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Brutal Scots knife killer who stabbed man to death in Paisley flat dodges court over rammy after she was released from prison

Knife killer’s sister caged for sick snaps of murder victim’s butchered body locked up AGAIN for blade rampage in Paisley

Father of mobile phone pics killer reveals death threat after shopping him – Daily Record

Killer who bathed in her victim’s blood has gone on the run after skipping court – Metro

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Killer who posed with body jailed

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Teenage murderer posed with body

Life for teen killer who knifed man 80 times | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Karen Duncan is on the run after dodging court

Sick killer Price | Barrhead News

MUG SHOTTS; EXCLUSIVE KILLERS’ JAIL SNAPS ON FACEBOOK Pics of smiling ganglang assassins are posted on fellow inmate’s web page. – Free Online Library

Scots killer Karen Duncan – who bathed in victim’s blood – spared jail for the second time in a month

‘Vigilante’ thugs hurled bricks at home of Paisley court witness who gave evidence against pal – Daily Record

Gunman’s life fell apart after brutal murder of his brother, court hears – Daily Record

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Jail for murder victim’s brother

Life for teen killer who knifed man 80 times | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Charity battler Betty couldn't help bloodbath killer grandson | Glasgow Times

‘You’re gettin’ it for ma mate’ Yobs smashed in window of court witness’ house with bricks after pal jailed – Daily Record

PressReader.com – Your favorite newspapers and magazines.

Laura Milne murder: Killer who hid body in cupboard is jailed for 18 years | The Scotsman

Aberdeen murder man gloated on camera | HeraldScotland

Boasting killer jailed for murder and mutilation of Aberdeen girl | HeraldScotland

Woman involved in gruesome murder back in Aberdeen working as hairdresser – The Press and Journal

Court of Session – Sentencing Statement

Barber Involved In Cut-Throat Murder Now Works As Hairdresser – UNILAD

BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Killer boasted of murder on video

Jailed for brutal murder of north-east teen in 2007, now cleared of assaulting former partner – The Press and Journal

Demon barber: Female thug involved in cut-throat killing of teenage girl is working as a local hairdresser just one mile from murder scene – Daily Record

Dawn:

24 year old Scott Burgess and 19 year old Laura Milne had never met each other and lived in completely different parts of Scotland, but the fates of both would be decided by a knock on a door.

Hi Wee Ones, it’s just me Dawn today.

So, before I start this week’s episode I need to give you a trigger warning, as both of the cases discussed today are particularly horrific and graphic, so please be warned. 

Scott Burgess was 24 years old and grew up with his mum, dad and seven brothers and sisters. He then moved to Paisley, which is about 12 miles or 19 kilometres east of Glasgow, where he lived in a flat that was right next door to sisters Karen and Irene Duncan. Sadly, not much else is known about Scott, other than he kept in regular contact with his family. Upon moving into the flat in Paisley, Scott just went about his life quite happily, until sometime between the 23rd of August 2007 and the 6th of September 2007, when out of the blue the Duncan sisters, Karen and Irene, and Karen’s boyfriend Stephen Price, came knocking at the door of Scott’s flat.

Laura Milne was 19 years old and was brought up in the town of Ellon in Aberdeenshire, about 16 miles or 25 kilometres north of Aberdeen, which is located in the north east of Scotland. She lived there with her dad, Brian, and her older brother and younger sister. Laura was diagnosed with mild learning difficulties and was described as being vulnerable, naïve and easily manipulated, but that she had a huge heart and just wanted to help others. Sadly, Laura’s school years were marred as she was constantly bullied throughout this time by fellow pupil, Debbie Buchan. However, despite the relentless bullying, upon leaving school, Laura’s disposition hadn’t changed and she still just wanted to help others, which led to her finding work at a homeless charity in Aberdeen, where she was given a room to stay in and she worked in the kitchen, and she enjoyed this immensely. Laura was very close to her family and kept in constant contact with them, phoning and visiting them often. Laura continued to enjoy living and working at the homeless charity, even making friends with some of the homeless people there, including 18 year old Leigh MacKinnon and 22 year old Stuart Jack. However, Laura’s school bully, 19 year old Debbie Buchan, then appeared at the homeless charity. Despite Debbie’s bullying of Laura throughout her school life, Laura held no grudge and was quick to welcome Debbie into the homeless charity and her group of friends. Upon hearing about the reappearance of Debbie in Laura’s life, Laura’s dad, Brian, warned her not to trust Debbie, but Laura was adamant that things had changed, that the bullying was in the past, and that Debbie was now her friend. Laura, Stuart, Leigh and Debbie continue to spend quite a bit of time together, and on the 12th of December 2007 Debbie invited Laura to come to her flat after she had finished working in the kitchen, joining Leigh and Stuart there too. Laura would have been thoroughly looking forward to spending yet more time with her friends, and so upon finishing up in the kitchen Laura made her way to Debbie’s flat, and knocked on the door.

Scott Burgess was watching the TV in his flat having a few quiet drinks, but upon hearing the knock on his flat door he got up to answer it. As he began to open the door he was thrown backwards as three people barged into his flat. The uninvited visitors were his next door neighbours, Karen Duncan who was 16, Karen’s sister Irene who was 18 years old, and Karen’s boyfriend 19 year old Stephen Price. Scott would have quickly realised that the trio had been drinking heavily, and that this probably meant trouble. Just as this thought would have passed through Scott’s mind, Stephen Price head-buttered Scott and then proceeded to repeatedly plunge a knife into Scott’s body. Scott was stabbed at least 80 times in his back, his front and in his temple, with Karen also stabbing Scott twice with a screwdriver. This was an absolutely brutal, unprovoked attack, but what happened after the attack was even more gruesome.

Laura Mine’s knock on the flat door was answered almost immediately by Debbie, who invited her in to join Leigh and Stuart inside. It would have been clear to Laura that Stuart and Leigh had been drinking heavily, but despite this Laura would have been pleased to see her friends. However, having come straight from work she would have first wanted to freshen up in the toilet, before having a drink and joining her friends for the evening. Laura had only just stepped into the toilet and locked the door when suddenly the door was kicked open and she was dragged out and thrown to the floor. What followed was a brutal unprovoked attack on the defenceless Laura. Laura was punched and kicked repeatedly on her head and body by Debbie, Leigh and Stuart, with Leigh later saying that she thought she’d broken her toe she had “belted something so hard.” Debbie also repeatedly stamped on Laura’s head with her feet, while Leigh also hit Laura with a bottle several times. While Laura lay unconscious, bleeding and severely beaten on the floor, Stuart retrieved a knife from the kitchen and cut Laura’s throat, killing her. It was reported in the post mortem later that Laura had extensive bruising to her face and body, that one rib was cracked, her incisor teeth were loosened in their sockets, her jaw was fractured in three places, and she had head injuries. It was possible that Laura would have sustained brain damage due to the severity of the beating had she survived. While this attack was absolutely disgusting, what happened next is equally as shocking.

Scott Burgess was stabbed over 80 times, but what possible reason could there be for Stephen Price and Karen and Irene Duncan to barge into Scott’s flat and attack him so brutally? Well, apparently, it was all because Stephen Price had got it into his head that Scott had said something derogatory about his friends. That, and the fact that they had all been drinking heavily, might also have played a small part. So let’s go back to the day of the attack, because as horrendous as that was, there was much worse to come. So, it’s not known the exact day that Scott was attacked. I guess the trio were that out of it that they’d just forgotten, but it apparently happened between the 23rd of August 2007 and the 6th of September 2007. Stephen Price and the Duncan sisters had been in their flat next door to Scott’s flat getting drunk, and the conversation about Scott apparently having said something derogatory about Stephen Price’s friends came up. So, the trio sat there hatching a plan of revenge, before making there way to Scott’s flat, knocking on the door and barging their way in, with Stephen Price starting to attack Scott straight away. This attack was so vicious that Price actually stabbed himself in the arm. Scott would have quickly slipped into unconsciousness before dying. Now, you’d think after carrying that out you’d maybe be in shock. I don’t know, thinking [s__t ] what have I done. Maybe? Yes? However not these three. Stephen Price then proceeded to pose next to Scott’s dead body, brandishing the actual knife he had just killed Scott with and smiling, while the sisters took the photos on a mobile phone. But it gets even worse. After taking the photos, the Duncan sisters and Stephen Price then went back to the sisters flat where Karen and Stephen got into the bath, fully clothed, and Irene Duncan took photos of Stephen wielding the murder weapon again, while he and Karen splashed about in the bath, which was red with Scott’s blood, all while laughing. The photos also showed that Scott’s blood was all over Stephen, his face and his hands were covered, and it was even in his hair. The trio then carried on with their day as if nothing happened, drinking and laughing, while Scott’s lifeless body lay just through the wall from them. The next day however, after sobering up, there was another chance to, you know, come clean, face up to what had been done and do the right thing. But, no, instead the Duncan sisters went back into Scott’s flat, carried his body to the bathroom, dumped it face down in the bath, then filled it with water and bleach. They then proceeded to cut out parts of the carpet that had been soaked in blood and put it in the rubbish bin, where they attempted to burn it. They then gathered their bloodstained clothes they had all been wearing, the knife, the screwdriver, the mobile phone, after attempting to destroy it, and placed everything together in a black bag and buried it. So while the sisters were doing everything they could to cover up that they had committed a truly barbaric crime, Stephen on the other hand was busy mouthing off to his dad, James. In an article in the Daily Record newspaper on the 26th of March 2008, James advised that Stephen had said “I done a guy in. I stabbed him about 60 times, and I stabbed myself as well.” His dad thought that he was just making it up as he’d been known to make things up in the past, maybe not lies quite as extreme as he’d killed someone but he was known to make things up. Scott’s family however were becoming concerned as they’d not been able to make contact with him. And so after nine days of nobody hearing from Scott, his dad and brother, Christopher who was 18, went to his flat to see if he was there. When they looked through the kitchen window they saw blood and kicked the door in, before making the truly horrific discovery of Scott’s body in the bath, face down. The police were called and started a murder investigation. The details of the murder were soon released and an appeal was made, an appeal which James Price also saw and immediately became suspicious. He said that a week had passed and he had honestly thought that his son was just lying, but on hearing the details and the appeal he immediately called the police and told them what his son had said. He was utterly disgusted by what he had heard and he wasn’t having Scott’s murderer get away with it, whether it was a son of his or not. He said in a newspaper article “‘He’s just a monster. I can’t bear to think what he put that boy through. I know myself that he’s a scary boy, especially when he’s full of the drugs.” He went on to say that the next time he heard from his son it was via a text and it read “You’re dead.” Stephen Price was quickly arrested. He denied the allegation of course, however that was quickly about to change. Through diligent police work the buried bag was found with the blood soaked clothes, the knife, the screwdriver and of course the broken mobile phone. However, the Duncan sisters hadn’t done a very good job of destroying the phone and the gruesome photos were retrieved from it. After the photos were found, a police source reported in a newspaper article “I’ve never seen such graphic pictures of a murder.” Upon Stephen Price being told that they had retrieved the bag and all the pictures that had been taken, he changed his story and admitted he had murdered Scott Burgess. When the Duncan sisters were brought in for questioning they admitted their part in the murder, and were both charged with murder. However, the charge of murder against the two Sisters was reduced and instead Karen Duncan was charged with culpable homicide, and both sisters were charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding or trying to destroy evidence. Stephen Price and Karen and Irene Duncan pled guilty to their charges.

Laura Milne was now lying dead on the floor of Debbie Buchan’s flat, having been savagely beaten and having her throat cut, but Debbie, Stuart and Leigh were not finished yet. In the days that followed, Stuart would cut off one of Laura’s ears and breast, before practically detaching her legs from her body, and almost decapitating her. Stuart, Debbie and Leigh then wrapped Laura’s head, torso and limbs in bedding and put them under the kitchen sink, where Laura’s body would stay for a week while the trio came and went from the flat as normal. As Laura was close to her family and contacted them regularly they would become suspicious if Laura didn’t contact them, and so Debbie Buchan replied to six text messages that Laura had received from family members pretending to be Laura, saying that she was fine and staying with friends but that they would see her soon. This would have added to the family’s torment when they eventually found out that Laura was already dead at the time of these text messages being sent to them. And even that is not the most disgusting thing to happen in this case. On the 14th of December, two days after Laura was brutally beaten and murdered, a video clip was recorded of Debbie Buchan and Stuart Jack who both seemed to be disgustingly rejoicing that Laura was dead, with Debbie saying “I feel so happy that she’s gone. She’s on my kitchen floor with a slit throat, a cut mouth, cut tit and her head kicked in.” When Debbie asked Stuart if he was glad Laura was dead he smiled and said “Yes, I am.” And when asked if he enjoyed cutting her throat he replied “Aye”, to which Debbie replied “Good. I really enjoyed stomping her head to [ f__k ]. There’s blood all over my walls.” Another video clip recorded a few minutes later showed Stuart dancing, with Debbie encouraging him. However, the trio were not exactly masterminds and each was desperate to tell their horrific secret. Debbie told an ex-boyfriend that she had been fighting with a female and that she was now “lying there looking funny.” Leigh told one of her friends that she had been at the flat when “a girl had been killed”, but it was Stuart who put the final nail in the coffin. He told two female residents, who were also living at the homeless hostel with them, that Laura had said that she was glad his granddad and sister were dead and so he killed her with a bread knife. He went on to say that Debbie and Leigh had been the ones who had beaten Laura, then he had got a knife from the kitchen and cut her throat. Naturally the two residents were probably dubious about what Stuart was saying, and so he led them to Debbie’s flat, opened the letterbox and said “Can you smell her body? She’s lying in there.” No doubt now believing what Stuart was saying, and also probably frightened, the two residents called the police, who found Laura’s decomposing body wrapped in bedding in a cupboard under the sink. Debbie and Stuart were arrested on the 20th of December 2007, and Leigh MacKinnon on the 21st of December 2007 in Glasgow, where she had fled after the attack and murder of Laura. Stuart Jack admitted murdering Laura and attempting to defeat the ends of justice and Debbie Buchan and Leigh MacKinnon admitted attempted murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and they were charged with the same.

