight, it is then believed he walked to where he had parked the white Cavalier Anteeb car and drove it the 297 miles or 478 kilometres to Manchester, stopping briefly to repair the puncture, before abandoning the car on double yellow lines at the back of the train station, before getting on the 7.35am train, which would take him back to Dundee arriving at 12.49pm, just in time for him to go to the shoe shop and purchase trainers for his son. When cross examined by the defence, it was put to Detective Sergeant Snedden that this would have been a very elaborate and risky plan, and Andrew had done this apparently with not one single person having seen him, with the detective agreeing that there was no evidence of this, but equally that there was no evidence to confirm where Andrew was from about midnight on Friday the 21st of August to 1.06pm on Saturday the 22nd of August, and that he could very well have been in his home overnight. However, before Detective Snedden stepped down from the witness box he advised of the search that had been carried out on the Hunters’ home at Carnoustie after Andrew had been arrested, and of the fact that Shep’s dog collar had been found behind a laundry basket. He went on to say that Lynda would never leave the home without Shep having his dog collar on, and she would never leave without Shep, which suggested to him that Andrew had to have been with Lynda and Shep before their disappearance, and had made the ultimate mistake of taking the collar back home with him, only for the police to find it months later. Detective Snedden then stepped down from the dock pleased with himself and safe in the knowledge that Andrew would have no explanation for the dog collar being found at his home.

Next in the witness stand was a sex worker who Andrew had been having a regular relationship with, and she instantly contradicted a statement Andrew had made to the police about not having been with anyone since his marriage to Lynda by stating that he had paid for her services on numerous occasions since his marriage to Lynda, going on to say that when she had been with him in August 1987 he had told her that he had been looking for a job in Manchester, the very place where Lynda’s car had been found. Coincidence? According to The Courier and Advertiser on the 2nd of August 1988, Pauline, another of Andrew’s regular sex workers, advised that she had been with Andrew at his home in his marital bed in December 1987 after Linda had gone missing, and on one occasion she had noticed ladies shoes in the wardrobe and asked Andrew about them, to which Andrew apparently answered that they were his wife’s but that she was dead, two months before Lynda’s body had been found.

The two witnesses who had been driving separately through Fife also took to the stand, and told the court that they had firmly believed they had seen the white Cavalier Anteeb car, with Andrew driving and Lynda in the passenger seat looking distressed, near to where Lynda’s body had been found.

Next in the dock was a Salvation Army officer who had worked with and was friends with Andrew, and he told of how upset and concerned Andrew had been at the disappearance of his wife, despite Andrew showing no emotion to the police. He went on to say that Andrew must have been the best actor he had seen if he was not genuinely upset about his missing wife, although Andrew had hidden quite well the fact that he was having sex with vulnerable people he was supposed to be there to protect, so it’s possible he was a great actor.

Lynda’s sister, Sandra, also took to the stand and, although she may have told the police at the time of her sister’s disappearance though while her sister and Andrew may have been having marital problems she believed it would blow over, she was saying something entirely different now. She told the court that apparently Lynda had been quite upset by something Andrew had repeatedly said to her following his wife Christine’s death, which she repeated to Sandra. Andrew had apparently told Lynda that “It is you who should be dead and not Christine.” This could just have been Sandra trying to ensure her sister’s alleged killer didn’t get away with it, there is no way to know for sure if Andrew did in fact say this to Lynda.

However, after the next witness took to the stand, it certainly became more likely that he had. Gillian Pelc, who had been quite a close colleague of Andrew’s, told the court that on an occasion before Andrew and Lynda married, Andrew said to her that he was only marrying Lynda to screw up her life the way she had screwed up his. She went on to say that following Lynda’s case being shown on Crimewatch, the pair had been out for lunch and she said that, as Andrew was describing the details of the program to her, he seemed amused by it.

Andrew Hunter also took to the stand and did a good job in answering all the questions put to him and had an answer for most of them, all except how Shep’s collar had been found in his home, for that he had no answer.

On the 2nd of August 1988, after a two-week trial, the summing up by the prosecution began. They reminded the jury of all the witness statements made throughout the trial, but crucially it was hammered home about finding Shep’s dog collar behind a laundry basket at the couple’s home in Carnoustie, saying that there were only two possible explanations for this; either Shep had left the home without his collar, which Lynda would never do as she was terrified of losing him, or, as usual, when leaving the home, Lynda had put Shep’s collar on, but then Andrew had brought it back to the home after killing Lynda and abandoning Shep in the middle of nowhere. This would point directly to Andrew being Lynda’s murderer. It was then time for the defence to sum up. The court was told there were absolutely no witnesses to Andrew either abducting, strangling or carrying Lynda’s body into the woods, that there was not one shred of evidence to suggest Andrew had caused any harm to Lynda, going on to ridicule the prosecution’s suggestion that Andrew had travelled the 297 miles or 478 kilometres to Manchester and returned to his home in Carnoustie without one single person seeing him, but had overlooked one vital piece of evidence by bringing Shep’s dog collar home and leaving it behind a laundry basket, and going on to suggest that the dog collar had never left the home in the first place. He ended up by saying that the prosecution had failed dismally to prove that Andrew had committed the murder of his wife and that the jury should pass a verdict of not guilty, or at the very least not proven. Judge Lord Brand then directed the jury to a number of other statements made throughout the trial by witnesses, before asking the jury to retire to determine a verdict, which they did by majority less than two hours later.

37 year old Andrew Hunter was found guilty of the murder of his 30 year old wife Lynda Hunter. Following the verdict, Andrew was told by Judge Lord Brand “You are an evil man of exceptional depravity”, before he gave Andrew a life sentence. Andrew was then taken away.

While Lynda’s family were relieved at the outcome and had justice for Lynda, the pain of losing a daughter, a sister, and the added grief for Lynda’s unborn child, was still desperately raw. According to the Scottish Daily Mail on the 4th of August 2018, Lynda’s sister, Sandra, spoke outside her home at Glenrothes saying “It doesn’t go away.”

Andrew Hunter lodged an appeal citing that Judge Lord Brand had misdirected the jury and that the prosecution’s evidence fell far short of proving that Andrew committed the murder beyond a reasonable doubt. However, an article in The Herald newspaper on the 30th of June 1989 stated that the appeal had been rejected by three judges who stated that “This was not a narrow case”, and that the judges were “Certainly persuaded that the evidence before the jury was not only sufficient but ample and eloquent of the guilt of the appellant.” Andrew returned to Perth prison to serve out his sentence. However, on the 19th of July 1993, five years after being convicted of the murder of his wife Lynda, 42 year old Andrew died from a heart attack. The death of Andrew Hunter also put an end to the possibility of a case being built against him for the murder of Dundee’s sex worker Carol Lannen in 1979. Andrew was well known to have visited sex workers regularly, having thought to have used the services of all of the sex workers in Dundee at some point, and his aggressive behaviour had been evident in his treatment of Lynda. This, coupled with the fact that a photofit of a male last seen with Carol was deemed to look very much like Andrew, could have led to him also being convicted of Carol’s murder, and for Carol’s family finally to have justice. However, if he was the murderer then this opportunity has now gone. I’ll be covering Carol Lannen’s case, along with another female found murdered very close to where Carol was found, in an episode for the Dundee murders theme, if you’d like to know more.

And finally, now, I’m giving a wee trigger warning here as it’s about what happened to Lynda’s dog Shep.  Shep had been found wandering near St Michael’s Woods, the same area a witness had seen a man carrying a bundle from a light-coloured car into the woods, and he had been taken to a rescue centre. However, sadly for Shep, it wasn’t until Lynda’s case appeared on Crimewatch that someone working at the rescue centre recognised the description of Lynda’s dog’s Shep to be the same dog that had been brought to them, having been found wandering near St Michael’s Woods. However, by the time Lynda’s case appeared on Crimewatch in December, four months after Lynda and Shep had gone missing, Shep had already been put to sleep, as it had been determined after one week that, as no one had come looking for Shep, he must be a stray, as he was without his collar.

I’m sorry to leave it on such a sad note, but that’s the end. Come back next time for another episode of Scottish Murders.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.

Killer who buried love rival’s body will die in prison | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Orkney murder: Man jailed for life for murdering love rival | The Scotsman

Fighting to save the lives of his tribe, the Monkey Man of Orkney | Daily Mail Online

Orkney murder: Man found guilty of killing ex-partner’s new lover | The Scotsman

Two guilty of brutal killing of ‘Black Bob’ after love wrangle | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Sanday murder trial: The Orkney island love triangle that ended in death – Daily Record

Orkney monkey keeper jailed for life over love triangle murder | Metro News

Sanday love triangle murder trial: Killer Jack ‘Monkey Man’ Campbell sentenced to serve at least 16 years – Daily Record

The ‘notoriously unreliable’ Eddie has another success – this time in Orkney.

BBC News – The quest for a new island life that ended in death

Orkney – Wikipedia

BBC News – Orkney murder accused ‘not anxious’ over disappearance

BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Two held over missing Orkney man

BBC News – Men guilty over father’s killing on Orkney island

Murderer accused had told nurse he’d ‘kill’ the victim | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Falkirk – Wikipedia

Home – Sanday, Orkney

Sanday, Orkney – Wikipedia

Sanday | Orkney.com

Press Reader – Two convicted of killing Orkney father of three

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Voice Talent by Eleanor Morton

Hosted by Dawn

Researched and Written by Dawn Young

Produced and Edited by Dawn Young and Peter Bull

Production Company Name by Granny Robertson

Music:

Dawn of the Fairies by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Gothic Wedding by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Introduction by Eleanor Morton:

Welcome Wee Ones to Scottish Murders. Dawn will shortly be taking you through a solved or unsolved murder involving people from or living in Scotland. So get ready to hear about the darker side of Bonnie Scotland.

Dawn:

52 year old Robert or Bob Rose who was a builder had decided he needed a change of scenery, a fresh start, and once he made the decision to move house it felt right. Now he just had to decide where he wanted to move to. Bob had lived in South Yorkshire in England with his beloved wife until her passing. Their children Katie, Chris and James were grown up and living their own lives and so the world was truly Bob’s oyster. However, it came as a bit of a surprise to Bob’s family when he settled on moving to the Orkney Isles in Scotland, which is about an 11 and a half hour drive north of where the family lived in South Yorkshire and can only be reached by a ferry or plane off the Scottish Mainland, and they were a bit concerned. However, Bob was determined he wanted the quiet, the peace and a bit of land where he could keep his animals, and Sanday in the Orkney Isles was his destination. According to the website sanday.co.uk, Sanday has a population of around 550 and according to sanday.com it stretches for around 16 miles or 26 kilometres from end to end. Bob then sold the family property in South Yorkshire and bought a small property in Sanday that needed renovated. The property also had a small area of land attached which Bob had wanted to keep animals on. And then in March 2008 he said his goodbyes to his family and he and his Jack Russell dog called Patch began the long journey to their new home.

Upon arriving and settling into his new home on Sanday, Bob being, according to his daughter Katie in an article in the Express Newspaper on the 4th of February 2010, a happy and chirpy man immediately made friends, and while still being seen as an outsider he was well liked and accepted by the locals and became a regular at the pub where, according to an article in the BBC news on the 2nd of March 2010, he enjoyed a pint, a game of chess and was known to his friends there as a diamond in the rough. One man who Bob became close friends with upon first arriving in Sanday was 49 year old Stephen Crummack, who lived in a caravan near to Bob’s property. Once Bob had settled in he then bought three South American alpacas and he kept them on his wee bit of land. He enjoyed going to the local pub and catching up with the locals, and every Sunday you would find him there enjoying his Sunday lunch. His family, seeing how happy the move had made him after the sad passing of his wife, accepted that this move had been good for Bob, and despite the vast distance between the family they still kept in regular contact. However, it wasn’t just the move to Sanday and its quiet and tranquillity that was helping to put a spring in Bob’s step.

Margaret Johnston was 32 years old and living in Falkirk, which, according to Wikipedia, is a large town in the central lowlands of Scotland, with her two children when she met 57 year old Jack Campbell. Margaret loved monkeys, especially marmoset monkeys, and when hers had sadly died she came across Jack Campbell’s name and contacted him hoping he might be able to help her get another one. Jack Campbell was very passionate about monkeys and had set up a monkey sanctuary in the central lowlands in 1997 where monkeys who had been subjected to testing by pharmaceutical companies but were no longer needed could go to be rehabilitated and try to live like monkeys again. Margaret, also being a monkey lover, felt an instant connection to the sanctuary and the monkeys when she visited and told Jack that she wanted to be involved. Margaret hadn’t just felt a connection to the sanctuary though she and Jack also made a connection, and so they began a relationship and fell in love. The pair worked together in the sanctuary helping to rehabilitate the monkeys, both in their element. Margaret and her two children moved in with Jack and before long Margaret and Jack were welcoming their first child together. In late 2006, when Margaret and Jack had been together for about a year, the couple made the decision to move their family to Sanday on the Orkney Isles for a new start, a better life, and they began making plans to open up a rescue sanctuary for lab monkeys on the large piece of land that they had purchased there. They had big plans. They would open the sanctuary to tourists and Jack would give sessions with the aim to educate more people about opening up monkey sanctuaries and what it entailed. The residents of Sanday loved the idea and were more than happy to help out at the sanctuary when it eventually opened. All was going well until May 2007 when Jack and Margaret’s plans to increase the number of monkeys they could take at the sanctuary was met by opposition by the Orkney Council, which would take both time and a substantial amount of money to resolve. Jack and Margaret’s dream of being able to rehabilitate more and more lab monkeys was in jeopardy. It also appeared that Jack and Margaret’s relationship was having problems around this time too and had become volatile, with Margaret saying in the Daily Mail newspaper that she broke up with Jack after he attacked her for the second time, the first time by strangling her and the second time by bashing her head off the kitchen floor. While the couple did break up, Margaret continued to live in the house with Jack, who she had a child with, and Margaret’s other two children, but it wasn’t a happy situation. However, upon a newcomer coming to the island, who was described as being a kind and generous man who left a good impression, Margaret finally found someone she could turn to, who would comfort her and provide a safe place for her and her children when things got too bad living with Jack, and it came in the form of Bob Rose.

Bob first became aware of Jack and Margaret when he was introduced to them by mutual friend Stephen Crummack, who lived in a caravan near to where Bob lived and had been one of the first people to befriend Bob when he moved to the island. Bob would have been happy to have made more friends, and as they were not from the islands either they may even have had a bond, but he certainly would have been happy when his bond with Margaret began to grow stronger over time, with the pair eventually falling in love.  As Bob’s property was under development Margaret and her children were not able to move in with him initially, and so they continued to stay in the home with Jack. And while Jack made it clear outwardly of his contempt for the newly formed relationship to Margaret, underneath he was bubbling over with hatred directed towards Bob Rose. In his eyes Margaret was still his woman and Bob had stolen her from him, despite the pair having broken up before Bob arrived on the island. Margaret did move in with Bob briefly, with Bob offering Jack £10,000 or $13,000 to buy the monkey sanctuary for Margaret as she just loved the monkeys, but Jack refused and Margaret moved back in with Jack, picking her love for the monkeys over living with Bob, however, soon the monkey sanctuary would be no more.

Margaret and Bob’s relationship continued until February 2009, when Bob had been on the island less than a year, until one day Margaret took her three children and left the island, Bob and Jack as she couldn’t see any other way she could be happy, not while living with Jack. While Jack and Bob would have been upset by the sudden departure of the woman they both claimed to love, that should have been the end of the rivalry as Margaret was gone. But things are never that simple. Margaret had cut off all contact with Jack, even changing her mobile number, as she had had enough of his behaviour while she was living with him. However, when Jack found out that Margaret was not only still in contact with Bob but that she’d been sending him topless photos of herself, his rage and jealousy bubbled over.

Bob had been sad at Margaret’s departure and so in March 2009 he decided to take a wee trip back to Rotherham to see his family for some TLC. His daughter, Katie, was pregnant at this time and Bob was so looking forward to becoming a grandfather. He enjoyed his time in Rotherham and seeing his family again had cheered him up no end, and so he was ready to head back to Sanday. Needing some cash for everyday living and for materials for his house renovation, Bob withdrew £5,000 or $6,500 before heading back to Sanday.

Now, also around this time Jack wouldn’t be the only resident of Sanday who was directing their anger towards Bob. There was also Stephen Crummack. Stephen was an alcoholic and Bob being a kind and supportive man he wanted to try and help Stephen come off the drink, sober up and do something with his life, but Stephen wasn’t interested and he became angry towards Bob for his interfering. So, when an anger-filled Jack approached Stephen to ask if he would help him get rid of Bob, he was only too happy to oblige.

And, so, late on Saturday the 6th of June or in the early hours of Sunday the 7th of June 2009, four months after Margaret had left the island, Jack, still consumed by rage and contempt for his perceived love rival, along with Stephen, who was irrationally annoyed at Bob, made their way to Bob’s home. Bob had spent the evening at the local pub, having a drink and chatting with friends, before heading home for a quiet rest of the night, sending a joking text to his pregnant daughter Katie saying, “Ha ha. Just having a boys’ night in.” And, so, he would have been surprised when there was a knock at his door, and even more surprised to see Jack and Stephen standing there. The pair forced their way into the house where a fight ensued, with Bob being repeatedly struck by the pair on his head and body with their fists and other implements, before Bob was hit over the head disarming him. A pillow was then placed over Bob’s face and he was suffocated. Campbell and Crummack then took Bob’s wallet and the remainder of the money he had brought back from Rotherham, which he had stored in a suitcase, before wrapping his body in a duvet and putting his body in the back of the car, before digging a shallow grave in sand dunes and burying Bob’s body there. They then are believed to have burnt the duvet Bob’s body had been wrapped in and his wallet. It was reported that they either burnt or washed the clothes that they had been wearing, but it’s not clear which. They then parked Bob’s car near the pier to give the impression that Bob had left on the ferry to go to the mainland, which was the story that the pair told locals when people started wondering where Bob was when he missed a pre-arranged appointment on Monday, as well as the fact that Bob had asked the pair to look after Patch while he was gone. However, the locals were well aware of the issues between Jack and Bob so they didn’t believe this story for one minute, and so reported Bob as missing on Monday the 8th of June 2009 and a massive hunt for Bob began.