The Scott Burgess court case took place in January 2008 at the High Court in Glasgow. Scott Burgess’s family were also present for all of the evidence to be presented to the judge in order for them to decide on the sentences of Stephen Price and Karen and Irene Duncan, after the three pled guilty to their charges. The family had to sit through the horrendous sequence of events, hearing exactly what had been done to Scott’s body and of the horrific photos that had been taken. Following the evidence being heard, sentencing was deferred so the judge could take stock of all the evidence that had been presented, as well as asking for background reports on Stephen, Karen and Irene, so he could decide on the appropriate sentence for them. So I’ll give you a wee bit of background information about the three. The ring leader of the attack was Stephen Price. He had been brought up by his dad James and his step-mum Helen, when Helen had married James when Stephen was still a wee boy. Over the years Stephen was constantly in trouble with the police and was drinking heavily, having got in with the wrong crowd. And so in 2004, when he left school at 16 with no qualifications and no prospect of changing his behaviour, it was thought it best he move out of his parents home. Helen’s mum, Betty, had also played a part in Stephen’s life and so she agreed Stephen could move in with her at this time, thinking she could put him back on the straight and narrow by providing him with stability and encouragement. How wrong she was. Shortly after he moved in with his gran he was caught shoplifting and assaulted a member of staff. Then a few months later he assaulted a passenger on a bus. However, his gran would also get a taste of his nasty medicine when she had to call the police as he threatened to stab her and had become abusive towards her. After each incident he would always promise to do better and mend his ways, but this never happened. His gran wasn’t going to give up on him though. Anyway, it wasn’t long before Stephen slipped back to his old ways again, living between his gran’s house and homeless accommodation for a couple of years, and then he met Karen Duncan. Not much is known about Karen Duncan or indeed her sister Irene, other than they grew up in care. And according to an article in the Daily Record newspaper on the 6th of January 2007, Karen suffered a traumatic event at a young age. Following the Judge in the Scott Burgess case receiving the requested background information, it was back to the High Court in Glasgow, two months later on the 25th of March 2008, for Judge Lord Brodie to pass sentence. Lord Brodie sentenced Stephen Price to a life sentence, to spend 15 years in prison before being considered for parole. Lord Brodie said “This was a frenzied and sustained attack. It was an unprovoked attack on an unarmed man in his own home, showing a gross level of depravity.” He went on to say that had Stephen Price not pled guilty he would have given him 20 years. Karen Duncan, now 17, was given a jail sentence of seven years for culpable homicide and was to be supervised for a further three years after her release. And her sister Irene Duncan, now 18, was sentenced to 27 months in a young offenders institute for attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and was to be monitored for a year after her release. After the sentencing, Scott’s mum, Anne, spoke out saying she was furious and shocked with the sentences, that they were far too lenient after what the trio had done to her son. She couldn’t understand why the sisters murderer charge had been reduced, feeling that they should instead have been charged with conspiracy to murder, which carries a life sentence. Her feelings were that her son had not got justice. Scott’s mum also said in an interview in the Express Newspaper that she can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes she sees them stabbing Scott. She said that she cries uncontrollably every time she thinks about Scott, and is still haunted by his death. Stephen’s step-mum, Helen, also spoke out saying that she was heartbroken and that she never thought Stephen could do what he had, but that she couldn’t abandon him.

Stuart Jack, Debbie Buchan and Leigh MacKinnon appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on the 8th of July 2008 on the charges of murder and attempted murder of Laura Milne, where Stuart pled guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice, Debbie pled guilty to attempted murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice and Leigh MacKinnon pled guilty to attempted murder, attempting to defeat the ends of justice and of fleeing to Glasgow after the murder. The trial was due to begin on the 8th of July, however, due to the guilty plea the court was adjourned overnight in order for full details and evidence to be prepared to be presented to the court the following day. Following these developments, Laura’s dad, Brian, said that the family were relieved and pleasantly surprised that the trio pleaded guilty as it meant that they would not have to endure a four-week trial of heartache hearing exactly what had been done to Laura. He said in an article in The Herald newspaper that they would “just rely on the judge now to do his job.” All of the shocking evidence was then presented to the court on the 9th of July. However, it wouldn’t be until the 31st of July when the court reconvened and the sentences were finally handed down, before which Judge Lord Woolman had a few things to say in his statement. He firstly talked a wee bit about Laura and about her vulnerabilities, about the horrific unprovoked attack, about the attempt to defeat the ends of justice and the shocking video footage, and how it was difficult to comprehend the evil that lay behind this attack. He stated that in determining sentencing he had taken into account the information and evidence that had been submitted by each council, as well as the background reports, ages and the difficult backgrounds of Stuart, Debbie and Leigh. However, he stated that he had also taken into account the ferocious and sustained attack on Laura, on someone who was supposed to be a friend, as well as the fact they didn’t seem to fully appreciate what they had done. Just to let you know there’s not much known about the three, but I’ll tell you what I found out. 19 year old Debbie Buchan already had one prior conviction for assault, and at the time of the attack and murder of Laura Milne, Debbie was already on bail for two further complaints of assault. Debbie told the court that she was embarrassed and ashamed of her actions.  It was also noted that Debbie had said that she was sorry for her part in what had happened to Laura. 18 year old Leigh MacKinnon also had a previous conviction of assault. She had apparently been an intelligent girl and had enrolled in a college course, before drink and drugs took control.  However, the judge said he would not be taking this into account when considering her sentence as he deemed this irrelevant. 22 year old Stuart Jack lived a nomadic and chaotic lifestyle. He had no previous convictions but did drink alcohol to excess. Again, the judge said he would not take his excess alcohol consumption that evening into account when considering the sentence. Finally the judge was ready to pass sentence. Debbie Buchan  received a custodial sentence of nine years and four months. Judge Woolman also felt that the protection of the public was an issue and so he also gave an extended sentence of three years, meaning that when Debbie is released from prison, after serving at least two thirds of her custodial sentence, then she will be on licence and under supervision for a further three years. Leigh MacKinnon received a custodial sentence of nine years, and also an extended sentence of three years. Stuart Jack received a life sentence, meaning he will be on licence for life, with the punishment part of his sentence being 18 years, meaning he will have to serve at least 18 years before he will be eligible to apply for parole and released on licence. If he breaks the terms of his licence he will be recalled back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. All sentences were back dated to when they were first taken into custody, the 20th of December 2007 for Debbie and Stuart on the 21st of December 2007 for Leigh. Stuart Jack, Debbie Buchan and Leigh MacKinnon showed no emotion as their sentences were passed or as they were taken away to start them. If you’d like to read the full statement by Judge Lord Woolman, you can find it under the sources for this case on our website. Following the sentencing, a statement was released by the family and taken from the Scotsman newspaper it read “We are appalled that such a horrific crime has resulted in such a lenient sentence. They all played a part in Laura’s death and in our opinion Debbie Buchan and Leigh MacKinnon should have had significantly higher sentences. We also want it put on record that Debbie Buchan’s apology is of no consequence to us, and we hope their evil actions will always weigh heavily on their conscience. Yet again the judicial system has let innocent victims down. It is no wonder we are experiencing increased levels of serious crime with the apparent lack of punishment. No sentence will ever bring Laura back to us or erase from our minds the memory of what they did to her. We will have to live with this for the rest of our lives, Debbie Buchan and Leigh MacKinnon could be out walking the streets again in just six years.”

Speaking of being released and walking the streets again, Irene Duncan served her 27-month sentence and was released, where she proceeded to rack up numerous offenses, including a knife attack and assaulting the police. On the 6th of September 2018 she was witnessed leaving her property in Paisley wielding two large kitchen knives and wandering around the area with them. The police were called and when they arrived they saw Irene running behind a block of flats. When they followed they found the knives and a screwdriver lying on the ground near where they had seen Irene running to. She was arrested, charged and due to her breaking her bill conditions was jailed for 22 months, to be monitored for nine months after she was released. It also transpired that she was pregnant and would be giving birth in prison. Karen Duncan was released from prison in 2015 and also moved back to Paisley. Less than two years later on the 3rd of October 2017, when she was 26 years old, she was arrested after being verbally abusive and threatening towards a woman in the street in Paisley. The woman she was threatening was said to have been terrified. She pleaded guilty to the charge, and due to her being on a three-year supervision order after leaving prison, she was to appear in court to be sentenced for breaching her bill conditions. However, she never turned up and a warrant for her arrest was issued and the hunt for Karen began. She was caught however and she appeared in court, but she was given a reprieve and instead of going back to prison she was ordered to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work in six months. But it wouldn’t be the last time she found herself in court. In February 2019 she was this time in court due to the fact that her Rottweiler and German Shepherd dog had bitten a nine-year-old girl on her left bum cheek. She did apologise profusely to the girl and her mother and the girl made a full recovery, but she pleaded guilty to breaking the Dangerous Dog Act. She was fined £360, or just under $500. And then in August 2019, when she was 28 years old, she was arrested with her boyfriend after the pair carried out an attack on a couple who had been witnesses against their friends in court. Her boyfriend was seen to be carrying a knife and Karen threw bricks through the windows of the house while the couple were inside. She was heard to be swearing and shouting that the couple were going to get it due to them getting her friend an eight-year prison sentence.  The pair were arrested and Karen pled guilty to public disorder, but reported that she didn’t remember much about what happened. On sentencing again she got a reprieve, and instead was handed a community payback order. She would also be closely supervised for two years and ordered to repay damages, which were £297 or $411.

Debbie Buchan was released early from prison and on her release was being known as Debbie Robertson. She was to spend nine years and four months in prison back dated to the 20th of December 2007, however on the 25th of May 2016, eight years and five months after being sentenced, she appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for assaulting her ex-partner. It was reported in court that 20 fresh human bite marks had been noted on her ex-partner’s back and chest, however, her ex-partner also said that his chest had actually never been examined. Debbie’s ex-partner stated that he had sat on Debbie to stop her moving after an argument had turned violent and that this was when she had bitten him, trying to get him off her. He then said he slapped her and knocked her head off the ground as he got off her. Debbie, who was now 27 years old, was cleared of this charge by a jury who determined that she had in fact been acting in self-defence during an argument between her self and our ex-partner.  Leigh MacKinnon, who was given a nine-year prison sentence, was back in Aberdeen eight years and four months after being sentenced, and she had secured herself a job and changed her name to Sheryllleigh while in prison. Leigh, who was now 26, had done some hairdressing training and had been cutting other prisoners hair, and so to put these new skills to good use she had rented herself a chair at a barber shop in Aberdeen using her new name Sheryllleigh The barber shop was located about a mile away from where the horrific murder of Laura Milne had taken place. Not only were the clients she was cutting the hair off completely oblivious of who the person cutting their hair was or her background, but also the owner of the barber shop where she was renting her chair had no idea either. When he found out he was furious, not only because he had been deceived but also because he had known Laura Milne. Laura’s dad, Brian, was also angry saying in the Press and Journal newspaper on the 7th of April 2016 “I want to know why her sentence hasn’t been finished. I’m angry that she got off so easily.” And that just leaves Scott Burgess and Laura Milne’s murderers. Stephen Price will be eligible to apply for parole. after serving the punishment part of his life sentence of 15 years for the murder of Scott Burgess, in 2022. He will be 34 years old. Stuart Jack will be eligible to apply for parole, after serving the punishment part of his life sentence of 18 years for the murder of Laura Milne, in 2025. He will be 40 years old.

The Scott and the Milne families have had to try and find a way to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives after their loved ones, Scott Burgess and Laura Milne, were taken from them so brutally and pointlessly. It’s clear that neither family were satisfied with the sentences that were handed down and feel let down by the justice system. So, has justice been served?

And that’s the end. If you’ve enjoyed this episode and know just the person who’d also like it please share it with them, don’t keep it to yourself.

Cole:

Please also get in touch on social media if you have any questions, comments or suggestions and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. All social media and contact details are on our website scottishmurders.com as well as all the source material and photos related to this episode.

Dawn:

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

Dawn and Cole:

Join us there. Bye.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn Young

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

Douglas Skelton – The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane – Part 1

Douglas Skelton – The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane – part 2

Betty Alexander – Unsolved Murder 1952 – Buccleuch Street, Garnethill, Glasgow – Betty Alexander Unsolved Mysteries UK

Murder in the heart of a city | HeraldScotland

Hunt for little Betty’s killer – after 60 years | Glasgow Times

The unsolved Glasgow murder which shocked a city | Glasgow Times

The Hidden Glasgow Forums • View topic – Glasgow Murder Mysteries

Garnethill – Wikipedia

No Final Solution: Great Scottish Unsolved Crimes of the Twentieth Century: Amazon.co.uk: Skelton, Douglas: 9780006384144: Books

The Book of Glasgow Murders by Donald M. Fraser | Waterstones

PressReader.com – Your favorite newspapers and magazines.

Sauchiehall Street – Wikipedia

43 Buccleuch St – Google Maps

Buccleuch St, Glasgow to The Glasgow School of Art – Google Maps

W Graham St – Google Maps

The Dispensary, West Graham Street : Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow

Tenement House (Glasgow) – Wikipedia

The Tenement House | National Trust for Scotland

The Tenement House | National Trust for Scotland

In Pictures: Historic Sauchiehall – Daily Record

Killer’s Frenzy Of Evil; Emily, 77, raped and bludgeoned. – Free Online Library

Glasgow murder charge | HeraldScotland

Murder in the heart of a city | HeraldScotland

New plea on OAP’s murder | HeraldScotland

Vandals destroy mural in honour of a Glasgow community legend | Glasgow Times

Betty Brown turned tragic early life into a success story by helping others. | HeraldScotland

DNA profiling – Wikipedia

Scottish Sentencing Council Prison sentences

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn and Cole

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

Dawn:

The murders of Betty Alexander and Emily Mutch may have been separated by 44 years, but they are still linked to this day, as they both occurred on the same unassuming street in Glasgow.

Dawn and Cole:

Hi Wee Ones, I’m Dawn and I’m Cole, and this is Scottish Murders.

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Dawn:

Garnethill is situated in the north west of Glasgow City Centre on a hilly area. It is just under a mile from Sauchihall Street, one of the three main shopping streets in Glasgow.  The other two being Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, all of which Cole and I have visited over the years. Back in 1952, Garnethill was known as the bed sit and theatre land district and so there was an ever-changing parade of seasonal workers, salesmen, actors and young families. Garnethill is made up of 12 streets, one of which is Buccleuch Street, and is where four and a half year old Betty Alexander lived with her parents, Jack and Barbara Alexander, and her grandmother Isobel Alexander. For all Betty was only four and a half years old she loved nothing more than helping people, and Tuesday 7th of October 1952 was just like any other day for her. Betty had first set about the task of helping her gran to make the household beds. She then had taken herself to the local grocers where she frequently spent her time helping him in the shop. Betty then was reported to have returned home and given her gran a bunch of flowers she’d gotten as payment for helping the greengrocer. October in the west of Scotland can be pretty wet and, as expected, the rain had fallen continuously for days, until early evening on the 7th of October when there was a slight reprieve. Due to the bad weather, Betty hadn’t been allowed out much to play with her friends, so when the rain stopped she begged her parents if she could go outside to play. It was about 5pm by this time and she wouldn’t normally be allowed out this late, but on this occasion her parents relented. Betty left the flat to play with her friends wearing a smart brown coat, a kilt, grey, red and green jumper, brown shoes and fawn socks. Isobel, Betty’s gran, was reported to have said that Betty had whistled and sang as she went out to play. An hour or so later Betty’s mum, Barbara, shouted for Betty to come in and get her tea, but there was no sign of Betty. Barbara became worried and started walking from street to street in search of her daughter. An hour later back at Buccleuch Street there had been no sightings of Betty with her distinctive black curly hair and Barbara was sufficiently concerned that she contacted the police to report her daughter missing. Being a close-knit community, upon hearing about Betty’s disappearance, friends and neighbours of the family formed and started a search party, alongside the police. The search party went from street to street, lane by lane, backyard to backyard, through the night searching by torchlight. Barbara Alexander later said that about 8pm on the night her daughter went missing she thought she had heard a shout from Betty saying “mummy mummy” coming from Buccleuch Lane, which runs along the backyards of Buccleuch Street and West Graham Street. She said that she had walked up and down Buccleuch Lane, which was lit by gas light, at this time shouting Betty’s name and looking into backyards where she could, but she never heard Betty’s voice again. By early Wednesday morning, the search party came together again in the hopes someone had news of Betty’s whereabouts, only to be told that there was still no sign of her. Due to the search having turned up nothing by Wednesday morning, CID detectives were then drafted into help. Firstly, as it was daylight now, a further search was set up taking in places that had already been checked the previous night as well as places that hadn’t, including outhouses, cellars and yards. Becky’s picture was also posted across the city on police boxes and at police stations. Newspaper reporters were also now aware of Betty Alexander’s disappearance and they were on hand to help get the word out to their readers, in the hope someone might have a clue to Betty’s whereabouts. They were given Betty’s description and of the clothing she wore, and this was circulated in the evening and daily newspapers. From this exposure many readers of the newspaper contacted the police to share possible sightings of Betty, all of which had to be checked. One such sighting was of Betty apparently seen crying in a large store in Sauchiehall Street just before the store closed on Wednesday night. The manager was asked to open the store to see if Betty had been trapped inside by mistake, however this proved not to be the case. This sighting along with all the other sightings reported of Betty, after being followed up, went nowhere. Another lead that was followed up was of a sighting of a dark saloon car in Buccleuch Street on the very night that Betty disappeared, however, this also turned out to be a red herring. The police were also keen to find a man who had supposedly been seen with Betty on Tuesday night. The description of the man and what he had been wearing was circulated, but nobody came forward to say they recognised this man, and he was never identified. While some police officers were given the task of following up all leads of possible sightings of Betty, others, along with friends and family of the Alexanders as well as complete strangers from the surrounding areas and beyond, carried on selflessly with a search for Betty, neglecting their own families in the process, and the search area gradually widened, eventually taking in the entire area covered by the Northern Police Division, which was at the time 16 square miles. Betty’s headmaster at her primary school also did his bit to help find any clues to Betty’s disappearance. He held an assembly with the children of the school and asked them to come forward if they had seen Betty around the area on Tuesday evening. Apparently a couple of the children were able to give some information, all of which helped police establish the movements of Betty until approximately 6pm, although they did admit that the children’s recollection could be unreliable. There had been no sightings of Betty after 6pm by any of the school children.  Despite the searches, the newspaper appeals and the sightings, there was still no trace of Betty, and by Thursday the 9th of October Detective Chief Inspector Neil Beaton admitted that he was beginning to fear for Betty’s safety. Unfortunately, only a day later his fear became a reality. It was 2pm on Friday the 10th of October, almost three days after wee Betty Alexander first went missing, when she was found in the backyard of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Dispensary in West Graham Street by Mrs Agnes Hunter, a 55 year old cleaner.

Cole:

As it was the 50s, I assume a dispensary has a different meaning than it does today.

Dawn:

Back then it was a place where poorer families could take their children for free medical treatment and medication.

Cole:

Yeah, that makes sense.

Dawn
Agnes had a routine when cleaning the dispensary, and on Fridays about 2pm she always went out to the backyard to beat the dispensary rugs. There was no reason for anyone else working at the dispensary to go out there, which is why it took until the Friday for anyone working there to find Betty.

Cole:

Didn’t you say that the search parties were looking in every backyard up and down Garnethill? Didn’t they see Betty in the dispensary backyard, or was she put there after people had searched it?

Dawn:

Well you’ll not believe it, but the dispensary backyard wasn’t actually checked.

Cole:

Why not?

Dawn:

Well, the site that the dispensary sat on was private property, along with the backyard. It was surrounded by a seven foot brick wall with iron railings and glass on the top of it, and the wooden gate from Buccleuch Lane into the dispensary yard was always kept locked. The backyard unfortunately was also not overlooked by anyone’s flat or house, except the caretaker’s house and him and his family had moved out six weeks prior. So, there was no one that was just going to look out and see Betty lying there. Apparently the backyard wasn’t searched as it was assumed that there was no way a small child could get into it, and it was apparently initially thought that Betty had just wandered off. Although what Betty’s grandmother said later to the papers contradicts this, something which I found a lot while researching this case actually. When doing an interview with a local newspaper, Betty’s gran said “She was a lovable, sweet wee girl who used to talk to anyone who spoke to her, but would not wander away of her own accord.” 

Cole:

Surely if she was missing for three days you would want to check the dispensary.

Dawn:

Yeah. I mean, even if you initially thought that she just wandered off, after three days I think you would be realising she hadn’t. So, yeah, you would have checked. Anyway, because of this misunderstanding, search parties would have passed by within a short distance from wee Betty’s body numerous times before she was found on the Friday afternoon.

Cole:

That’s crazy.

Dawn:

So when Agnes found Betty she was lying near the top of the few steps down into the backyard from the dispensary back door. Agnes quickly summoned the police, but later she said that it was “a terrible sight” that she wanted to forget. So, when the police arrived they firstly noted that Betty’s clothes appeared to be in disarray, and this is where the contradictions start again. Some reports say that Betty’s coat was folded and placed under her head. Others say that the coat had been placed under her body and she lay on it. Some reports say that her socks and shoes were wet. Others report that her clothes looked like they had been removed and ironed. Can’t imagine why anyone that killed her would then remove her clothes and iron them. Also the state Betty’s body was found in differs slightly too. One report says that Betty had been found badly beaten, had a scarf twisted around her neck and had been strangled. Other reports say that she had no physical marks on her neck, no scarf was found around her neck or otherwise, and that she hadn’t been strangled.  Another report says that she had suffered a serious assault and had died of shock. Another said she had been severely injured, strangled and outraged, which, according to Douglas Skelton’s book No Final Solution, means today that she was sexually assaulted. It’s not known which one of these accounts is accurate, however, all reports did agree that she’d been dead for some time, possibly since her disappearance on Tuesday night, and that she’d probably lain on the steps for the same amount of time. Word of Betty’s body being found had spread like wildfire, and within the hour of her body being found the many people who had spent the last three days away from their families looking for wee Betty, as well as reporters, began to congregate at either end of Buccleuch Lane. It was reported that the crowds grew to around about a 1,000 people over the afternoon. Betty’s dad, Jack, was seen arriving at the dispensary to carry out the horrendous task of identifying his daughter, before his daughter was removed for a post-mortem to be carried out.

Cole:

Oh, so he just identified her at the scene?

Dawn:

Yeah, from what’s been reported this is what happened. Maybe a procedure that’s just changed over time. As the day wore on, the mood of the crowds gathered changed from shock to anger that this had been done to one of their own, to a four and a half year old girl, and finally to fear that it could be one of their children next. They wanted answers. A feeling that was mirrored throughout Glasgow as the news broke of Betty’s body being found. Glasgow had not seen a murder of such a young child for over 30 years and the city as a whole was horrified. Forensic teams descended on the backyard of the dispensary to search every inch of it for clues to what had happened to Betty and who had done it.

Cole:

So, they were definitely treating it as suspicious? After all the different reports, it seems like it wasn’t an accident.

Dawn:

Yeah, straight away they’ve determined that it was a murder. I think partly because they were right, the wee girl herself couldn’t have got into the yard so she had to have been taken there. So, yeah, definitely murder straight away. So, the forensic team firstly came across a small bit of newspaper on Betty’s body, which, after an investigation, was found to have come from a Glasgow morning edition newspaper from the 2nd of October 1952, five days before she went missing. This was later examined for fingerprints but none were found and this lead went nowhere. However, a fingerprint was found on both a wrought iron gate leading from West Graham Street and a wooden door that led to Buccleuch Lane, as well as a fingerprint being found on one of the steps where Betty was found lying. The gate and door were removed from the hinges, as well as sections of the steps, and taken to the forensic lab to be fingerprinted and examined in greater detail.

Cole:

So, they removed part of the steps and took the gate and the door to fingerprint them? Why didn’t they do that at the scene?

Dawn:

Apparently back in the 1950s it was thought that by trying to secure a fingerprint at the crime scene it could result in this being destroyed, so to get the fingerprint they just took the actual source of where the fingerprint was back to the lab to be examined. Obviously things have changed now. Anyway from the items they removed and fingerprinted it would be the wooden gate that provided the only real clue, a partial fingerprint, which is pretty difficult to match, especially back then when there were no computers and everything had to be compared by eye. Betty’s clothes were also taken to the lab and examined for any traces of her killer, but what was actually found in her clothing was dog hairs. Thinking this was a vital clue the police secured hair samples from every dog in the Garnethill area. Through this process they identified the dog, and it belonged to a resident who lived close to Buccleuch Lane. However, the owner and the dog were quickly ruled out of the inquiry. It was assumed that Betty had either came into contact with the dog by patting it before she disappeared, or that the dog had somehow made its way into the backyard where Betty lay and had shed its hair on her. However the hairs got onto her body, it was a dead end. While the forensic teams worked tirelessly, the police began what would be one of the biggest murder investigations. Over the weekend, the 11th and 12th of October, the police undertook the mammoth task of interviewing everybody in the Garnethill area via door-to-door inquiries to try to find any sightings of Betty between Tuesday evening until she was found, and of any sightings of strangers in the area that could be linked to Betty’s disappearance and murder. This undertaking took 120 detectives and 2,000 uniformed policemen. They were said to have interviewed almost 4,000 people by Monday the 13th of October, this included a 69 year old man who happened to live in the closest residence to the murder scene. He said that he was aware who Betty was, but that he hadn’t heard anything on the night in question or the following two nights. He did say they had seen Betty on the Tuesday night about 5pm and that she was playing with his granddaughter. Once all of the information collected from the door-to-door inquiries was gone through and collated, the police were able to ascertain that Betty had been seen about 5.30pm on Tuesday the 7th of October in Buccleuch Street, and then again about 7pm in Rose Street, which is about a five minute walk away, still in the Garnethill area though. However, there was still the hour between 7 and 8pm that could not be accounted for. Do you remember that Betty’s mum said that she thought she had heard Betty shouting “mummy mummy” from Buccleuch Lane about 8pm?

Cole:

Yeah. And that’s where Betty was found so that would make sense. Did the police think that Betty was in the backyard being killed at that exact time?

Dawn:

Well, that could have been a possibility, but apparently the police believed that Betty had actually already been dead when she was carried into the yard, either via Buccleuch Lane over the seven foot high wall with glass on it or from West Graham Street via a short passage at the side of the dispensary and over a lower wooden gate. According to Donald M. Fraser’s book The Book of Glasgow Murders, it was actually proven that she was killed somewhere else before being placed in the yard.

Cole:

But if Betty’s mum said she heard who she thought was Betty saying “mummy mummy” from Buccleuch Lane but she was actually killed somewhere else, how would that be possible?

Dawn:

Well, I’ve actually got two thoughts about that. Either Betty was still alive and she did hear her, then Betty was killed shortly after 8pm and then placed in the yard, or she didn’t in fact hear Betty shouting “mummy mummy” at all. But we’ll come back to that later.

Cole:

Okay.

Dawn:

So, Betty’s post mortem was carried out over the weekend on Saturday the 11th of October. The cause of death was pronounced to have been shock which had been brought on by being a victim of an assault. However, again, this was contradicted later by the police who said that Betty had been suffocated and criminally assaulted. However Betty died, she was still murdered and her murderer was still out there. And while this is at the forefront of everybody’s mind and they wanted this person to be caught and brought to justice, Betty’s family had other things on their mind as Betty’s funeral was to take place on Monday the 13th of October 1952. Thanks to word of mouth, as well as the media, people, mostly women and children from Garnethill as well as across Glasgow, had come to pay their respects, regardless of the rain that poured down. The huge crowd, thought to be of around 5,000 people, lined Buccleuch Street to say goodbye to Betty, as her tiny white coffin went slowly by. It was a sad affair, with many of the women and children crying. The procession started at the Alexanders home in Buccleuch Street and came to an end at Cadder Cemetery, which was about a 20-minute drive north east of the city. Here family and a few close friends stood by the graveside and watched the tiny coffin be lowered into the ground. There was a mass of wreaths and brightly coloured flowers placed all around the grave, many from strangers from all across Glasgow. As well as a card from Betty’s parents which read “To Bunkum, our dear wee Betty, from daddy and mummy.” Now, as the funeral procession was making its way slowly along its route to the cemetery, a 15 month old boy, who was in his pram outside a shop while his mother was inside shopping, was taken by a passing woman.

Cole:

What?!

Dawn:

Thankfully the baby’s aunt saw what had happened and challenged the woman, taking the baby boy from her. However, as you can imagine, tensions were already running high and when the crowd that had gathered from the funeral got wind of this, things reached boiling point. Thankfully the police were on hand and got to the woman and arrested her before the crowds got to her first.

Cole:

So, she just tried to steal a baby off the street? She was very lucky that could have turned really nasty for her.

Dawn:

Yeah, I know, she was lucky. The woman was later charged with a child stealing, but thankfully the day didn’t turn nasty and overshadow Betty’s funeral.

Cole:

Good.