Bob’s children, Katie, Chris and James, came to the island and made an appeal for any information about Bob’s whereabouts, saying they just wanted to know what had happened to their dad, describing him as being around five foot four inches tall or 1.73 meters, being a slim man with a ruddy complexion and short almost balding grey hair. 

For nearly two weeks the police searched the island for Bob, forensically examined Bob’s house for clues and questioned the islanders, including Jack and Stephen, who remained tight-lipped and united despite being questioned on numerous occasions as Jack’s rage at Bob was well known. Until that is their unity was blown out of the water by paranoia and a laugh.

On one of the occasions when both Jack Campbell and Stephen Crummack were at the police station being interviewed Stephen came across Jack laughing with his solicitor. In Stephen’s mind he believed the pair were conspiring against him to stitch him or fit him up for the murder of Bob Rose, and so he decided he had to get in first.

On Friday the 19th of June, nearly two weeks after Bob had gone missing, Bob’s distraught family finally found out what had happened to their kind and caring dad, when Stephen told the police that Jack had murdered Bob out of rage and jealousy and that he had helped in the murder, before Crummack finally led the police to an approximate area in the sand dunes where the pair had buried Bob’s body. Sniffer dogs were brought in to locate the exact area of Bob’s body, which was then slowly uncovered in order to preserve any forensic evidence, which only further prolonged the family’s torture.

Jack Campbell and Stephen Crummack were both arrested and charged with murder, they were taken off the island and held in custody, before appearing in court charged with Bob Rose’s murder, although, unlike Stephen, Jack denied any involvement in Bob’s murder.

Following Bob’s disappearance, his home was forensically searched and, according to an article in the Scotsman newspaper on the 2nd of March 2010, a blood spot on a pillowcase was found, which upon testing was deemed to belong to Jack Campbell. As well as DNA being found on a cigarette end in the fireplace and on a sleeping bag, which matched Stephen Crummack.

The residents of Sanday were in shock about the murder of Bob, with one islander who was born and raised on Sanday and who had been a friend of Bob saying, according to an article in the BBC News on the 2nd of March 2010, that he still couldn’t believe that Bob was gone and that he had been murdered on the peaceful, tranquil Isle of Sanday.

The trial for the murder of 54 year old Robert Rose began at the beginning of February 2010 at the High Court in Glasgow, with 59 year old Jack Campbell pleading not guilty and 51 year old Stephen Crummack pleaded not guilty to any part in the murder, but did admit that he had helped cover it up. Many residents of Sanday who had been friends of Bob’s attended as witnesses, including Frances Muir, who was a nurse and midwife on Orkney. Frances told the court how she had been asked to visit Jack Campbell after Margaret had left the island with his child, after his GP felt he was depressed. She told the court how Jack Campbell had told her that he was having financial problems, that his wife and child had left the island and he had no way of communicating with them, but also that he believed Margaret was still in contact with Robert Rose and that they were having an affair. According to an article in the Express Newspaper on the 4th of February 2010, Frances told the court that it was during this conversation when an angry Jack Campbell had told her that one day he would go up to Robert Rose and kill him. She told the court that her notes following this visit described this, as well as noting that Jack was depressed. According to the Daily Mail on the 3rd of March 2014, other islanders and friends of Bob had also been aware that Jack had threatened Bob in the weeks running up to his murder, with Bob telling his friends that Jack had told him “Your day is coming.” Next in the dock to be questioned by Jack Campbell’s QC was another friend of Bob’s on the island, a Mr Sinclair, who owned the local hotel. Mr Sinclair told the court that upon finding out Bob was missing, himself and two other men went to Jack Campbell’s home to see if he was aware of Bob’s whereabouts, going on to say that they found Stephen Crummack at Jack’s home too. Mr Sinclair said that when he asked Stephen Crummack if he knew the whereabouts of Bob he just shrugged and said no. When he was asked if Stephen had shown any concern about Bob’s disappearance Mr Sinclair said, “No not to my knowledge.”  Evidence was also given by two pathologists that contradicted Stephen Crummack’s claim that he had no part in the murder when they said that, due to the injuries found on Bob’s body, it indicated he had died fighting for his life, and it was very unlikely that only one man could have been involved in his murder. And despite Jack Campbell denying his involvement in the murder of Robert Rose, apparently he was unable to stop himself from bragging and confessed to the murder to a cellmate while he was being held in custody, and his cellmate was more than happy to tell all to the police. Margaret Johnston also took to the stand and said that Bob Rose was a very nice person, that she had developed feelings for him and thought that they could have had a good future together, if it had not been snatched away. She confirmed that Jack Campbell was not happy about her having a relationship with Bob, going as far as saying that, yes, she felt he was capable of murder when he lost it. Margaret went on to say she had not been going backwards and forwards between Bob and Jack, that she had ended her relationship with Jack and had fallen in love with Bob. She was not a scarlet woman.

The month-long trial finally came to an end on the 2nd of March 2010, and the jury took six hours over two days to come back with a verdict of guilty for Jack Campbell and culpable homicide for Stephen Crummack, with both also being found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. While the judge deferred sentencing for both men until the 30th of March 2010, he did say to Jack Campbell that the only option for him would be a life sentence as he had been convicted of an atrocious crime and of callously disposing of Bob’s body. There was a huge sense of relief for Bob’s three children, Katie, Chris and James, who said in a statement after the conviction “Words can’t describe how much of an impact this has had on our family and close friends. Our dad was a great man. He was kind and generous, the kind of man who always left a good impression. The only thing we now hope for is that we get justice for our dad. But no matter how long a sentence is given, it will never replace the life that has been taken.”

28 days after Jack Campbell was convicted of murdering Bob Rose and Stephen Crummack was convicted of Bob Rose’s culpable homicide, the pair were back in court to be sentenced. Judge Lord Turnbull spoke firstly to Jack Campbell saying “You have been convicted of murdering Mr Rose, motivated by your dislike of him and your reaction to his involvement with your former partner.” He went on to say that despite him continuing to protest his innocence, despite the fact he lied to the police and tried his best to cover up the crime, he had been undone by boasting to a cellmate. Jack Campbell was then handed down a life sentence and expected to serve at least 16 years in prison before being eligible for parole. He was also given a further three-year sentence for attempting to defeat the ends of justice, which was to run concurrently with his 16-year sentence. Then it was Stephen Crummack’s turn to have his sentence handed down for the culpable homicide of Robert Rose, with Judge Lord Turnbull saying to him that had he not come to assist the police in their investigation into finding Bob Rose, “it is not possible to see how the police inquiry would have ended.” He then sentenced Stephen Crummack to ten years for culpable homicide, and a further one year for attempting to defeat the ends of justice. The pair were then taken away to begin their sentences.

While Katie, James and Chris did attend the court to hear the sentencing, they did not make a statement afterwards. I hope they felt that they received some sort of justice for their beloved dad.

Katie, James and Chris returned to Sanday for an equally as distressing reason, they took their dad’s ashes there and scattered them on a part of the island that had quickly become their dad’s favourite. Katie would have given birth to her child before the trial started, a child that would never meet his happy and chirpy, kind and generous grandfather, Robert Rose.

So, that’s it. Come back next time for another episode of Scottish Murders.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Murder At Kinky Cottage – Daily Record

I FORGIVE YOU; Wendy makes peace with mum who killed father. – Free Online Library

Murder of Maxwell Garvie – Wikipedia

Notorious Scots love triangle murder case to be re-examined 52 years on – Daily Record

House of horror: Take a look inside scene one of Scotland’s most notorious murders as it is put up for sale – Daily Record

North-east murder mansion put on the market

Mearns murder house goes on the rental market

Sheila Garvie | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Three In A Bed; Three Charged With Murder | True Crime Library

Kinky Cottage: Podcast unearths never-before-seen images from murder that shocked 1960s Britain

A killing at kinky cottage: The murder of Maxwell Garvie (Murder World: Scotland Book 1) eBook : MacGregor, Steve: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Garvie killer dies planning move abroad | The Scotsman

Why we murdered a millionaire; For the first time, Brian Tevendale reveals how he and Sheila Garvie plotted to kill her rich but brutal husband Max. – Free Online Library

Sheila Garvie | Photos | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Plush farmhouse at the centre of one of Scotland’s most notorious murders is up for rent – Daily Record

The Storyteller: Violent Delights on acast

The sins of my mother | The Scotsman

PressReader.com – Sunday Mail 27 September 2020

Marriage to Murder: My Story: Amazon.co.uk: Garvie, Sheila: 9780550203564: Books

Not proven – Wikipedia

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn

Researched and Written by Dawn Young

Produced and Edited by Dawn Young and Peter Bull

Introduction Voice Talent by Eleanor Morton

Production Company Name by Granny Robertson

Music:

Dawn of the Fairies by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Gothic Wedding by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Dawn:

Trigger warning. This episode discusses domestic abuse and themes targeting children, so listener discretion is strongly advised.

Before I begin, a lot of the information in this episode I got from The Storyteller Violent Delights podcast by Isla Traquair. This podcast is full of information about the case; from interviews, court records and many other avenues, a lot of which I wasn’t able to say in this episode. So, if you’d like to know even more in-depth information about this case and the main people involved, then I’d highly recommend giving The Storyteller Violent Delights podcast a listen.

Wendy Garvie was born in 1956. She was the first daughter of Maxwell and Sheila Garvie. From around four years old Wendy was made to feel like a huge disappointment. By 13 she was living in foster care. At 16 she was married to a 21 year old, and gave birth to a daughter when she was 18. Three short years later at the age of 21, Wendy was divorced and had left her daughter with her ex-husband. Wendy then began drinking alcohol to excess. For many long years Wendy’s life continued to spiral out of control. What could have taken place in Wendy’s young life to have caused such long-lasting and obvious trauma?

Wendy’s parents, Maxwell and Sheila Garvie, had met at a dance in January 1952 and had quickly fallen in love, eventually marrying on the 21st of June 1955 in a lavish ceremony when Max was 22 and Sheila was 20. The couple then moved into a lavish five-bedroom farmhouse called West Cairnbeg, which Max Garvie had just inherited after it had been in his family for many years. West Cairnbeg is located less than a mile or 1.5 kilometres outside of the town of Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire. And Laurencekirk, which is known as the Lang Toun or simply the Kirk to locals, is situated on the east coast of Scotland, approximately 30 miles or 48 kilometres south of Aberdeen. Max’s family were well known in the area, owning vast amounts of land around Laurencekirk, and the Garvie family were extremely well off. While Max was known as a farmer, you’d be mistaken if you thought he was the conventional kind where he worked the farmland traipsing around in his wellington boots. No, Max had staff and a grieve for that, and his grieve, who was also a special constable, oversaw the running of West Cairnbeg farm on a day-to-day basis, but Max still did take an interest in how the farm was being run and had a keen interest in agriculture. By the time Max met Sheila in 1952 he already had a reputation as being an extravagant man, a ladies man, having loved and left many girls. He was seen as a handsome eligible bachelor, he just hadn’t found the right girl. Then in walked Sheila Watson.

Sheila was the daughter of a stonemason who worked at Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s estate, and who was known as a sombre man, of having a short temper and of being very frugal. Sheila’s mother, Edith Watson, was, according to the book A Killing at Kinky Cottage by Steve MacGregor, described as being upright, forthright and of having inflexible views. Sheila had quite a strict upbringing under the watchful eyes of her parents and had feelings of being quite stifled, a feeling which only increased when as a teenager Sheila began working at Balmoral Castle as a housemaid.  Although when Sheila was about 18 she finally would get a bit of freedom, as she and her family made the decision to leave their jobs at Balmoral Castle and move to the town of Stonehaven, which was about an hour’s drive away from Balmoral Castle. Sheila was so pleased to finally be able to make some friends her own age, to go to dances and just basically have a bit of fun in her young life.  However, she was still very much under the watchful eye of her parents, so, when she met and was swept off her feet by the wealthy and showy Maxwell Garvie, Sheila could finally see a way out.

Max and Sheila Garvie were seen as the perfect couple, Max being rich, tall, dark, well-dressed and handsome and Sheila being a slim, beautiful blonde, and so it was no surprise when the pair married. Sheila had craved the high life that Max could offer, and so it wouldn’t be long before the couple were enjoying eating in the best restaurants, attending nightclubs, splashing out on the latest fashions, hosting lavish parties at West Cairnbeg, holidaying abroad and indulging in Max’s passion for fast cars. The couple then had their second daughter, Angela, in 1957, when Wendy was a year old, and from the outside they really did appear to be the perfect couple living the perfect life. However, things are not always as they seem. While Sheila and Max initially were very happy together, by the early 1960s life in the Garvie household was anything but bliss, the main problem appearing to be Max Garvie. From a young age Max knew he could have anything he wanted, he could have it all, and sadly this fact appeared to have made him very restless, getting bored very easily with things, and he was always on the lookout for the next big thing to give him a rush. Sadly, this didn’t just include material things, like always having a new car, a better car, a faster car, this also included his family. Max began to pick on Sheila, criticising what she would wear, how she looked, how she behaved, how she parented their children, and he even began to criticise her in the bedroom. From Sheila’s perspective she could do nothing right. Max had grown bored of Sheila and their sex life, she wasn’t shiny and new anymore and he wanted to try different things, and so he began to look for ways that being with Sheila could be more interesting again, continuing to constantly criticise Sheila, before turning more and more to alcohol until he found something or someone that would satisfy him.

By this time the swinging 60s were taking London by storm, not so much however in the small villages of east Scotland, much to Max’s dismay, and so he set about bringing a bit of London to the village of Laurencekirk, firstly in the form of erotic photographs. Sheila of course was expected to be involved in this and, while she had no interest in being photographed erotically, she went along with it, as she always did, to try to please her husband and stop his constant criticism of her. Max also decided to involve his close friends in this venture, and he even started distributing the erotic photographs featuring Sheila around his friends, until that is he was told bluntly by the police that this was not acceptable and that he should stop it immediately or risk being prosecuted. Never one to be deterred though, Max then bought a cottage about 20 miles or 32 kilometres away from West Cairnbeg farmhouse and began planting trees on part of the surrounding land. Of course, none of the locals saw this as odd as maybe he was doing this to protect his farmland or animals from exposure to the cold winds. Although it did seem ever so slightly strange that the trees appeared to have been planted to enclose a small triangular piece of land. It would appear that Max’s intentions for the cottage and the triangle of trees was to start his very own nudist colony.

Now, while Sheila and Max were blessed with two healthy daughters, Wendy and Angela, Max’s need for perfection and having the perfect family was marred by his perception that his daughter, Wendy, was overweight, and sadly he was not shy about letting Wendy know on a regular basis just how much of a disappointment she was to him, with Wendy saying in an article in The Scotsman newspaper on the 1st of February 2002 that she had been left traumatised by her father’s disappointment in her for being overweight, remembering the jibes as far back as when she was four or five years old. So, with Wendy’s dad’s constant criticism about her weight ringing in her ears as a child, to then be told that she was to partake in his nudist colony was very distressing for Wendy, because, yes, of course Max expected his wife and children to be involved in his nudist camp. Wendy recalled in an article in The Scotsman newspaper “I was forced to strip off. Being fat I was terribly embarrassed. There were old men sitting watching. I remember undressing in the freezing cold.” Sheila and the girls had also been made to attend nudist colonies by Max previously while they holidayed in Corsica. There are a couple of differing stories about Sheila’s participation in the nudist colonies at Laurencekirk. One version says that Sheila was initially strongly against stripping off for the nudist colony in a triangle of trees on the rather cold and windy east coast of Scotland, where it would also be desperately embarrassing for both Sheila and the girls to be naked in front of people that they knew. However, as before, Sheila was eventually worn down by Max’s berating and criticism that Sheila was frigid and boring for not taking part. However, another version reports that while Sheila did attend the very first welcome meeting of the nudist colony, she refused to remove her clothing and did not return again. However, if Wendy had memories of having to strip naked in the cold of Scotland, then did that mean that her mother, Sheila, was not present or was she there too but just didn’t want to remember being forced to strip naked? Wendy would have been as old as eight or nine before Max moved on to other more extreme ventures.

Max wasn’t satisfied with just the nudist colony for long and, according to The Kinky Cottage book by Steve MacGregor, it wasn’t long before the nudist colony gatherings had escalated into drink fuelled orgies and wife swapping. Again, whether Sheila was involved in this or not is not clear. What is clear though is that Sheila was becoming very depressed and told friends that Max had become physically violent towards her, at one point threatening to shoot her. Sheila felt that no matter what she did to try and please Max sexually it just wasn’t ever enough, and his requests were becoming more and more demanding.  According to The Kinky Cottage book by this point Max was drinking very heavily, now four or five bottles of whisky a week, was exceeding the daily allowance of caffeine-based stimulants, as well as taking a chronic insomnia drug barbiturate, something which is advised not to be taken for more than two weeks or with alcohol, both of which Max was doing. Max’s behaviour continued to escalate and be erratic, until 1964 when Sheila gave birth to the couple’s only son, Lloyd.  At this point Max began to reduce his drug and alcohol intake and life became more tolerable for the Garvie family, well for most of them, as Max still continued to torment Wendy constantly about her weight.

During this time of stability, Max gained his pilot’s licence and bought himself a small aircraft and started a flying club, which was located about a seven minute drive away from West Cairnbeg. While this new adventure appeared to satisfy Max for a while, it wouldn’t be long before Max became restless and began drinking again. He would often take his small aircraft out after drinking heavily and was known to fly erratically and very low over Laurencekirk, being dubbed by locals as the flying farmer. Max was approached by the police on several occasions after scaring drivers as he flew so close to them while they drove along below, but Max was a charismatic and likable man and appeared able to talk his way out of situations. Sheila would also be encouraged to go flying with Max, which made her very anxious due to his erratic behaviour and drinking, but again she obliged, anything to make Max happy, but it just never did. However, soon Max would meet someone who would make him happy, very happy, for a while at least, but which would ultimately lead to his downfall.