Dawn:

With Betty now laid to rest, on Tuesday the 14th of October the police announced that they had found a partial fingerprint close to where Betty had been found. Unfortunately, having gone through their records and compared the partial fingerprints with male criminals they had on file, they hadn’t been able to find a match. As this fingerprint was the only solid clue they needed to come up with a way to make it work for them. And, therefore, on the Tuesday an unprecedented request was made by Chief Constable Malcolm McCulloch. As detectives were convinced that Betty’s murderer was a local man and that Betty possibly had gone with this man willingly and she had known him, they were willing to carry out Scotland’s biggest ever fingerprinting exercise and requested that all adult males over the age of 17 in the Garnethill area be fingerprinted for comparison with the partial print that had been found at the murder scene. While it was made clear that people could refuse this request, it was strongly hoped that police would have the residence of Garnethill’s full cooperation. The police also gave assurances that the fingerprints taken would only be used for the purpose of comparison against the partial print taken from the crime scene, and would be destroyed once it had been eliminated in their inquiries. Amazingly, no one refused, and the police ended up collecting over 1,000 fingerprints, all of which were compared manually with the partial print, but again none of the prints matched. Police then decided to include in the fingerprint exercise men who worked in Garnethill but didn’t live there, including a church congregation who had been painting railings in West Graham Street. Nearly two weeks after Betty’s body had been found that exercise was complete, again with no matches been found, and so the investigation came to a standstill.

Cole:

Okay, so when the police had no luck fingerprinting the men over age 17 did they not start fingerprinting younger men or women?

Dawn:

No, they didn’t. And, yes, that would have been my thought too, that after not getting a fingerprint match with any of the males living or working in the area that they’d broaden that by fingerprinting younger men or women living and working in the area too, but they didn’t.

Cole:

Why not?

Dawn:

I wasn’t able to find a definitive reason why they didn’t do this during my research of the case. All I can think of is that the police maybe had some sort of evidence that ruled out a younger male or a woman being involved completely. Or maybe it was just due to lack of funding or resources. But, in my opinion, they missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to complete the task and know for sure. Due to the transient nature of the Garnethill area, there will never be another chance to have all the residents who worked and lived in the Garnethill area there again. I feel this was a missed opportunity.

Cole:

I agree. Also, the woman who tried to kidnap the baby during Betty’s funeral, I mean was she never fingerprinted.

Dawn:

I’m not sure. I would assume so if she was arrested and charged.

Cole:

I wonder if her fingerprints were ever compared to the partial print that they had. I mean it seems like a really big coincidence that a woman tried to steal a child at the funeral of another child. Maybe there would be two perpetrators not just one soul man.

Dawn:

That is a really good point actually. I’d like to think that somebody on the investigation thought about this too. But, then, they apparently weren’t interested in women only concentrating on the men in the area. So it’s anybody’s guess.

Cole:

I wonder if there was evidence to suggest that she was sexually assaulted by a man and that’s why they weren’t looking at women?

Dawn:

Yeah that could have been the case. But, again, with all the contradicting stories of what actually happened to her, it’s just not known. But, yeah, that could actually be one of the reasons. But even if it was, there still could have been two people. There could have been a man and a woman involved. So, I don’t really think they should have just ruled out all women for that reason. Just my opinion though. Now, while the fingerprinting exercise was taking place, at the same time other leads were also being investigated, and on the 16th of October a rumour started circulating around Garnethill that a husband, his wife and their son had been taken to the police station, where it later emerged that they had been questioned for 13 hours. This was the same man that had said that he had seen Betty at about 5pm playing with his granddaughter. While they were being questioned at the police station in Maitland Street, more and more people turned up there demanding to know what was going on, assuming that they were somehow involved in the murder of Betty. They began to get more and more rowdy until detectives finally made a statement saying that the family hadn’t been arrested and were just helping police with their inquiries, with a chief superintendent saying that “There is no particular man being sought, in fact we could not even be certain at the moment that it was a man. No possibility is being overlooked.” However, they did state that they believed the killer had to be local due to their knowledge about the dispensary yard being a secure place to take Betty and not being overlooked by any residence, but that nothing was being ruled out at this point. Reporters however were convinced it was a male perpetrator they were looking for due to the fact Betty’s body had been sexually assaulted. After 13 hours of being questioned the family were taken back to their home, having been cleared of any involvement in Betty’s murder. Anyway, as the police tried to find any clues to Betty’s murder, they carried out searches of properties in Garnethill, including the empty caretakers house and a number of other houses in the vicinity of Buccleuch Lane, as well as a cellar.  Some items from these properties were apparently packaged up and taken away for forensic examination, but again nothing came off this. However, as time went on and nobody had been caught for the murder of Betty, the Garnethill community became restless and I suppose needed to feel that they were doing something, even if not productive or evidence-based, and so they hounded and abused the caretaker and the elderly man who lived closest to the dispensary, who had been questioned with his family for 13 hours. The abuse apparently became so bad that when it was reported to the police a statement was immediately released reminding the locals that neither of the men being harassed were under suspicion of anything. 

Cole:

And I can’t imagine that would help anything either.

Dawn:

No, it didn’t. It just tied up the police even more and they had enough to be getting on with, especially when they had to follow up all the leads, including potential leads from cranks. One of which came on the morning of the 16th of October when a man had phoned from a phone box in the Glasgow area confessing to the murder. The police swooped on the phone box and the man was taken to the police station for questioning, but again this was found to be a dead end. Now another line of inquiry that had to be checked out at the same time as the police were undertaking the mammoth task of fingerprinting the Garnethill residents, was following up the lead from Barbara Alexander, Betty’s mum. She told the police that when she and her friend were looking for Betty she had spotted an ambulance outside the Sick Children’s Dispensary in West Graham Street. She said she saw a man standing beside the ambulance and he appeared to be holding a child in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. She remembered saying to her friend at the time “Look, there’s another wee kiddie, and us looking for Betty.” The police contacted the ambulance service for the area in an attempt to identify who this man could have been, only to be informed that no ambulance had been recorded as being in West Graham Street on the evening of the Tuesday the 7th of October. The police also put an appeal out for this man to come forward if he was the driver of the ambulance, however nobody ever came forward. It was assumed at the time that perhaps the driver had gone to the dispensary in error or that had been there unofficially and so didn’t come forward for fear of getting into trouble. However, Mrs Alexander then changed her story and said perhaps it could have been a brown van instead of an ambulance. Again, this lead had to be followed up and an appeal for a brown van being in the area on the evening of Tuesday the 7th of October was released, but again neither the van nor the driver were ever traced.

Cole:

How could you mix up an ambulance and a brown van? Was her friend ever interviewed for her point of view?

Dawn:

I thought exactly the same, and I wasn’t able to find anything to suggest her friend had corroborated Barbara’s story. I think her changing her story after having the already overworked detective searching for an ambulance may have led to some police officers becoming a bit suspicious of Barbara, especially as she also mentioned vital information in an interview  she gave to the press, that she didn’t deem important enough to provide to police officers at the time of the search for Betty. You remember how she said that she had thought she had heard Betty’s voice calling out “mummy mummy” near Buccleuch Lane about 8pm on the Tuesday the 7th of October?

Cole:

Yes.

Dawn:

Well, apparently she didn’t disclose this to the police officers until after Betty was found.

Cole:

That’s pretty important information.

Dawn:

It is. I know. And I think it would have probably annoyed the detectives that she didn’t advise any one of this at the time of the search for Betty, as they said later that if she had they would have definitely concentrated their search more in that area and probably would have found Betty sooner. Maybe another black mark against Barbara at this point.

Cole:

Yeah, I can see why the police would be suspicious of Barbara forgetting to tell them vital Information and then sending them on a wild ghost chase for an ambulance, which in fact might actually have been a brown van.

Dawn:

Yeah. And I have a feeling these two incidents with Betty’s mum made the police very suspicious of Barbara, and they maybe wondered if she possibly had something to do with Betty’s disappearance and murder, although I don’t believe this was ever a line of investigation, even though it was hinted at later by the police.

Cole:

I think in any murder investigation blame tends to fall around the people closest to the victim. But I also think that when you’re grieving and when you’ve had such a shock like that, you are likely to miss things or not say things straight away or not think that they meant anything when they might have. It’s a weird situation to be in, and I don’t think any of us can comment on how we’d behave in that situation.

Dawn:

I absolutely agree with you. I think she probably just was in shock. It was a horrible situation and she missed things, she forgot things. But, no, I personally don’t think that she was involved. Anyway, towards the end of October police advised that they were going back through the 3,000 or so statements they had taken from the door-to-door inquiries, and then on the 31st of October 1952, nearly four weeks after Betty first went missing, there was an appeal to try to identify a male that had been seen in Buccleuch Lane on the night of Betty’s disappearance with two other young girls, but no description of this man was given.

Cole:

So, someone said that they saw him but they weren’t able to give a description? That’s strange.

Dawn:

It is strange that they didn’t give a description. It’s possibly why this man was never identified. However, towards the end of November there was another sudden flurry of activity, when two detectives made their way to Inverness to interview a man who was in custody. Apparently on being questioned by officers in Inverness, he had begun to mention Betty Alexander’s murder, and had apparently been residing in Garnethill at the time of the murder, leaving suddenly on the 8th of October, the day after Betty went missing. The Inverness police officers informed Glasgow police officers and they immediately left for Inverness to interview this man themselves. However, when they got there they quickly realised this was another red herring. The man was drunk, and after checks being made it was determined that he was not involved in Betty’s murder. This was just another dead end. As Christmas approached the crowds that had once gathered daily outside the police station and Buccleuch Street started to disperse and become less and less until one day nobody turned up, and wee Betty Alexander gradually started to fade from people’s minds. The horror and shock of what had happened not forgotten, but everyday life began to take back over. The team investigating the case went from 120 detectives and 2,000 uniform policemen carrying out door-to-door inquiries to a team of only 40, and that eventually was whittled down to only a few. Every lead had been investigated and had led to dead end after dead end. With no new evidence being uncovered, there was nowhere else to go with the case, and so it was eventually filed away under unsolved. Until 1955, three years later, when Jack and Barbara Alexander, Betty’s parents, got back in touch with the police insisting they wanted the case to be reopened as they felt they had new evidence to provide. Do you remember that Barbara had said she had firstly seen an ambulance outside of the dispensary on the day Betty went missing and then changed her story and said it was a brown van?

Cole:

Yes.

Dawn:

Well, the new evidence was she believed she had seen the same brown van, or at least a similar one, in the Garnethill area. Betty’s dad, Jack, told the Evening Times newspaper “We won’t rest until whoever murdered our little girl is caught.”

Cole:

So did the police reopen the case?

Dawn:

Well I can’t find any information about the case being reopened at this time. I imagine the police gave this the cursory glance, maybe they even tracked down the brown van and its driver and interviewed him and again came to a dead end. Sadly, Betty Alexander’s murder slipped from the minds of the residents of Glasgow and Garnethill once again, as children who lived there grew up and moved away, families came and went from Garnethill, the Sick Children’s Dispensary was relocated from Garnethill to another part of Glasgow, and the Garnethill area gradually moved on, until Betty Alexander became a distant memory. That is until 1996, 44 years after Betty Alexander first went missing, when her murder was once again thrust into the limelight, but sadly not because new evidence had been found or a suspect had been identified, but for a very different and equally as horrifying reason.

Cole:

Emily Mutch was born in 1920 and brought up in Glasgow. She lived with her parents until she was about 16 years old when she ran away from home, but she still continued to live in the Glasgow area as this was her home and she knew it like the back of her hand. Upon running away from home she started working in a munitions factory, until she met and married her husband, Teddy, in 1949 when she was 29 years old. The couple continued to live and work in Glasgow and in 1952, after three years of marriage, the pair would have been shocked as everyone else in Glasgow about the murder of Betty Alexander. No doubt this would have crossed the couple’s minds again in 1983, 31 years after Betty Alexander’s murder, when they decided to move to a sheltered housing complex in the ever changing neighbourhood of Garnethill in Glasgow, specifically a small fourth floor flat in Buccleuch Street, not far from Betty Alexander’s old home.

Dawn:

Ooh small world.

Cole:

It really is. Where Garnethill had a different reputation back in 1952, in the 80s this sheltered housing complex was considered to be quite safe and secure, which was also felt by Emily and Teddy’s extended family who visited the couple frequently. In 1988 five years after moving into the complex after being married for 39 years, Teddy sadly died. At the time of Teddy’s death, Emily would have been nearly 69. She had been ill for some time with dementia, but Teddy had successfully been covering this up so well that it wasn’t until his death that their family members became aware of just how severe her dementia was. However, Emily had now been living in the complex for five years and she had made friends there and enjoyed living there as well, and so despite her severe dementia she continued to live in Buccleuch Street. Over the years Emily’s health continued to decline; she was profoundly deaf, had Parkinson’s disease and severe and painful arthritis in her hands.  While Emily’s health may have deteriorated and she had become more frail over time, she still enjoyed life. Over the years she made many friends in the complex, some of whom would check on her regularly to see if she was okay. She would usually leave the door to her flat unlocked and slightly open as she was unable to lock the door due to the severe arthritis in her hands. On Sunday the 30th of June 1996, 77 year old Emily returned home after being released from hospital, spending the next couple of days airing out her flat and settling back in. On the 4th of July 1996, she attended a regular day hospital that helped patients with dementia, before returning back to her home the same day. Emily probably would have then had some tea and maybe had an early night or went to bed to watch TV after an exhausting day, having no idea of what horror was about to show up in her bedroom. Trigger Warning. What happened to Emily is quite disturbing so some listeners may find the following upsetting. Sometime between Thursday the 4th of July 1996 at 7pm and Friday the 5th of July 1996 before 8.30am, an unknown person had made their way into Emily’s flat and headed to her bedroom, where they proceeded to brutally attack her. Emily was dragged to the floor from her bed and sexually assaulted, before being stamped and beaten to death. The killer then proceeded to rip through the flat destroying everything in their path. It was reported that the bed frame had been turned upside down and the mattress had been dragged to the other end of the bedroom.  The bath panel had been kicked repeatedly leaving it dented. A toy dog that Emily had kept was torn apart, with bits of it strewn throughout the flat.  Before leaving the flat the killer also roughly took Emily’s wedding ring from her arthritic finger, the same ring her husband, Teddy, had given to her 47 years prior, as well as a jewellery box and an ornamental fan.

Dawn:

Oh my God, it’s just awful to hear.