The Garvie children; Wendy, Angela and Lloyd, did their best to live a normal life and do normal things while they were not at the farmhouse, because when they were at home there was always the threat of more nudist colony exploits, of Max and Sheila arguing and  laterally of Sheila becoming distant and cold towards the children, and of course Wendy being regularly tormented by her father about her being overweight, which had never stopped. So much so that when Wendy was 11 years old Max produced slimming tablets for Wendy and instructed her to start taking them, which she did. However, much to Wendy, and Max’s dismay, even this didn’t help Wendy lose weight, and the constant criticism by Max continued, a constant reminder for Wendy of just how much of a disappointment she continued to be to her father. However, Wendy then began to notice a difference in her father, he seemed happier, the criticism from him seemed to lessen and she noticed that her mother and father didn’t seem to be arguing as much. Wendy realised that this change seemed to have happened around the time 21 year old Brian Tevendale came on the scene and began spending more and more time at the farmhouse. Whatever the reason, Wendy was just pleased that her mother and father had stopped arguing as much, and that her father didn’t bring up her weight as often. Then one evening in late April 1968 Wendy, who was now 12 years old, walked into the living room at the farmhouse and was shocked to find her mother kissing Brian Tevendale. Wendy wasn’t the only one shocked, with Wendy saying in an article that her mother begged her not to say anything, which Wendy promised that she wouldn’t as she didn’t want to upset her mother. However, Wendy’s decision to stay silent stayed with her throughout her life, it caused Wendy no end of trauma and guilt, and led to her spending her life asking the question, what if? So, while 12 year old Wendy was thinking that things had settled down at home and that her mother and father appeared to be happier since the arrival of Brian Tevendale, she could have had no idea just what had been going on while she lay sleeping at night. In 1967, three years after Max and Sheila’s son Lloyd was born, when Max was 33 years old, Max met 21 year old bartender and mechanic Brian Tevendale.

Brian was a slim, good-looking, shy man who enjoyed drinking, however Brian did not come from a wealthy family and so could not afford to indulge as much as he would have liked. And so when Brian began to receive the attention of the extravagant Max Garvie, who clearly had a sexual interest in him, Brian was more than happy to become friends, just without the benefits. Max and Brian began to spend more and more time together, drinking together, flying together, and Brian started to become a regular overnight visitor at West Cairnbeg farmhouse after enjoying a drinking session with Max and Sheila. Max was clearly very taken with Brian and enjoyed his company, even if it had not turned sexual as Max had hoped. While Max was happy with his relationship with Brian, Max still was frustrated by his frigid and boring wife Sheila. And, so, wanting to spice up their sex life, Max came up with the perfect idea to get Sheila interested in sex again. It was reported in the Daily Record newspaper on the 19th of October 2007 that one evening in late 1967 when Brian was staying at the farmhouse and had gone to bed in the spare room, he suddenly found his door thrown open and Max pushed a naked and shivering Sheila into the room with Brian, before Max left them alone, locking the door behind him. Max had decided that in order to get frigid Sheila more interested in sex again he would make her sleep with a younger lover. Sheila had been instructed by Max in no uncertain terms that she was to sleep with Brian that evening. Brian was 21 at this time and found Sheila to be extremely attractive, and so the pair spent the night together. Max was delighted, wanting to know every single intimate detail from Sheila afterwards. And this arrangement continued for a while, before Max decided that he wanted in on the action too and suggested that the three of them should sleep together, which Brian agreed to but made it clear that he was not interested in having sex with Max, only Sheila, who Brian was fast becoming infatuated with. Max found this new setup exciting, especially as Sheila became more and more interested in having sex with Brian.  Apparently, Max and Brian would occasionally toss a coin to decide which of them would have sex with Sheila first that evening, but often if Max lost he would just insist that they all slept together. This arrangement continued for a while, but as ever it wasn’t long before Max grew tired of even this setup, although he was pleased to find that Sheila seemed happy to continue to sleep with Brian, which in his eyes meant that he was free to find himself another lover, which he did and who came in the form of Trudi Birse, who just so happen to be Brian’s sister and who was married to a local policeman, Alfred. Max and Sheila already knew Trudi as her and her husband, Alfred, had frequently attended Max’s nudist colony. So, Max and Trudi began an affair, which was made known to both Sheila and Trudi’s husband Alfred, but neither appeared to be concerned by this. Max liked Trudi as she appeared to be as keen on varied sex as he was, with the pair frequently going flying in Max’s small aircraft with Max putting the autopilot on so the pair could satisfy their sexual appetites. It got to the stage that Max and Trudi would spend the evening having sex in Sheila and Brian’s marital bed, while Brian and Sheila would spend the evening having sex in the spare room, then sometime during the night Trudi would knock on the spare room’s door signalling that it was time for Sheila to go back to the marital bed to have sex with Max. One evening even Trudi’s husband Alfred got in on the action. Max, Sheila, Trudi, Brian, Alfred and a mystery female, who had been invited to attend the gathering by Max, had spent the evening at West Cairnbeg drinking in the living room. Brian and Sheila then drifted off to have sex, followed by Trudi and Max, until it was just Alfred and the mystery female left, and they too had sex. Everybody appeared to be having a great time, everyone that is except Sheila.

Sheila was very depressed, she was on sleeping tablets, and was just worn down by Max and his physical, mental and sexual abuse. Although for Sheila there did appear to be a slight glimmer of hope as she had began to develop strong feelings for Brian, had started to look forward to their time together alone, and may even have started to see a future away from Max. Knowing that she would need support if she were to even consider the possibility of leaving Max she firstly turned to her mother, Edith, who was known to be forthright and have inflexible views. Despite Edith being aware of how Max was treating her daughter, as Max took great delight in telling her the intimate details including how he and Brian tossed a coin to decide who would have sex with Sheila first, as predicted, Sheila would be deeply disappointed as her mother would not support this decision, she should stay with her husband for the children, she needed to try and make it work, divorce was not an option. Next, Sheila turned to her local priest for support and guidance, but again received the same outcome, she should stay with her husband for the children’s sake, divorce was not an option. It was also reported in the Press and Journal newspaper on the 30th of November 2011 that Sheila also sought help and support from her doctor when Max had become so physically violent towards her she had to wear an neck brace. However, again, Sheila was to be severely let down by her doctor as her doctor had immediately telephoned Max and told him what Sheila had said, and in essence sent Sheila straight back to her increasingly intolerable life with Max. And then things became even worse.

Max had grown tired of Brian and Trudi and wanted new sexual partners to join him and Sheila in the bedroom. However, much to his shock and annoyance, he realised that Brian and Sheila had begun to have feelings for one another and that the lovers had no intention of giving each other up. This enraged Max. While he was happy to force his wife to have sex with other people, he always wanted to be in control and was very domineering, and so to have his wife not immediately cut Brian off in favour of new sexual partners, as well as to have developed feelings for another man, did not go down well with Max. He became more physically and mentally abusive towards Sheila, trying to force her to bend to his will, as he had done time and time before, and so he was furious when Sheila took the three children and left him to be with Brian. However, Sheila knew she had no support from anyone, other than her 22 year old lover she was completely alone. And, so, when Max threatened to shoot all of them if Sheila did not return to him, scared and completely beaten down Sheila returned to Max. Sheila did find some amazing courage to leave Max one more time to be with Brian, although this time she didn’t take her children. While away from Max once again she visited a solicitor to find out her rights, however, yet again, Sheila was severely let down. She was told that regardless of what Max had been doing or had been making Sheila do sexually, Sheila was still an adulteress and if she were to apply for a divorce she would lose her home and children. Distraught and completely beaten but knowing she would be unable to be without her children, Sheila returned to Max once again, only this time Sheila was desperate and out of options.

The physical and sexual abuse from Max continued and Sheila started taking a prescription drug to help with her increasing anxiety and depression, which made her appear to be detached and cold, which only angered Max further. Sheila did continue to see Brian though, much to Max’s annoyance. Sheila had begun to see Brian as her only escape from a terrible and traumatic reality, and one evening in late April 1968 when Brian and Sheila were alone together and she said to him that life would be so much better without Max in it, a seed was planted which set about a motion that would destroy so many lives and lead to murder.