Cole:

Yeah, especially to such an old woman. It seems savage.

Dawn:

It is. It’s just disgusting.

Cole:

Especially since, according to Emily’s niece Elizabeth, Emily had lost a lot of weight and was very frail, that amount of violence would have not been necessary to kill her.

Dawn:

So sad.

Cole:

Emily was found on Friday the 5th of July just after 8.30am by one of her neighbours that had come to check on her. She was lying on her bedroom floor, her nightie pulled up and her face was covered in blood.

Dawn:

Oh I just can’t imagine what they must have felt finding Emily like that.

Cole:

It must have been so upsetting. So the police were called and it was reported that what they found when they got there had even the most hardened detectives traumatised. Before the forensic team could arrive to process the scene, Elizabeth, her husband William and their daughter Lauren, who was six at the time, arrived outside Emily’s flat, to be met by a large police presence.  They had come to visit Emily as they often did. They were heartbroken when they were told what had happened and what had been done to Emily. William revealed that had they visited Emily earlier in the morning his daughter Lauren would have been the one to discover her body and the horrific scene. For all the family were in shock and were profoundly affected by what had happened, they were extremely thankful that six-year-old Lauren was not the one to have found Emily battered to death. It is reported that the police straight away thought that the killer had been a local man, Emily may even have known the man and his agenda was more than likely robbery. Although there had been an appeal for anybody to come forward with information into the murder of Emily Mutch, there apparently had not been a great public response. And so on the 9th of July the lead detective in the murder inquiry, Detective Superintendent Bob Lauder, appealed yet again for anybody with any information surrounding Emily’s death to come forward. He urged anyone in the vicinity of the Buccleuch Street area, Rose Street or Cambridge Street between 7pm on Thursday the 4th and 8am on Friday the 5th of July to please come forward if they saw anything at all suspicious. Despite the many appeals that were made for information, nothing of any significance arose. However, following the forensic team combing the flat for evidence of Emily’s killer, they revealed that they had discovered a fingerprint and a palm print on various items throughout Emily’s flat, as well as obtaining DNA from the potential suspect, describing it as an “anonymous profile of the killer”. Basically they just had to find the right person to match the DNA profile that they had and they would have their killer. The police reported they would be undertaking the largest DNA profile exercise, to include swabs of every male over the age of 12 in the Garnethill area. This amounted to well over 2,500 swabs being taken, which were then compared to their anonymous profile. However, after seven months and every sample having been logged and checked against the DNA sample found at the scene, the exercise had failed and there were no matches. The case grounded to a halt. Emily’s niece, Elizabeth, was determined not to give up and she reported in The Herald newspaper on the 3rd of February 1997 that she felt positive that her aunt’s killer would be found. She hoped that it wasn’t just wishful thinking on her part as her and her family would not have any peace until they caught her aunt’s murderer. This sentiment was backed up in the same article in The Herald newspaper by Detective Superintendent Bob Lauder when he said “We are not going to give up and hopefully we’ll be able to produce enough evidence to identify that person and put him before the courts.” Despite the failed DNA exercise, it was confirmed that a team of 20 officers were still working hard on Emily Mutch’s murder, and that neither course nor time would affect the investigation.

Dawn:

That is really good that he said that actually, ’cause I feel in the Betty Alexander case that might have been the reasons that they didn’t fingerprint the younger men or the women of Garnethill when they had the chance.

Cole:

Yeah, lack of resources.

Dawn:

Yep.

Cole:

Despite the best efforts of the 20 strong team and the many appeals made by both the police and Emily’s niece Elizabeth, Emily’s murderer continued to elude the police. It wouldn’t be until a chance encountered 16 months after Emily’s murder that the police would catch their next break. In November 1997, Police Constable Kevin Pike, who was 34, and Police Constable Colin Montgomery, who was 28, were just working another ordinary night shift when they got a call to attend to disturbance at a petrol station located in the West End of Glasgow. When they arrived at the petrol station they found the man who had been causing the bother hiding in a bush. (laughs)They retrieved him from the bush and tried to ask him what he was doing at the petrol station, but he was just being evasive. Call it instinct or call it experience but the two police officers were just a bit suspicious of this man, so they decided to arrest him and take him to the local police station to question him further. Once at the police station the man started to calm down and become more cooperative. He told them his name was Thomas Galloway and that he lived in Murano Street in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, which is about a 13-minute drive north of Glasgow City Centre.  The police did a check on their database to find out more about Galloway, and it revealed that he had previous convictions for assault, robbery and carrying knives.

Dawn:

Ooh what a nice bloke. Good instincts by the two PCS though.

Cole:

Definitely. Due to these previous convictions and just not having a good feeling about Galloway, the two officers decided to take a DNA sample from Galloway, and they sent the sample off requesting a DNA profile. As Galloway had calmed down and had been cooperative, there was nothing to actually hold him on, he was released that night and the two PCS carried on with their night shift. It wouldn’t be until late February 1998 when PC Pike and PC Montgomery were called into Detective Superintendent Bob Lauder’s office that they even gave Galloway a second thought. Detective Superintendent Lauder, who was in charge of the murder inquiry, told the pair that the sample that they had taken from Galloway three months earlier and sent away for DNA profiling had come back and it matched the DNA profile of Emily Mutch’s killer.

Dawn:

Oh that must have been such a relief for them to finally have some answers.

Cole:

I bet.  So, on the 23rd of February 1998 Thomas Galloway, who was 41, was arrested at his home in Murano Street and charged with committing indecent sex acts on Emily, of robbery and of kicking and punching Emily to death.  He appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Office on the 24th of February for these charges. He made no plea and he was remanded in custody for further investigations to be carried out and to await further trial. Galloway’s home was searched and the jewellery box and the ornamental fan that had been stolen from Emily’s flat was found. Before Galloway’s trial, he not only tried to persuade doctors that he was insane to use as his defence, which failed.

Dawn:

Good.

Cole:

But he also sacked two separate legal teams before finally settling on defending himself.

Dawn:

And that’s always a good choice.

Cole:

Always. He clearly didn’t like what everyone was telling him. However, in late January 1999 Galloway’s trial began, where the jury were told about and shown photos of the horrendous attack carried out on Emily. They were told of Galloway’s DNA sample matching the DNA profile that had been compiled from samples taken from Emily’s flat. They were told there was a 500 million to one chance that this DNA profile belonged to anyone other than Galloway.

Dawn:

Yeah, he’s not getting out of this is he?

Cole:

I wouldn’t have thought so. They also heard that apparently Galloway had confessed while on remand to the killing of Emily. But even without the supposed confession it really was the slam dunk, and how he thought by defending himself he could possibly get any other outcome. Clearly the jury felt exactly the same, as after only one hour of deliberation they convicted Galloway. Before handing down his sentence, Lloyd McCluskey said to the now 42 year old Galloway that he had “carried out an appalling and outrageous murder”, stating that the act of attacking and murdering Emily had been “brutal, disgusting and horrifying.” He then sentenced Galloway to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 20 years.

Dawn:

A life sentence means different things in different countries, but in Scotland life sentences are always given for murders and the judge will hand down a minimum term sentence known as the punishment part of the sentence. This means that the person will have to spend the punishment term in prison before even being considered for release into the community. If the person is eligible for parole and released from prison, they continue to be on a lifetime license, and if the terms of this are breached in any way they can be recalled to prison.

Cole:

Galloway might have eluded the police for 19 months, but finally one of Scotland’s most wanted men was brought to justice. Emily’s niece, who was 42 at the time, while obviously still devastated, was happy to get a bit of peace saying that she hopes he “rots in jail”. Before going on to say that her auntie Emily was “a wonderful and loving person who would never harm a fly.”

Dawn:

I’m glad they finally got justice.

Cole:

I know. It’s a tough story.

Dawn:

So while I’m really pleased that Emily and her finally got justice for what happened to her, the same thing can’t be said for Betty Alexander and her family because her killer has never been found. However, in 2011 a Cold Case Unit was set up in Scotland and on the 16th of April 2012 it was announced that Betty Alexander’s case had been sent to the Cold Case Unit. They have advised that they will be focusing on five priority cases initially. It’s not known which five cases these are, but the fact that Betty’s case has been handed to them could hopefully mean a fresh pair of eyes will be looking at her case in the hope of finally solving it.

Cole:

It would be great if Betty’s murder was finally solved and whoever committed that crime was brought to justice.

Dawn:

Exactly, I agree. And of course we’ll keep you all updated if there are any new developments. So, while Garnethill has certainly had its fair share of heartache and back in 1952 was well known for its ever-changing population and some unsavoury characters and dealings, in recent years the area has had a new lease of life, according to an interview in The Herald Newspaper in 1997 by Betty Brown, who was not only a community activist but won the Evening Times Scots Women of the Year Award in 1995, where her huge efforts in turning the Garnethill area into multicultural, close-knit community where people felt safe and wanted to live. The National Trust for Scotland even acquired a flat at 145 Buccleuch Street to preserve it in its early 20th century condition, now called The Tenement House, which is open to the public and gives a glimpse into times gone by. Now, the activist, Betty Brown, that I mentioned above was from the Glasgow area and loving the city so much she never left, which was good news for the Garnethill residents, as she campaigned relentlessly to improve the area and its reputation. She was 22 at the time of Betty Alexander’s murder and she remembers the Garnethill residents being shattered at the time by the murder. She went on to say that because the murderer was never caught it had left the community suspicious of each other for a long time. Over time though the community did get its soul back and neighbours began to trust each other again, and the area began to prosper. Until that is Emily Mutch’s murder in 1996 which rocked the community once again. This time however while the community was shocked and scared that a murder had been carried out so close to their homes once again, it certainly helped that the evil man that carried out this horrific attack on Emily was found and put behind bars. Sadly, Betty Brown passed away in 2006 at the age of 76, but her hard work and dedication to the Garnethill area had not been forgotten. A mural to honour Betty Brown was completed in 2015 called “Betty Brown’s Eyes”, suggesting she will always be casting her eyes over the Garnethill area that she loved so dearly, an area that has suffered so much but still came out stronger than ever.

And that’s the end. If you’ve enjoyed this episode and know just the person who’d also like it, please share it with them, don’t keep it to yourself.

Cole:

Please also get in touch on social media if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. All social media and contact details are on our website scottishmurders.com, as well as all the source material and photos related to this episode.

Dawn:

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

Dawn and Cole:

Join us there. Bye.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.

https://youtu.be/yWoaYwPUg0U

Bradley Welsh starred as ‘Mr Doyle’ in Trainspotting 2 – YouTube

Bradley Welsh was murdered for branding mob figures ‘grasses’, T2 Trainspotting star’s pal claims (thescottishsun.co.uk)

Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men Season 1 Episode 8 – Bradley Welsh

Bradley Welsh 24 hour pads record attempt www justgiving com pads4charity – Bing video

The best ever renditionof Sunshine on Leith. – Bing video

The Proclaimers – Sunshine On Leith (Official Music Video) – Bing video

Bradley Welsh shooting: Man arrested over ‘murder’ of Trainspotting star in Edinburgh

T2 Trainspotting star blasts ‘absolute clowns’ who left note on his van because it ‘lowers the tone’ of wealthy Edinburgh street

Bradley Welsh murder cops probed by watchdog over ‘events leading up to shooting of Trainspotting star’

Bradley Welsh cops probed over actions before Trainspotting star’s murder – Daily Record

Bradley Welsh murder cops release CCTV of car as probe into Trainspotting star’s death continues – Daily Record

Cops issue chilling death warnings to five gangsters after Trainspotting 2 star Bradley Welsh shot dead – Daily Record

Bradley Welsh: Police “warned of murder plot” against T2 Trainspotting actor | HeraldScotland

Bradley Welsh murder: Gangsters receive death threat warnings after film star’s slaying | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Bradley Welsh murder trial: Neighbour had shotgun pointed at him – BBC News

Bradley Welsh accused ‘not my attacker’, claims friend – BBC News

Thugs carried out axe attack on brother of T2 murder witness days after Bradley Welsh shooting – Daily Record

Bradley Welsh was murdered for branding mob figures ‘grasses’, T2 Trainspotting star’s pal claims

Murder victim Bradley Welsh ‘was put on death list’ in feud between notorious Scots criminals – Daily Record

Bradley Welsh murder: Gangland figure named as being behind £10k plot to kill Trainspotting star goes into hiding

Bradley Welsh murder: Chilling CCTV shows gangland hitman Sean Orman fleeing scene with shotgun

Bradley Welsh was ‘put on death list’ after getting caught in gangland feud – Edinburgh Live

Bradley Welsh murderer set to appeal conviction for ‘premeditated assassination’ – Edinburgh Live

Bradley Welsh was murdered for branding mob figures ‘grasses’, T2 Trainspotting star’s pal claims

Bradley Welsh murder: Gangland figure named as being behind £10k plot to kill Trainspotting star goes into hiding

Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh set to return to roots for novel launch party – The Sunday Post

CCTV shows Bradley Welsh killer fleeing murder scene with shotgun | Edinburgh News

Bradley Welsh chillingly revealed he was haunted by ‘ghetto’ past before death – Mirror Online

Bradley Welsh murder: Actor Danny Dyer joins list of famous names to pay tribute | Edinburgh News

Bradley Welsh shooting: Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh pays emotional tribute after West End shooting | Edinburgh News

Danny Dyer pays tribute to ‘good soul’ Bradley Welsh after Trainspotting 2 star was shot dead

Bradley Welsh funeral – Trainspotting star taken to Edinburgh service in ‘Hibs’ coffin as Irvine Welsh among 1,000 mourners

Hunt for ‘baseball cap-wearing hitman’ who shot dead Trainspotting star over ‘£130,000 of drugs’ | Daily Mail Online

Moredun – Wikipedia

Gangs of Edinburgh: Feared Hibs casuals who moved up to the big league – Daily Record

Record attempt to raise funds for children’s charity | The Edinburgh Reporter

6 years ago tonight, Brad Welsh set the… – Holyrood Boxing Gym | Facebook

Trainspotting 2 star Bradley Welsh was ‘reformed character’ but it was sinister past that cost him his life

Bradley Welsh – Biography – IMDb

‘Your legacy continues’ – Bradley Welsh tribute shared by Holyrood Boxing Gym one year after death – Edinburgh Live

Edinburgh gangster Mark Richardson moved from Saughton prison after ‘taking over’ jail – Edinburgh Live

mark richardson gangster in prison – Bing images

Gangster jailed over high-speed chase through Glasgow – BBC News

Chester St, Edinburgh to Duddingston Road West, Edinburgh EH16 4AP – Google Maps

Man goes on trial accused of shotgun murder of T2 Trainspotting star Bradley Welsh – Daily Record

Sean Orman jailed for 28 years for ‘cowardly and wicked’ murder of Bradley Welsh – Edinburgh Live

Man accused of Trainspotting actor’s murder acquitted of 13 other charges | Evening Standard

Bradley Welsh trial: Gangland hitman found guilty of murdering T2 Trainspotting star – Edinburgh Live

Edinburgh – Wikipedia

Bradley Welsh funeral – Cryptic poem penned by slain Trainspotting star read to his mourners

Bradley Welsh ‘ordered man to remove mobile phone chip’ hours after machete attack, court hears | Edinburgh News

Bradley Welsh: The self-proclaimed ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ known for his boxing talents, football hooligan days and inspiring community work | Edinburgh News

Russell Findlay MSP tells of chilling threat from Bradley Welsh while investigating organised crime as journalist

Firearms discharge residue found on alleged gunman’s trackies ‘similar’ to substance found on Bradley Welsh | Edinburgh News

Bradley Welsh murder: Trainspotting 2 star ‘caught in crossfire’ of brutal gangland turf war

Interview: Bradley Welsh – his mother’s son | Edinburgh News

Trainspotting 2 star Bradley Welsh was ‘reformed character’ but it was sinister past that cost him his life

Bradley Welsh funeral – Daughter, 8, of slain Trainspotting star pays tribute to ‘hero daddy’ in emotional letter

Hitman convicted of murdering T2 Trainspotting actor Bradley Welsh – BBC News

‘I’ve done some horrible, horrible things’: Bradley Welsh tells of regret | Daily Mail Online

Notorious Edinburgh gangster hit with ‘super-Asbo’ crackdown – Edinburgh Live

Dawn:

Bradley, boxing gym owner and charity organiser, returned home from his gym. He had a brief chat with a neighbour before walking towards his flat. Just then a man appeared from nowhere, and before Bradley could do anything he shot him in the head. But who would want to harm Bradley? Could the reason be rooted in his past?