On Tuesday the 14th of May 1968, a few weeks after Wendy had caught her mother and Brian kissing in the living room, a fact that 12 year old Wendy had forgotten about by this point, Wendy was again in the living room at West Cairnbeg, but this time she was watching television before heading to bed. Wendy, who was 12, and her younger sister, Angela who was 11, were allowed to stay up a bit later than their four-year-old brother Lloyd, but soon it would be Wendy and Angela’s bedtime too. Wendy remembers that her father wasn’t home at this time, with her mother telling her that he was at a meeting but would be home later. The main reason Wendy remembers this bedtime particularly is because her mother made her and her sister go to bed earlier than normal, and after her mother had kissed her and Angela good night Sheila apparently said, according to an article in The Scotsman newspaper on the 1st of February 2002, “No matter what, don’t get up.” Wendy thought this was strange but she was tired and so thought nothing more about it and went to sleep, and had no reason to get up until her mother woke her in the morning for school. Now, while Wendy was devastated at always being taunted by her father about her weight, Max was still her father and she loved him, and so when her dad wasn’t there in the morning she asked her mother where he was, to which Sheila said he had gone for a few days, which wasn’t unusual as he often was gone for meetings or to do with his flying club. However, after a few days of Wendy not having seen or heard from her dad she again asked her mother where he was. It appeared that Sheila too was becoming concerned by Max’s absence, and even though his car had been found parked at the airstrip suggesting he had gone off in his plane, on the 20th of May, five days after Max was last seen, she telephoned the police to report him missing. She told the police that Max had returned late and had been drunk on the night of the 14th of May, that they had had an argument and Sheila had gone to bed and Max had slept elsewhere, and that he was gone in the morning when she got up. She did state to the police however that he most likely was just with his flying group somewhere and that he had an arranged meeting planned for that same evening and she was sure he would return for that. But he didn’t. And so the police began to take Max’s disappearance more seriously. They firstly attended the farmhouse to have a look around for anything unusual, to double check that Max definitely wasn’t there, and to speak to Sheila, although Sheila’s mother, Edith, was there who took charge, leaving Sheila to fade into the background. Edith did not appear to be overly concerned about Max’s disappearance, offering the opinion that he was likely off with his flying group somewhere, as his car had been parked at the airstrip which suggested this. However, on closer inspection it turned out that Max’s actual aircraft was still in the hangar. Could Max perhaps have left his aircraft there and flown with another group member? It was definitely a possibility, especially after, according to the podcast The Storyteller Violent Delights by Isla Traquair, a local farmer who lived near the airstrip came forward to say that he had heard a small aircraft taking off from the airstrip about 6.30am on the morning of Wednesday the 15th of May.

Max and his erratic behaviour was well known to the police and while it appeared that he was just off somewhere of his own free will, a description of Max was placed in the Police Gazette in June 1968, not a very flattering description to say the least. According to The Storyteller Violent Delights podcast it read ‘Spends freely. Is a heavy spirit drinker and often consumes tranquilisers and Pro Plus tablets when drinking. Is fond of female company but has strong homosexual tendencies and is often in the company of young men. Is a man of considerable wealth, and until three years ago was completely rational. Of late became very impulsive, probably brought about by his addiction to drink. Has threatened suicide on at least one occasion. Deals in pornographic material. Is an active member of nudist camps, and is an enthusiastic flyer. May have gone abroad.’ Max’s younger sister, Hilda, also reported him missing at the time, but she only gave a physical description of Max to the police. While there were a few sightings of Max reported to police none ever checked out. Max hadn’t been in touch with friends or family, and even more alarmingly his bank account had not been touched. Max had vanished.

As the days became weeks and the weeks became months more and more people in the community began to believe that something had happened to Max, that he had possibly been murdered. Wendy became more and more upset and worried by her father’s disappearance as the time passed and became more and more difficult to console, so much so that Sheila was unable to cope on her own with the children, and so asked her mother, Edith, to move into West Cairnbeg to help her. While the community were speculating about what may have happened to Max, and Wendy the couple’s eldest daughter was becoming more and more upset by his absence, Sheila appeared to be at her happiest. She spent more and more time with Brian, they were seen holding hands and laughing together in public, which only further increased speculation about Max’s disappearance.  However, there was no evidence of foul play and there was no body so the police were not able to do anything. That is until Friday the 16th of August 1968 when Wendy recalls the police arriving at the farmhouse.

Wendy had been in the kitchen with her siblings and mother making the dinner when there was a knock at the door. Before Wendy knew what was happening her mother was shouting to her to watch the potatoes as they were nearly ready and that her grandmother would be along shortly to look after them, before her mother was led out of the house and into a waiting police car. Wendy was 12 years old, first her father had disappeared and now her mother was being taken away by the police. Wendy was distraught. But she would only have to wait a couple of days before being bluntly told by her grandmother, Edith, and her mother’s brother that her father was dead and that he had been murdered by her mother. Wendy’s young and traumatised life as the daughter of perfectionist Max Garvie was further being turned upside down. Wendy recalls everything happening so quickly after hearing this news, she and her siblings were whisked away by their grandmother, away from their friends and all that was familiar to them, but this was done to protect them from the media frenzy that was about to descend.

So, what had happened for the police to suddenly bring Sheila in for questioning after Max had been missing for three months, and for her to be arrested for his murder? It transpired that Max had been able to orchestrate one final blow to Sheila.

And that’s the end of part one. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the conclusion to this story.

Dawn:

Trigger warning – This episode discusses domestic abuse, so listener discretion is strongly advised.

This is part two of the story Tangled Web, so, if you’ve not listened to part one already or you need a reminder then stop and give it a listen now, and then come back to this episode. If you’re all up-to-date then let’s continue with part two.

Following Max’s disappearance Sheila and Brian became closer and closer, despite the growing gossip. They began to spend more and more time together, and had eventually made the decision to move to Aberdeen with Sheila’s three children to start a new life together. However, while Edith watched on quietly as her daughter spent more and more time with Brian, when she found out that Sheila planned to move to Aberdeen with her children to live with Brian, Edith could stay silent no longer.

Earlier in the day on Friday the 16th of August 1968, 59 year old Edith Watson had entered the local police station and almost collapsed she was in such distress about what she was about to say. She told police that she strongly believed that Max was dead, and that her daughter Sheila and Brian Tevendale had been involved in this. She said that the day after Max had gone missing Sheila had said to her that she would have no more worries and that Max wouldn’t be back. Edith said she had asked Sheila outright if she meant that Max was dead, to which she said Sheila had nodded. She said that Sheila had gone on to say that she had a strong man at her back, to which Edith said she asked if she meant Brian Tevendale, and Sheila again nodded. Edith said she then asked her daughter if Brian had been involved in Max’s murder, to which she said Sheila nodded again. When Edith was asked why she had come forward now she said that Max had told her that should anything happen to him she was to ensure that Brian Tevendale never had any contact with his children. And, so, while Sheila and Brian were planning on taking the children to live in Aberdeen, Edith felt she had to put a stop to it one way or another, even if that meant her daughter being charged with her husband’s murder.

Shocked by this development the police immediately made their way to West Cairnbeg to bring Sheila in for questioning. Brian was also brought to the police station for questioning on the same day, and to the detective’s surprise Brian quickly admitted his part in the murder of Max Garvie. However, upon Brian and Sheila both appearing in court on the charge of Maxwell Garvie’s murder, Sheila too decided to start talking, however, her version of events were completely different to what Brian had said.

Sheila said that late on the 14th of May to early 15th of May she had been in bed with Max when she’d been woken by a man whispering for her to get up and come into the hall. The man was Brian. She said that another man she knew only as Alan was also in the hall when she got there. She said she then noticed that Brian was carrying a rifle, which was later identified as being Max’s. Brian then told Sheila to go into the bathroom, which she did and closed and locked the door. She said she then heard awful thumping noises coming from the bedroom and then silence, before Brian knocked on the bathroom door telling her to unlock it and to instead stand guard at the children’s bedrooms in case they came out, while Brian and his friend wrapped Max’s body in a sheet. Sheila watched in shock and horror as the pair then bumped Max’s body down the stairs and outside to Brian’s friend Alan’s waiting car, and Max’s body was placed in the back of the car. Apparently the plan was for Brian to drive Max’s car to the airstrip and leave it there and then for Brian and his friend to dispose of Max’s body. However, like I said, Brian’s version of events was slightly different.

In his statement he said he had received a distressed phone call from Sheila saying that she had accidentally shot Max during a fight, after Max threatened her with a gun. Brian said he did go to the farmhouse and he did dispose of the body of Max, but only to help Sheila out, as Brian admitted being in love with her. Brian made no mention of his friend Alan being present, doing his best to protect him. But upon Sheila making a statement mentioning Alan being there, Brian told the police exactly who he was and where he lived.

On Saturday the 17th of August Brian then took detectives to Lauriston Castle where Max’s body was. And detectives later said that if they had not been led there directly to the location, Max’s body likely would never have been found.

As a youngster Brian had spent time at Lauriston Castle and its grounds and he knew the place like the back of his hand. He led the police to an unknown narrow tunnel and told them Max was about 20 yards, or 18 metres, into the tunnel under large boulders. The tunnel was so narrow and low that police officers had to crawl along it on their hands and knees, but they soon became aware of a rotting smell, before finding a pile of stones, under which was Max’s body. Following a postmortem, it was determined that Max had died three months previously from a gunshot wound to his neck and from being hit brutally on the head. Following West Cairnbeg being searched, it was discovered that the rifle that had been used to kill Max was his own. The friend of Brian’s who Sheila said was also at the farmhouse on the night Max had been murdered was 20 year old Alan Peters, who was also a mechanic and worked with Brian.

Alan Peters was arrested on Sunday the 18th of August 1968. 33 year old Sheila Garvie, 22 year old Brian Tevendale and 20 year old Alan Peters were arrested and charged with the murder of Max Garvie.

Shortly after Wendy had witnessed her mother being escorted from West Cairnbeg by the police, a family member turned up to look after the children. Wendy was distraught. Wendy’s world would further be rocked when a few days later her mother was charged with her father’s murder and was remanded in custody. From there on in Wendy and her siblings were told nothing further about what was happening with their mother, they weren’t allowed to see their mother and they were not aware of the sensational court case and shocking headlines that would dominate the newspapers. The children were well protected by moving them into a hotel about 70 miles, or 120 kilometres, away in the hope nobody would know who they were. All of the newspapers were removed so that the children would not have to endure the horrific details that were about to be exposed about their mother and father’s lives. This was particularly hard for Wendy, being the oldest sibling  

The trial for the murder of Maxwell Garvie was to take place in the High Court in Aberdeen on Friday the 18th of November 1968, and it was set to be quite the show. The streets outside the High Court in Aberdeen were lined with people, some of whom had queued from the early hours of the morning, desperate to get a peek at the main players as they arrived, as well as a seat at the trial of the century; a beautiful young rich woman, her lover and the lover’s friend on trial for the murder of her wealthy, flamboyant, ladies man of a husband, where the couple’s sexual exploits were devoured by all present and scandalised in the newspapers. And, so, the trial began with the prosecution claiming that Sheila had persuaded her lover, Brian, to murder her husband so the pair could get married and claim Max’s life insurance, worth more than £55,000, which would be just over £1 million or about $1.3 million dollars in today’s money, as well as inherit Max’s money, properties, land and cars. They also claimed that Alan Peters had been involved in both the murder and the disposal of Max’s body. All three pleaded not guilty, with Sheila council lodging a special defence that the two men had killed her husband and she had no prior knowledge of their plans, and Alan’s council lodging a special defence that Sheila and Brian had carried out the killing and that he had simply been drawn into their tangled web. Sheila and Alan would take to the stand to tell their own version of events, but Brian did not, allowing his defence advocate to speak for him. When Sheila’s mother took to the stand she became so distraught and unwell at the very first question of “Do you recognise the accused?” that she was unable to answer this question and an ambulance had to be called. She did however take the stand the following day. Throughout being questioned, Edith, Sheila’s mother, told of how she had seen a change in Max’s behaviour, how she had been shocked when he had quite openly told of how he and Brian had been flipping a coin to decide who would sleep with her daughter. She had also been aware that Max had been physically abusive to Sheila, having seen the evidence, as well as Max having admitted to her that he regularly twisted Sheila’s arm so far up her back that Sheila feared her shoulder would break. She believed that the change in Max had been due to his drink and drug habit. She also told how her daughter had confirmed to her the day after Max had gone missing that he wouldn’t be back, that he was dead, and that Brian Tevendale had been involved. When it was Sheila’s turn on the stand, she told of how her wonderful marriage to the man she loved, Max Garvie, had turned from a fairy tale to a living nightmare. She told of how Max had drunk to excess and took drugs. She told of his unrelenting pressure on her to perform more and more sexual acts, which she described as disgusting. She told of his ever-increasing violence towards her, of how she felt more and more like a possession of Max’s to be used and shared. Sheila told of the awful physical, mental and sexual abuse she had endured at the hands of Max Garvie, of how she had tried to leave but had no support.  And finally she told of how she had fallen in love with Brian Tevendale. Sheila then told her version of what had happened on the evening of the 14th of May 1968. She reiterated that she had absolutely no idea that Brian was planning to come to her house that evening, and had absolutely no idea that he had planned to murder Max. She said she was in a state of shock and disbelief, and had asked Brian if Max had suffered, to which Brian had said no. She was asked why she had continued a relationship with a man who she had known had killed her husband, the father of her children, to which she replied that she felt responsible, she had let Brian Tevendale fall in love with her, and that she had vowed to protect him. Brian’s version of events were read to the jury from his statement to the police where he said that Sheila had in fact shot Max by accident and he had merely helped dispose of the body, again, because he loved Sheila and would do anything for her. So far the jury had heard differing versions of what had happened and who knew what about what had happened that night, such as that it was thought that Brian had murdered Max and that Sheila knew Max was dead but hadn’t been aware of Brian’s plan to kill Max, or that Sheila had accidentally killed Max and Brian had only helped dispose of Max’s body to help her, so when it was Alan Peters’ turn to take the stand, things started to get even more interesting.

Alan Peters was 20 years old and had married his pregnant wife only a few weeks earlier on the 26th of July, where Brian was his best man and Sheila had provided the catering, although in Sheila’s statement to the police at the time of her arrest she said she hadn’t known Alan’s surname. Alan worked with Brian at the same garage, both being mechanics. He said that a few weeks before the murder Brian had said to him that he was wanting to get rid of Max and asked Alan if he would help him, although Alan said in court that he hadn’t realised that that had meant by murdering Max. That was until the pair arrived at West Cairnbeg on the night of the 14th of May, where Alan said Sheila let both him and Brian in by the garage. He said Brian and himself then had a drink in the living room while Sheila went to check on Max. When Sheila came back to tell them that Max was sleeping and to follow her, Brian then picked up Max’s own .22 rifle and they both followed Sheila upstairs. Alan said he was terrified at what was transpiring, but was afraid to say anything for fear of being shot himself. He said they both then went into Max’s bedroom while Sheila stayed outside, and Brian then shot Max threw a pillow in the head. The pair then wrapped Max’s body in a sheet and placed his body in the back of Alan’s car. The pair then dropped Max’s car off at the airstrip, before traveling to Lauriston Castle grounds and placing Max in the tunnel and covering him with boulders. So, now the jury had more to think about; Sheila and Alan both said that Brian had shot Max, but now Alan was saying that Sheila had known exactly what was planned and she had actually let the pair into the farmhouse.

Trudi Birse, Brian’s sister, was next to give evidence, and she told yet another version of events. Trudi said that she had spoken with Brian within hours of Max being murdered and Brian had told her that it had been Alan who had struck the first blow, apparently striking Max on the head with a steel bar. Brian told her that he was sure Max was already dead before he actually shot him. However, there was never any evidence that a steel bar had been involved, although Max was struck on the back of the neck. And this was a different story to the one Brian had told the police, saying instead that Sheila had shot Max by accident. Things were becoming more tangled, and it was only to get worse. Trudi also gave more of an insight into the horrific abuse that Sheila had been receiving from Max. She said that Max was obsessed with Brian and would ask Trudi to find out all she could about the intimate details of Sheila and Brian’s sex life, with Max taking great pleasure from every little detail. She confirmed that Max pushed Sheila and Brian together continually. Trudi said that Max would tell her that he had more pleasure from sex from one evening with Trudi than in his whole marriage to Sheila, as well as telling Trudi that he loved Brian more than he loved Sheila. Trudi confirmed that Max would say these heartbreaking things to Sheila too.

Next on the stand was Alfred, or Fred, Birse, Trudi’s husband and previously a policeman. However, a strange statement was made by the defence before Fred was questioned. They basically said that due to legal reasons Fred and Trudi would not be asked too many questions or be pressured too much. The reason why would soon become clear. As Max had been shot while he was lying in bed, there was a significant amount of blood splatter on the mattress, and so Brian had rolled up this mattress and taken it to Fred and Trudi’s home to store briefly, before Fred and Brian took it to a quarry and burnt it. Trudi then agreed that Sheila could have her and Fred’s mattress from their bed and Trudi would purchase a new one, as obviously it would be too risky for Sheila to suddenly purchase a new mattress. Trudi’s mattress was however too small to fit Sheila and Max’s bed, but Sheila did her best to hide this fact by using blankets and a valance sheet.  And, so, when the policeman came to have a look around West Cairnbeg when Max had first gone missing, they could be forgiven for missing this detail. However, upon the house being forensically examined after finding out Max had been murdered, not only was the ill-fitting mattress discovered but also traces of blood on the headboard and the wallpaper, which Sheila had tried to hide by moving the bed to cover the stains. It was also revealed at the trail that Fred had burnt Max’s clothes and I.D. So despite Fred being a policeman at the time of Max’s murder, he still was happy to help cover up the crime. Fred Birse resigned from the police force shortly after Sheila and Brian were arrested. It is speculated that initially there were five people on the charge of being involved in murdering Max Garvie; Sheila, Brian, Alan, Trudi and Alfred. However, if all of the above were charged then there would be no witnesses, and so it is believed that is why Trudi and Alfred never were charged with any crime. But can what they said in court be truly believed? 

Shockingly, Max’s skull was also presented in court, so that it could be shown to the jury just what damage had been done to Max’s brain and bone structure following being shot. The bullet had still been embedded in Max’s skull when his body was found. One jury member collapsed in distress at seeing Max’s skull and was removed from the jury, with it continuing with just 14 members.