Dawn and Cole:

Hi Wee Ones, I’m Dawn and I’m Cole, and this is Scottish Murders.

[THEME TUNE]

TRUE CRIME FILES PODCAST PROMOTION

Dawn:

Mark and Simon sat on a wall just minding their own business, when a black car with heavily tinted windows slowed in front of them, and they were told to get in. Once inside they came face to face with a man who asked them “Do you know who I am?” Simon certainly did and nodded his head rigorously. This was Mr Doyle, sauna owner and gangland kingpin. Then Danny Boyle, the director of Trainspotting 2, shouted cut. Ewan McGregor and Johnny Lee Miller climbed out of the car, along with the man who had been playing the part of Mr Doyle, Bradley Welsh, whose background in real life had certain similarities to the gangster character he was playing.

Cole:

Oh I’ve seen both of the Trainspotting films.

Dawn:

Yeah, me too. I wondered if you would have recognised it.

Cole:

Well, seeing as I wrote my dissertation on it then I think I should have recognised it.

Dawn:

Did you?

Cole:

I did.

Dawn:

Oh I’m impressed. Oh so you must know all about Mr Doyle then?

Cole:

I know of him. (laughing)

Dawn:

Bradley John Welsh was born on the 4th of November 1970. He grew up in a council estate in Moredun with his mum Patricia and elder brother Sean, living on the eighth floor of a tower block. Moredun is about a 20-minute Drive south east of Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and is located on the southern shore of the Fifth of Forth. According to Wikipedia, Edinburgh’s historical and cultural attractions has made it the UK’s second most visited tourist destination. His mum had thrown his dad out when Bradley was still a young boy. Moredun was a bad area back in Bradley’s day, rife with drugs and fighting, an area where you had to be able to look after yourself or you were in trouble . From a young age, Bradley’s mum noticed that he had a lot of energy, and according to Bradley himself he was a bit of a wayward child. So to try and keep him out of trouble his mum suggested he started boxing, which he did when he was about seven years old. He loved this sport and found that he excelled at it, winning title after title from a young age, having had 200 fights in the ring by the age of 12 winning most of them, and by 15 he was a champion boxer. However, Bradley wasn’t able to just contain his fighting to the ring, he had another passion, fighting on the streets at football matches. So much so that by the time he was 14 years old he had already been arrested numerous times for hooliganism at football matches.

Cole:

He was a football hooligan.

Dawn:

His football hooliganism days started when Bradley was taken to a football match when he was 12 years old and saw that the streets of Edinburgh were taken over by other football team supporters, so much so that his friends and family who supported Hibernian Football Club or Hibs, and had been at the matches were so scared of being attacked by supporters from other football teams that they hid their football scarves. Bradley couldn’t understand that, this was his City, he was a fearless wee boxer and he wasn’t having this, he wasn’t hiding anything. In 1982 football hooliganism was a massive thing in Scotland, supporters would just come to each game and absolutely take over the streets, and fighting and violence would ensue. It was horrendous. Bradley’s older brother was part of football hooliganisms major firm calling themselves the Capital City Service, also known as Hibs casuals, and they would defend their City from the invading football supporters. However. it didn’t stop there, the Capital City Service would also travel around the United Kingdom to football matches where there would inevitably be violent clashes with other such firms that had been set up. When Bradley was 14, and not yet having been initiated into the Capital City Service but not being one to sit on the side lines, decided in about 1985 to form his own group called The Blackley’s Baby Crew with his friends. Eventually there were a couple of hundred lads in this crew. You had to be a member to get into this elite crew though, and Bradley and many other guys in the crew made sure everything was organised and everybody was working together to ensure that when a football match was due to be played in Edinburgh, Blackley’s Baby Crew would be on the streets dealing with the descending football supporters who stepped out of line and wanted a wee fight. Bradley even got on the front page of a newspaper once standing right in the middle of a fight between Scotland and England football hooligans holding a big stick, which was unlucky for Bradley as that night he had gotten grounded by his mum and stepdad but Bradley has snuck out of the house in order to attend the match and subsequent fighting. He thought he’d gotten away with it and had snuck back into his house with no bother, however, the following morning the picture appeared on the front cover. This was the first time his mum had known about his football hooliganism and she was not amused. The Blackley’s Baby Crew eventually disbanded when most of the crew were initiated into the Capital City Service. Bradley and his crew were making a name for themselves by this time and just the mention of his name was starting to instil fear in people, and Bradley began thinking it might be time to step things up. So, as well as the football hooliganism, Bradley and his crew of friends started to steal clothes in bulk and sell them on, making them a tidy wee sum. Having a wee bit money in his back pocket for the first time coming from the background Bradley did, was probably what got him thinking just how he could make a whole lot more. So, with Bradley’s reputation as a fighter not to be messed with, his hooliganism reputation and his head for constantly thinking bigger and bigger and more and more, in early 1988 at the age of 17, he came up with a plan that would combine his love for fighting, violence and money. Security. But not just any security. In the late 80s and early 90s the club scene started to happen, ecstasy started to become a big thing, and more and more people than before started attending clubs to enjoy themselves, which obviously necessitated the need for more security on the doors to prevent trouble, especially when the Hibs casuals were notorious for causing trouble. Bradley jumped on this idea. With his obvious involvement with the Hibs casuals and his fighter background, he was the perfect choice of security to ensure there would be no trouble in the clubs. Bradley started working for a security company called Westlands, who at the time provided a lot of doorman at Edinburgh clubs and pubs, but on hiring Bradley they wanted him to get them even more. Bradley found that again he was very successful in this area, soon stamping out any competition in this area, and almost overnight he managed to secure Westlands Security, and himself, the doors of hundreds of the pubs and clubs in Edinburgh, where they would provide their own doormen to keep out any troublemakers, obviously at a price. This was a great wee earner for Bradley, and at the age of 18 years old he not only saw himself as invincible but as a gangster kingpin. Again, Bradley, never one for standing still, just had too much energy, he didn’t just stop at security, he also started to set up his own nights at the clubs where he could rake it in. However, this was bad news for any competing nightclubs, Bradley wasn’t having any competition. And, so, any club that decided to go up against his planned club nights quickly found themselves in trouble. Bradley’s objective being to ensure that any competition was quickly shut down. And this is where things started to go wrong for Bradley. Even though Bradley had a reputation for fighting and violence, he much preferred for people to see things his way by threats of violence rather than actual violence, however, that was to change, which would be his downfall. Bradley started carrying guns. No longer did competing clubs just fear the threat of violence, there actually now was violence. Unfortunately, this new tactic caught the attention of the police, who started to take a closer look at Bradley’s growing empire, including bugging his phone and his house. After six months of surveillance the police believed they had enough evidence against Bradley and he was arrested on three main charges, including extortion and demanding money at gunpoint.

Cole:

He must have been quite young still.

Dawn:

Yeah, he was only 18.

Cole:

Wow.

Dawn:

I know, he’s done a lot.

Cole:

He has done a lot.

Dawn:

That’s what I mean, he saw himself as this big kingpin. At the trial though, he was cleared of these charges and he thought he was free and clear, would be heading home, but nope. He was sentenced to four years for possessing ammunition and menacing an estate agent.

Cole:

Menacing an estate agent? (laughs) You know, you shouldn’t go to jail for that because they menace us enough when they want to.

Dawn:

[Laughter] As soon as Bradley was in prison, he realised that he didn’t want to go back and that he needed to change his lifestyle. This lifestyle change actually began in prison. After the initial shock and despair of being sentenced to four years in prison, with his control taken away, he managed to pick himself back up and turned to his passion. Boxing. Despite Bradley’s foray into hooliganism, security, firearms and extortion, he had still kept up his boxing. At the time of his arrest and incarceration, he was the Scottish Eastern District boxing champion and was due to represent Britain in the 1992 Olympic Games taking place in Barcelona. This was one fight he wouldn’t be taking part in. However, with the support of the prison service, Bradley was allowed to train again in the prison’s gym. And train he did. He also was allowed out on day release to compete in boxing championships, the first being the Scottish Western District Championships, which he won. But this wouldn’t be the last championship he competed in and won whilst in prison. This is what got Bradley through his time in prison and out the other side, better and stronger than ever, and he showed no signs of slowing down or stopping on his release. Feeling at the top of his game in amateur boxing Bradley decided it was time to become a professional boxer, and so he went to America to follow his dream. However, it turned out that his dream wasn’t quite what he thought. While Bradley did become a professional boxer in America having ten fights, winning nine of them, he soon turned his back on professional boxing, as he found it not too dissimilar to the world he was trying to leave behind. He found that it was all about getting as much money out of the professional as you could, about greed. So Bradley made his way back to Edinburgh. On his return to Edinburgh, Bradley found himself in a situation he hadn’t found himself in before, he didn’t have a plan, he was a wee bit lost. The one thing that Bradley never deviated from though was his love for his family. He was a big family man, absolutely adoring his mum, brother and two wee nephews, and so when his mum became ill Bradley became her main carer, throwing himself into this new role. He withdrew into himself, spending his time reading, learning and staying at home with his family. He enjoyed this time to reflect on his life. As always though, Bradley continued with his boxing, the other love of his life. Bradley’s mum’s health started to improve and she didn’t need a carer as much, so, once again, Bradley was lost. What was next for him? And then an idea came to him. What had been the one constant thing in his life? The one thing that had helped channel his energy? The one thing that had got him through tough times? Amateur boxing. He decided he wanted to share his love and obvious skills of boxing with others. And so around 2005, when Bradley would have been about 35 years old, he opened his own boxing gym from the proceeds of a short-lived professional boxing career. He specifically opened his gym in a rougher more deprived area of Edinburgh as he wanted to help underprivileged kids, channel their energy and give them some sort of direction. Bradley did make it clear though that this would only be amateur boxing, he would not be venturing into the professional boxing world again. The gym became a huge success, helping support many a wayward youngster stay off the streets. Bradley was in his element. He was really passionate about helping people that didn’t have a lot as this was his roots, where he had come from. Over the years Bradley threw himself into his new role, which saw him working with the various volunteer-based organisations to help underprivileged kids all across Edinburgh, such as the Helping Hands bike initiative which donated 150 bikes to city schools across Edinburgh. Bradley also carried out a food bank appeal which raised 22 tons of food, and he also began to offer free boxing lessons at his gym to underprivileged kids. He went on to work on a collaboration with Edinburgh Helping Hands charity which fights inequality in the city, Social Bite which is a movement to end homelessness, and author and friend Irvine Welsh, where they challenged social and economic inequality in Edinburgh. It looked like Bradley really had turned his life around and was determined to give back to his beloved Edinburgh, and to try and deter other children going down the same route he had. However, he couldn’t escape his past life completely. People were fascinated by him and his exploits and wanted to know more. In 2008 he appeared on a Bravo television show called Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men. I’ve watched this program and found it enjoyable.

Cole:

I don’t think that’s the right word. Enjoyable. Hilarious maybe. Danny Dyer’s hilarious. He’s, he’s… Every time he talks it’s funny. 

Dawn:

(laughter) But, no, it was it was informative, and it did give an insight into Bradley’s life. He came across as having a huge amount of energy and drive, as well as a massive personality. He also said that he felt he was a born leader, which he had certainly demonstrated from a very young age. He did say in an interview in 2006 that he felt that his past exploits as a kid and teenager had been stupid, but that he wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed by it, and felt that it’s life’s experiences that make you who you are.

Cole:

Very true Bradley.

Dawn:

Mhh hmm. Over the next couple of years, Bradley’s life consisted of his charity work, his boxing gym, but also extended to include the birth of a baby girl called Eva Tiger in 2011, with his then girlfriend Emma.

Cole:

Okay, interesting name.

Dawn:

As previously stated, Bradley loved his family, so would have been over the moon to be a father. Life was good for Bradley. Sadly though this happiness was soon to be shattered. In 2012 his beloved mother died. Bradley would have been just distraught, he was a self-confessed mummy’s boy and his mum was now gone. However, by now we begin to understand that Bradley doesn’t stay down for long, and so two years later in 2014 he was back in the ring again with yet another challenge he had set himself, but this time in honour of his mother. He wanted to get himself into the Guinness Book of World Records by spending 24 hours in the ring sparring with 360 people, which he succeeded in and raised over £42,500 or about $58,600 for charity in the process. Rather him than me. It sounded brutal. He did say that the challenge had almost killed him, but that he’d been determined to make the world record in his mum’s name. Now, at this record-breaking attempt, and who also sparred with Bradley, was his friend Irvine Welsh, who was the author of The Trainspotting books, but also Danny Boyle, who just so happened to be the director working on the Trainspotting 2 film. Danny was impressed by Bradley and asked him if he would audition for a specific part he had in mind in the film, which Bradley agreed to. It just so happened that this part was for a gangland kingpin who intimidated the main characters Simon and Mark. Perfect part for Bradley, right?

Cole:

Renton and Sick Boy.

Dawn:

Yes, well, that’s… Simon and Mark’s their grown-up names. They were Renton and Sick Boy in the first one. (laughter) Anyway, so Bradley messed it up by being too aggressive and he didn’t get the part. However, he knew this part was perfect for him so he asked Danny Boyle for another chance, and this time he nailed it. Trainspotting 2 was released in 2017 and I loved it.

Cole:

Oh did you.

Dawn:

I did. Bradley is really good as the part of Mr Doyle. However, this would be Bradley’s last foray into acting. He had a feeling that he might be typecast. Bradley was pretty content with his life, he was now engaged to Emma, his boxing gym was thriving, and he excelled in charity work. Bradley had come a long way from that violent 12 year old boy. So it looked like Bradley had well and truly left his past behind. And he had for the main part. All he wanted to do was help the youngsters and underprivileged in his community. However, Bradley was a friendly guy and he’d made good friends along the way, including various people from Edinburgh’s underbelly who he continued to be in touch with, despite not being part of the lifestyle anymore. One such friend was Mark Richardson who he was very close to. I’m not going to go into the ins and outs of Mark Richardson but he was heavily involved in major crime networks, which included drugs, firearms and violence, and he was a cocaine kingpin.

Cole:

Sounds like a dangerous guy.

Dawn:

Yeah, he’s currently in prison and he’s causing no end of problems in there too. So Bradley was friends with him but he was no longer involved in that lifestyle. It was reported in the Daily Record newspaper on the 8th of May 2021 Bradley might give advice or clear something up to try to make peace, but he wasn’t part of that world. In the end he wasn’t able to shake off these people he’d known for many years. And sadly it looks like what happened next was due to his friendship with Richardson, as well as his inability to turn his back on his longtime friends. Wednesday the 17th of April 2019 was just another ordinary day for Bradley. After saying bye to his fiancée Emma and his eight-year-old daughter Ava in the morning, he would have left his flat at Chester Street, about 1.6 miles or 2.5 kilometres west of Edinburgh City Centre, and gone to his Holyrood boxing gym, about an 18-minute drive east of his flat, where he would have spent the day taking boxing lessons with adults and kids alike. Once his work was done for the day, Bradley would have got into the ring and sparred with another trainer just to keep his hand in, before about 7:30pm driving the 18 minutes back to his flat, where his fiancée and daughter were waiting for him. Upon parking his car outside his flat about 8pm, Bradley got out and happened to see his upstairs neighbour, Edward Rennie, across the street having a cigarette and so he walked over to have a brief chat with him. After a few minutes Bradley said bye and walked across the street towards the stairs leading down to his basement flat. Just as he was about to take the first step down, a man wearing a baseball cup appeared out of nowhere and shot him a point-blank range in the head, before Bradley could even register what was happening. Bradley then tumbled down a few of the stairs to his flat and lay there, unmoving. His neighbour, Edward, hadn’t seen the man approaching Bradley either, but he sure heard the bang. He turned around immediately and saw a man pointing a shotgun at Bradley, just as the man saw Edward. The shooter turned the gun on Edward and told him not to look at him. Edward dived behind a parked car in response, and peered through the glass in time to see the shooter run away. Edward then made his way to Bradley’s lifeless body and realised immediately that he had been shot. He called the emergency services and stayed with Bradley until they arrived. Another of Bradley’s neighbours, Lucy, had been walking to her flat after finishing work for the day and had seen a man with his back to her on the street outside Bradley’s flat. She didn’t think anything off this until he turned round and she spotted the gun in his hand. She said she panicked and turned and started running in the opposite direction. The ambulance crew arrived and did their best to keep Bradley alive, however, sadly Bradley died in the street outside of his flat, due to suffering life-threatening wounds to his head. By this time Bradley’s fiancée Emma and his daughter Eva would have been made aware of the situation and would have been absolutely distraught. They apparently hadn’t heard the shot or the commotion outside their flat, but word of what had happened had quickly gotten around Bradley’s family and they raced to the scene, but it would be to no avail. The police now were also present and, upon Bradley being pronounced dead at the scene, they began to cordon the area off and begin a murder investigation. The police then gave a statement saying that they believed this was a targeted attack and that nobody else in the community was at threat, but they would be providing a presence in the area to help reassure the public, and also to gather as much information as they could to help with their inquiries. The police also appealed for any information on who could have carried out this horrendous attack and left a family grieving for the loss of their son, brother, partner and father, asking them to search their conscience and do the right thing. Dozens of forensic officers carried out a massive search of Chester Street and the neighbouring streets in the hope that the killer may have dropped something, such as a cigarette or chewing gum. They also carried out a fingerprint examination of the railings that surrounded the properties in the street, as well as carrying out a forensic examination of Bradley’s flat to see if that gave them a clue as to why he had been targeted. While the forensic teams were busy, the police had started the arduous task of searching CCTV cameras in the area, as well as from residential and business properties in the area, and also requesting dash cam footage from motorists to try and capture the murderer and his getaway route. As this would take time to collate and go through, the police began interviewing witnesses, starting with Edward and Lucy. Edward told the police that he thought the man was mid-20s to early 30s and that he was wearing a puffer jacket, and also that it looked like he had a fake tan. Lucy said that she hadn’t seen the man’s face as she was focusing on the gun, but that he wore a baseball cap. Not much to go on to help catch the shooter, but it wouldn’t be long before the police had all the evidence they needed. Once all of the CCTV footage available had been gone through a picture started to emerge, and it pointed straight to one man. The police had found footage of the killer wearing a baseball cap, a puffa jacket, dark jogging trousers and distinctive Nike Air Max 95 trainers, walking towards Bradley’s flat just before 8pm on the 17th of April. And then footage of him running away from the scene at 8:06pm carrying what looked like a shotgun. He was then seen driving off in a hurry in a stolen dark grey Ford Kuga. The footage was shown to the witnesses and they confirmed that this man was the shooter. Now the police just had to identify who this man was, which was going to prove easier than police had initially thought. The shooter had stolen the Ford Kuga about a week before the murder, but he’d made a mistake. The car he had stolen had a built-in tracker. The police requested the tracker information and they used CCTV footage from across the city to track the movements of the car and the shooter on the run-up to the murder, which helped build a very interesting picture. The Ford Kuga was found abandoned three days after the murder, which again via CCTV footage brought the police directly to the shooter. So from the tracker information and CCTV footage, chillingly, it showed that eight days before the shooting the Ford Kuga was seen driving slowly past Bradley’s gym, stopping outside for six minutes, before driving off again. It also showed that the car had been past Bradley’s flat four times in the days before the shooting, and also there was CCTV footage of the shooter walking up and down the streets near Bradley’s flat an hour before the shooting. Presumably the shooter was trying to work out Bradley’s schedule and figure out the best day and time to attack. The police then tracked the car’s movements from leaving the scene of the crime to where it was dumped, using CCTV cameras from along the route, and this is where the shooter was nailed. Obviously, unaware of the car’s tracking device, after shooting Bradley, the killer then drove the stolen car to a small village, which is where the car was found abandoned, about ten miles or 16 kilometres south west of Bradley’s flat, arriving there about 8:43pm. Shortly after that, a man wearing slightly different clothes, but still the distinctive white Nike Air Max 95 trainers, was caught on CCTV outside of a pub. He then called his friend who came and picked him up and took him back to Edinburgh. With the police being satisfied that the shooter had been identified, 28 year old Sean Orman was arrested on the 22nd of April 2019, five days after Bradley’s murder and was subsequently charged. Ormond denied this of course and insisted that he’d been cycling at the time of Bradley’s murder. The police would have liked to have organised an identity parade so the witnesses could confirm that they had their man, however, on this occasion it wouldn’t be able to be held, as Sean Orman had tried so hard to hide his appearance that in the weeks running up to the shooting he had visited nine different tanning salons in the hope no one would recognise him. He was deemed too tanned. Despite the lack of an identity parade the police had more than enough evidence, due to the tracker in the car and all the CCTV footage, private cameras and dash cams that had been sought and provided by Edinburgh citizens who wanted to help get this man off the streets. As word of Bradley’s murder got out, more and more tributes came, including from Danny Dyer who had met Bradley while filming Britain’s Deadliest Men who said “So sad to hear the news about Bradley. A good soul with a massive heart. A massive loss. Rest in peace my old son.”, and also from Bradley’s long-time friend Irvine Welsh who said “My heart is broken. Goodbye my amazing and beautiful friend. Thanks for making me a better person and helping me to see the world in a kinder and wiser way.” Also flowers, Hibs scarves and boxing gloves, were left by well wishers outside Bradley’s home, as well as outside his gym. A spokesperson for Boxing Scotland said “The Boxing Scotland family is extremely shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Bradley. He was one of a kind and will be sadly missed.” One local man who knew Bradley and his family said in a newspaper that he was also heartbroken and that Bradley did a lot for Edinburgh and for the community. Another said that he was a huge character.

Cole:

Oh that was really nice of them.

Dawn:

Yeah it was, wasn’t it.

Cole:

Yeah. You don’t expect famous people to come out and wish condolences, especially to someone like Bradley who, you know, was on Deadliest Men.

Dawn:

Yeah, he was. I mean, I know he was friends with Irvine Welsh anyway, but um I don’t think he’d kept in touch with Danny Dyer, so that was nice.

Cole:

Yeah. Obviously well thought of by many.

Dawn:

Yeah, he certainly seemed to be. Bradley’s funeral took place on the 7th of June 2019 at Edinburgh’s Mortonhall Crematorium. Bradley’s coffin was green in honour of the Hibs football team he loved so much. Around a thousand of his loved ones and close friends gathered to pay their last respects, with Sunshine on Leith by The Proclaimers being played, which also is the adopted anthem for the Hibs Football Team. Bradley’s ten-year-old daughter Eva also spoke at the funeral saying “My daddy made me feel brave when I was with him. He only wanted the best for me. I know he’s looking out for us like he always did. I will miss him more than words can say.”

Cole:

Wow, that’s so sweet. You wouldn’t expect that from a ten year old but that’s really eloquent.

Dawn:

Yeah, it must have been really hard for her to get up there in front of everybody as well and say that. It’s dead brave.

Cole:

Yeah, that would have been so scary.

Dawn:

Also, Bradley’s brother, Sean, had found a poem written by Bradley himself titled ”For my funeral should I die young’. It read “No matter what, right or wrong, I’m free, hee hee hee. Ye see? Now try to be me.”

Cole:

Okay, is it not a bit weird to have a poem written out just in case you die?

Dawn:

I thought it was cool. I liked the hee hee hee bit. (laughs)

Cole:

I do like that he’s showing his personality. I like when you know someone who’s passed away tries to make light of the situation, cause they know how horrible it must be for everyone.

Dawn:

Yeah, that must have um given the family maybe a smile just reading that.

Cole:

Yeah.

Dawn:

It wouldn’t be until the 21st of April 2021, just over two years since Bradley had been murdered, at the High Court in Edinburgh that the trial of Sean Orman started, where he pleaded not guilty to all 15 charges, which included murder, attempted murder, firearms and drug offenses, assault, driving at speed and drug and driving offenses.

Cole:

Wow, they were really just throwing everything at him at this point weren’t they? But why is he only being charged with attempted murder and not just murder, because Bradley was murdered?

Dawn:

Well, the attempted murder charge was in relation to David McMillan.

Cole:

Oh okay. Who’s David McMillan?

Dawn:

Well let me tell you. Do you remember how I mentioned Mark Richardson briefly, saying how he was involved in crime and drugs and that he was friends with Bradley?

Cole:

Yes, I do remember that.

Dawn:

Okay. Well, David McMillan, who was 50, was friends with Mark and Bradley too. And what was revealed through the trial was that it appeared that the whole situation stemmed from Mark Richardson and his criminal fraternity.

Cole:

Oh. What do you mean?

Dawn:

So, it looks like it all started back around 2011 when Mark Richardson and a man called George ‘Dode’ Baigrie were in prison together. Baigrie had been sentenced to 12 years over a samurai sword attack, and Richardson for ten years for dealing in cocaine, heroin, guns, and his role in a £200million or $276million crime super gang.

Cole:

Ooh a super gang. I’d like to be part of a super gang.

Dawn:

Both men were involved in the Edinburgh criminal underbelly, their personalities clashed and they were also affiliated with rival gangs, Baigrie with the Lyons gang and Richardson with the Daniels gang. So, being locked up in close quarters was never going to be a winning combination.

Cole:

I know that feeling, I’ve had to live with you before unfortunately.

Dawn:

Yeah, that wasn’t a winning combination.

Cole:

It was not.

Dawn:

The pair had continuous run-ins, but Baigrie was known as “the top man” in jail and was always on Richardson’s case. However, Richardson also viewed himself as top dog, which Baigrie did not appreciate. In 2012 Richardson had his face slashed and it was rumoured that Baigrie had backed this attack. Anyway, Baigrie was released in 2018 and came to live in Edinburgh, but apparently he put the word out that anyone involved with Richardson would find themselves on the wrong side of Baigrie, and therefore on his hit list. And obviously as Bradley and David McMillan were friends with Richardson and weren’t going to turn their backs on him, then this could be an issue. And it wouldn’t be long before Baigrie was flexing his muscles. On the 13th of March 2019 three masked men broke into the Edinburgh home of David McMillan and seriously assaulted him and his son, also called David, in front of his wife and other children, leaving David senior with a fractured skull. Days after this attack, Sean Orman and a man called Peem were at an acquaintance’s house, Dean White, where Dean’s brother, Robert, was also present. Orman and Peem talked about the attack they had carried out on David McMillan and his son, and that they’d been paid by Baigrie to do it. Orman then went on to say that he was going to be paid £10,000 or $13,800 to murder Bradley Welsh. Robert White also said that Orman had a shotgun, and while he was showing off it accidentally fired into the floor of the property. He said in court, via a video link, that he was extremely nervous about what had happened at his brother’s house. He told the court how he had got in touch with the police straight away to tell them about the conversation and the threat to Bradley’s life, and also about the shotgun bullet being embedded in the floor. However, when under cross-examination, it emerged that he hadn’t actually told the police about the shotgun incident at all, saying that he was in fear for his life. He said he’d been unable to return to Edinburgh or see his family due to agreeing to be a witness at the trial. Robert’s brother, Dean, didn’t give evidence in court, he too was in fear for his life, as 13 days after Bradley’s murder he was attacked in his own home by two men with an axe. David McMillan Jr did give evidence in court though, but it did nothing to back up Robert’s statement. He said that when the men first came into his home they weren’t wearing masks, but that they later put balaclavas on.