Eventually, ten days after the trial began and after the closing statements, it was time for the jury to retire and decide on the verdict. On the 2nd of December 1968 Alan Peters received a verdict of not proven. This is unique to Scotland and, according to Wikipedia, it is typically used by a jury when it is a belief that the defendant is guilty but the Crown has not provided sufficient evidence. Brian Tevendale was unanimously found guilty of Max’s murder, and Sheila Garvie was found guilty of murdering Max by a majority verdict, with both being served a life sentence. Upon hearing the verdict Sheila and Brian briefly embraced and kissed, before the pair were led away to begin their sentences. While the pair did send each other love letters initially, three months into their life sentence Sheila sent a letter to Brian saying “I have decided to have nothing more to do with you ever again”, and she asked Brian to destroy all of their love letters. Brian was devastated, but it transpired that Sheila had been advised to cut off contact in order to be able to see her children, as it didn’t look good if she were continuing a relationship with the murderer of the children’s father. However, despite this sacrifice, Sheila never did get to see her children whilst she was in prison. Not only did Sheila not have the prospect of ever seeing her children while they were still little, but six months into her life sentence she received a word that her mother was very unwell, and sadly she died shortly afterwards. Sheila’s father had passed away by this time. Now Sheila was completely alone; no children, no lover, no mother, but also there was no Max.

During and following the trial, Sheila’s children; Wendy, Angela and Lloyd, had been living with their grandmother, Edith, but upon her death they had all been placed with a foster couple in England. However, Sheila’s oldest daughter, Wendy, began to really struggle. She had endured so much in her young life, her perceived weight issue and disappointment from her dad from such a young age, being subjected to nudist colonies while being ashamed of her body, the arguments of her parents, the change in both her father due to drink and drugs, and her mother due to prescription pills, the murder of her dad, her mother being sent to prison, her grandmother dying, being placed into foster care, and finally not being allowed to see her mother. But there was something even more damaging that Wendy was dealing with, her guilt. Wendy had convinced herself that if she had said something, anything, when she had found her mum and Brian Tevendale kissing in the living room weeks before her father had been murdered, then none of this may have happened; her dad might not be dead, her mum wouldn’t be in jail, she wouldn’t be in foster care alone without anyone. She believed it was all her fault, and the more she thought about this the more she spiraled out of control. Wendy continued to have body and weight issues, her mental health began declining, and all she really wanted was to be loved. When Wendy was 16 years old she began working in a chemists, where she met a boy and they began dating. She told him about her past and he accepted it, seeming to only care about Wendy, which was just what Wendy thought she needed, to be loved. The pair married when Wendy was 18 and the couple had a child three years later. However, Wendy just could not escape her past, it still tormented her, and when her marriage began to fail Wendy, no longer able to cope, left her husband and child, before starting on a journey that would leave her feeling even more alone. Wendy began drinking to excess, and her mental health deteriorated even further, eventually being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Wendy sadly continued to drink to excess for quite some time, desperate to try and blot out the guilt, the overwhelming guilt of what if. Then in 1978 Wendy began to see a glimmer of hope, her mother, Sheila now 43 years old, had been released from prison after serving ten years for the murder of her husband, Max Garvie, and Wendy wanted to see her, she needed to see her, needed to talk about what happened with someone who was there. Her brother, Lloyd, had been too young at the time and her sister, Angela, didn’t want to talk about it, she had moved on and was doing fine and Wendy had grown apart from them. Wendy would soon realise that Sheila, her mother, wasn’t going to be her saviour, she didn’t want to talk about it either, it was in the past and she was looking forward.

Following her release from prison, Sheila had moved to Aberdeen to run her aunt’s guest house and one of the guests staying there was David McLellan who was from Rhodesia, now modern days Zimbabwe, and within six months of being released from prison Sheila had married David. This marriage lasted only a couple of years, with Sheila saying that she’d only married David because she had been lonely following being released from prison. Not long after the divorce Sheila left the guesthouse and Aberdeen and moved to Stonehaven, about 16 miles or 26 kilometres south of Aberdeen, and about 15 miles or 24 kilometres from where she had lived with her murdered first husband, Maxwell Garvie, where she ran a bed and breakfast. Soon after moving to Stonehaven she met and married Charles Mitchell, who was a drilling engineer, and the pair remained happily married in Stonehaven until December 1992 when sadly Charles died of a heart attack. Sheila continued to stay in Stonehaven and run the bed and breakfast following Charles’ death. She never married again. In her later years, Sheila developed dementia and went to live in a nursing home. She continued to deny any knowledge of what had happened to her husband, Max, on the evening of the 14th of May 1968 until her death in December 2014 at the age of 80.

Brian Tevendale also had been released in 1978 when he was 32 years old. Whilst in prison he struck up a relationship with a female who wrote to prisoners and the pair were married. Brian and his new wife moved to Scone in Perth, about 65 miles or 104 kilometres away from where Sheila ran her bed and breakfast, where Brian was a pub landlord. According to the Free Library in an article in the Scottish Daily Record newspaper in 1999, 30 years after Max was murdered, Brian Tevendale finally broke his silence about his involvement in the murder. He said that Sheila had planted the seed saying that it would be better if Max was out of the way. He said that he was infatuated with Sheila, thought that he was in love and would have done anything for her, and so the pair started to plot Max’s downfall. He went on to say that Sheila had let him and Alan into the farmhouse that night and that Sheila had given him Max’s .22 rifle. He then admitted that he had then placed a pillow over Max’s face and had indeed shot Max once in the head while he lay on his back. He said he regretted it instantly and wished he could change that night, but he was completely under Sheila’s spell and knew that he had to see it through, he just wanted to be with Sheila and he thought that was the plan, however, he felt that Sheila had other ideas. Despite the pair living only about 65 miles or 104 kilometres away from each other, they never saw each other again. Brian continued to work as a landlord in his pub in Scone until December 2003 when, at the age of 57, he died of a heart attack, days before he planned to emigrate to Africa for a new life.

Trudi and Alfred Birse’s marriage was not able to survive the strain the murder and subsequent court case and revelations about their sex life and involvement in covering up Max’s murder had put on it, and so in 1971, three years after the trial, the couple split up, with Alfred getting custody of their three children. Alfred did remarry in 1984, however, he died a year later from cancer. Upon Trudi’s marriage failing, she began to work as a housekeeper, however, in 1988 she also died of cancer, four years after Alfred.

Wendy, Sheila’s long-suffering daughter, continued to suffer. She soon realised that her mother would not be able to help her through her torment, her grief, her guilt, leaving her feeling more lost and unloved as ever. Sadly, Wendy’s struggle, which had been inflicted upon her by people who should have been protecting and loving her, alienated her from her brother, Lloyd, and sister, Angela, as well as her own daughter, who Wendy had not had contact with since she left her ex-husband. Wendy continued to live in England and did eventually seek counselling and did manage to stabilise her drinking and mental health, eventually gaining employment in a local mental health charity shop. According to the Free Library, in 2001, when Wendy was 45, she reached out to the Daily Record newspaper to tell her side of the story. She said that “I don’t have a past and it’s difficult to look towards a future. What happened that night has ruined many people’s lives, including mine.” She went on to say that “It’s hard to hold down relationships when you come with as much baggage as I do. I just want to be able to put the past behind me now.” However, Wendy felt that the legacy of what happened that night lives on and she doesn’t think she will ever be able to escape it. Wendy went on to say that she does forgive her mother. She confirmed also that she would be starting to write a book about the murder, as she felt this was the only way she would be able to work through and deal with the baggage she perceives to carry. Sadly, the book Wendy vowed to write was never forthcoming, and Wendy died in 2015 at the age of 59, one year after her mother passed, possibly never having been able to work through the trauma she had experienced.

There are so many victims in this story; clearly Sheila was an abused wife and it was just the time she lived in that dictated that she must stay with her husband, must stay married, stay for the children, despite the torture and torment she was being subjected to by her husband. However much of a brute Max appeared to be, he did not deserve to die. It was clear he had issues with drink and drugs, and he likely had homosexual tendencies, which at that time was illegal. Again, had he been living in today’s society, he would have been able to explore those feelings without reprisal. Brian also was a victim, he loved Sheila so much, he would have done anything for her, and he couldn’t stand to see her being treated so poorly by Max. Whether it was Sheila who instigated the plan to murder Max or whether Brian did of his own accord, whether Sheila pulled the trigger or Brian did will never be known for sure, but what is known is that Brian was infatuated with Sheila and had been manipulated by Max, he too was a victim. However, Wendy was the inadvertent victim and seems the person who had the most deep rooted and long-lasting trauma. Like I said, a lot of the details for this episode came from the fantastic podcast The Storyteller Violent Delights by Isla Traquair.

It’s a ten episode podcast with additional bonus episodes, and there is so much more information about this case in that podcast that I could not possibly say in this episode. It is so informative with interviews and re-enactments of the trial by voice actors. I would highly recommend giving this podcast a listen if you would like to know even more about the life and the love triangle of Max, Sheila and Brian.

So that’s it, come back next time for another episode of Scottish Murders.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.