Cole:

Oh right, but didn’t you say they were masked men?

Dawn:

Well yes, that’s what David initially said, but when he got to court he then said that they weren’t wearing masks to begin with but then put the balaclavas on.

Cole:

That doesn’t make much sense. David Jr is a liar.

Dawn:

God everybody’s a bloody liar as far as you’re concerned aren’t they?

Cole:

They are liars though aren’t they, so I’m not wrong.

Dawn:

No, it doesn’t make much sense. When he was asked if Orman was one of the men that broke into his home and attacked him he said a hundred percent not. The prosecutor put it to him that he had come to court to tell a false story about men coming in with their faces showing and then covering them up later. All so that he could say that the man in the dock was not the man that attacked him.

Cole:

So he was a liar?

Dawn:

That’s what the prosecutor was saying, yes. But of course he denied this.

Cole:

Do you think he was just lying because he was scared or why do you think he would have made up that story?

Dawn:

Yeah, I think he probably was scared. I mean, he had been attacked already so he wasn’t really going to want to point the finger at Orman.

Cole:

All right. Okay. So you said that the police had been told that Bradley’s life was in danger, did they do anything?

Dawn:

Well it appears that they did issue Bradley with a threat to life notice called an Osman. This is a notice that the police issue to individuals if they are aware of a real or immediate threat to their life.

Cole:

Oh right, I didn’t know that. So, if you ever get an Osman in the post you’re into some serious trouble.

Dawn:

Well you’re in serious trouble because there’s a threat to your life.

Cole:

Well was anything done about that or what was the outcome? Bradley apparently refused any help or advice from the police.

Cole:

Oh right, okay. So, he just accepted that it might be his time to go? Do we know why he was just so accepting of that?

Dawn:

It’s not known for sure, but it is speculated that Bradley didn’t take the threat seriously, thought he could handle it.

Cole:

Oh, I mean, I do understand that, especially with his background.

Dawn:

Yeah, definitely. However, an investigation by the police watchdog, PIRC, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, was launched to look into the actions of the police prior to Bradley’s murder and the handling of the threat to his life. The investigation was completed and a report has been submitted to the Crown for consideration. It was reported in the Daily Record newspaper on the 27th of April 2019 that a further five gangland figures had been handed an Osman notice following Bradley’s murder.

Cole:

Oh, so it was all kicking off.

Dawn:

It did say in a report in the Daily Record newspaper on the 8th of May 2021 that Bradley had reportedly been stressed and worried after David had been attacked at home by Orman.

Cole:

Oh so David did know who had attacked him then?

Dawn:

Well it implies that, yes. Apparently Bradley called Peem the day after the attack on David to try and make sure there wasn’t further trouble. He was worried that due to his friendship with David and Richardson that he could also be on the list.

Cole:

So Bradley was murdered just because he was friends with David and Richardson, is that right?

Dawn:

Well, it does seem that way doesn’t it? But there are other theories too. There have been a couple of underworld sources come out with a couple of different theories. One reported in the Daily Record on the 19th of April 2019 that it was because Bradley had been hired as security to protect three kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of cocaine, worth around £130,000 or $180,000, and this had disappeared and Bradley had to answer for it as it was his responsibility.

Cole:

I thought he’d got out of all of that and was more into charity work and his boxing gym?

Dawn:

Well, yeah, that was my thinking too, and from what I’ve read it was the case. Bradley also did an interview in the Edinburgh Evening News published on the 13th of April 2019, four days before he was murdered, where he said “The things I did, they were wrong, but I understand why I did them, because I had [ f__k ] all. Of course I regret them, I have a daughter and a wee boy who is like a son to me, I want a better society.”

Cole:

Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a guy that’s still heavily involved in the criminal underworld.

Dawn:

It doesn’t, but I guess we’ll never know for sure. But I’m swaying towards what another source has said who had known Bradley for decades and spoke to Bradley about three weeks before his murder. He said in the Sun newspaper on the 14th of May 2021 that he felt he had to break his silence as he wanted to get the truth out. He said that apparently Bradley was murdered for calling Baigrie “a grass”.

Cole:

Oh okay.

Dawn:

So, the story goes like this. When Bradley’s friend Richardson was on remand…

Cole:

Okay, back to Richardson again.

Dawn:

Oh yeah, cause all roads lead to him. So, when he was on remand a wannabe gangster started publicly speaking about Richardson’s case, which was going to jeopardise it. Now, this next bit’s not clear but appears the same wannabe gangster could have actually helped Richardson out by going to court and testifying for him but he refused, which is apparently going against the code of criminals. It was Baigrie who called Bradley and told him that this wannabe criminal wouldn’t be helping Richardson out, and apparently Bradley told them that the pair of them were as good as grasses, telling them that he thought they were just scared of Richardson getting out of jail. This obviously went down like a lead balloon, with Baigrie instantly starting a kill list.

Cole:

Oh wow. I’ve got one of those.

Dawn:

Am I on it on a bad day?

Cole:

You’re always on it.

Dawn:

(laughing) Anyway, from all the programs I’ve watched of Bradley and what I’ve read about him, he wasn’t one for keeping his mouth shut. He just said what he thought. And it didn’t help that he was still involved, if only slightly, in the underworld. They are ruthless.

Cole:

I also say what I think so I can totally understand that. I just don’t come with you know criminal ties. He still didn’t deserve that though did he?

Dawn:

No, he absolutely didn’t deserve it. A source summed it pretty much up in an article in The Daily Record on the 8th of May 2021 when they said that Bradley was collateral damage, an easy target. Everything went back to the hatred between Baigrie and Richardson. Bradley got murdered for no other reason than because of his friendship with Richardson and trying to help him stay out of prison. Well that and calling Baigrie a grass. But, again, that just stemmed back to his friendship with Richardson and trying to help him out. The source went on to say that Bradley wasn’t involved in organised crime, he might try and make peace, but wasn’t part of that world. Anyway, so, back to the trial. Another witness at the trial was a forensic scientist. She confirmed that when the jogging trousers that Orman had been wearing at the time of the shooting, as well as on the day he was arrested, were tested, and firearms residue discharge that had been found on Bradley were compared with the firearms discharge residue that been found in the pockets of Orman’s jogging bottoms, she said the samples were “similar in composition to each other.”

Cole:

Not conclusive, but with all the other witness statements and evidence it’d be good enough for me to convict him.

Dawn:

Yeah. And, so, on Friday the 7th of May 2021, after a 12-day trial, the jury took four hours to find 30 year old Sean Orman guilty of the murder of Bradley Welsh, and the attempted murder of David McMillan. Before being sentenced Judge Lord Beckett said the shooting of Bradley had been a “premeditated and meticulously planned assassination.” He went on to say that “to shoot an unarmed man as he approached his own house was a cowardly and wicked thing to do. His fiancée and young child were inside and you ended his life apparently in the expectation of payment. The court must do all it can to deter contract killings by imposing severe punishment.” Lord Beckett went on to say that Bradley’s fiancée Emma and ten-year-old daughter Eva had suffered following Bradley’s brutal murder. They had lost their home and no longer feel safe. Orman was given a life sentence, and ordered to serve 28 years for Bradley’s murder before he would be eligible for parole, and 10 years for the attempted murder of David. It was reported on the 21st of May 2021 in the Edinburgh Live newspaper that Orman would be appealing his life sentence.

Cole:

What a surprise.

Dawn:

Yeah. He still claims that he was riding his bike alone at the time of Bradley’s murder.

Cole:

Of course he was.

Dawn:

Despite George Baigrie being named during the trial as being the man behind Bradley’s murder, no charges have been brought. However, it was reported in the Sun newspaper that Baigrie, 38, is living in fear and knows he is a marked man. He hasn’t been seen for weeks and has instructed his family not to post any pictures of him on social media. He’s also apparently really paranoid now. So, anyway, the general consensus seemed to be that Bradley was a good guy, a guy with a heart and he loved nothing more than his family, his boxing and his charity work. Yes, he was still friends with gang members from his past, but he wasn’t one to turn his back on anyone. And, so, despite building a new life, his past life still caught up with him. Can you really ever escape the gangster lifestyle once you’ve been part of it? Regardless of which story you’re leaning towards or Bradley’s level of involvement in Edinburgh’s underbelly, he did not deserve to die on the street outside his flat from a shotgun wound to his head. He was 48 years old.

And that’s the end. If you’ve enjoyed this episode and know just the person who’d also like it, please share it with them, don’t keep it to yourself.

Cole:

Please also get in touch on social media if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. All social media and contact details are on our website scottishmurders.com, as well as all the source material and photos related to this episode.

Dawn:

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

Dawn and Cole:

Join us there. Bye.

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn and Cole

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

13 of the most chilling witch trials in Scottish history | The Scotsman

Five of Scotland’s infamous witchcraft trials | The Scotsman

The Life and Death of Bessie Dunlop, The Witch of Lynn – Wee White Hoose

Bessie Dunlop, The Witch of Dalry – Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Everything You Need to Know About Scotland’s Historic Witch Hunts

Scottish Witchcraft trials | Green Witch

Heresy, they say? James VI and the witch trials – Scotland Magazine

The Life and Death of Bessie Dunlop, The Witch of Lynn – Wee White Hoose

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

Witchcraft Acts – Wikipedia

North Berwick Witch Trials

Witch trials in early modern Scotland – Wikipedia

Great Scottish witch hunt of 1649–50 – Wikipedia

Survey of Scottish Witchcraft – Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft

Escape of Charles II – Wikipedia

Witchcraft Acts – Wikipedia

North Berwick witch trials – Wikipedia

North Berwick Witch Trials

Protestantism – Wikipedia

The Scottish Witchcraft Act – University of Edinburgh

The Scottish Witchcraft Act on JSTOR

Witch Pricking Needle – Wikimedia Commons

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn.

Guest: Kathryn Herron

Researched and Written by Peter Bull and 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

Lynda Spence trial: Family heartache over ‘terrible ordeal’ – BBC News

Welcome To Naz-tra-demus Magazine: Lynda Spence: Two Jailed For Torture Murder

‘Unimaginable’ suffering and death of Lynda Spence – BBC News

Lynda Spence trial: Coats and Wade guilty of torture case murder – BBC News

Lynda Spence: Missing businesswoman ‘had kneecaps broken with seven iron during torture session’ – Mirror Online

Lynda Spence guard in tears at murder trial | Glasgow Times

Men get life for ‘monstrous’ murder – BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Pair lose Lynda Spence murder appeals | Glasgow Times

Lynda Spence: Former accused breaks down in court | The Scotsman

Lynda Spence’s ‘monstrous’ killers jailed for 63 years | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Cross-dressing killer found with homemade shank down his trousers in prison – Daily Star

Lynda Spence: Two men jailed for life for murder and torture of missing businesswoman whose body has never been found

Lynda Spence trial: Murder accused pair DNA found | Edinburgh News

Murder is Everywhere: The Tragic Tale Of Lynda Spence

Calls for review into Lynda Spence’s role as police mole before her murder | HeraldScotland

Lynda Spence’s killers jailed for 33 and 30 years | HeraldScotland

Lynda Spence trial: Missing woman’s blood ‘in flat’ – BBC News

Lynda Spence murder accused ‘confessed’, court told | The Scotsman

Lynda Spence murder: Mum of murdered torture victim claims ‘psychic told me dangerous nutcases had mutilated my daughter’s body’ – Mirror Online

Lynda Spence murder trial hears of victim’s crime gang links – The Sun

Evil killer Phillip Wade who tortured and murdered Glasgow accountant Lynda Spence urged to tell family where her body is

Glasgow torture killer kicked off uni course after being caught with blade in Shotts prison

Lynda Spence so tense before she vanished, mum tells court | Scotland | News | Express.co.uk

‘Tell parents where Lynda remains are’ | Glasgow Times

Lynda Spence trial: Murder accused ‘made threat’ to parents – BBC News

Lynda Spence murder trial: ‘Monstrous lies’ to suggest I killed missing financial adviser, says suspect Colin Coats – Daily Record

‘Warning to Lynda Spence parents’ – The Sun

Grieving mum of torture victim Lynda Spence remembers her daughter as ‘happy and positive girl’ – Daily Record

From IT expert to wannabe gangster: How Colin Coats became involved in Lynda Spence murder – Daily Record

Ulster Defence Association – Wikipedia

Jury to resume deliberations in Lynda Spence murder trial – Daily Record

Lynda Spence trial: Missing woman was ‘police mole’ – BBC News

Lynda Spence murder Victim had thumb chopped off – YouTube

Lynda Spence – The Free Library

Hunt for missing Glasgow woman Lynda Zejaf stepped up – BBC News

Lynda Spence detectives look for wheelie bin witnesses – BBC News

Murder is Everywhere: The Tragic Tale Of Lynda Spence

Lynda Spence trial: Ex-accused ‘did not see murder’ – BBC News

Cancer-stricken mother of Lynda Spence begs killers to reveal location of her body before she dies – Daily Record

Lynda Spence so tense before she vanished, mum tells court | Scotland | News | Express.co.uk

Birthday appeal for missing Lynda Spence – BBC News

Lynda Spence case: Ex-accused admits part in ‘plan’ – BBC News

APPEAL AGAINST CONVICTION AND SENTENCE BY PHILIP WADE AND COLIN COATS AGAINST HER MAJESTY’S ADVOCATE

Wikipedia-West Kilbride

Crime spy Lynda Spence was left to her fate by elite squad – The Sun

Cole:

Trigger Warning – This story is pretty gruesome and graphic, so listener discretion is advised.

Dawn:

27 year old Lynda Spence liked to live the high life; fast cars, expensive champagne, but in April 2011 her high life came to an abrupt and brutal end.

Dawn and Cole:

Hey Wee Ones, I’m Dawn, and I’m Cole, and this is Scottish Murders.

[THEME TUNE]

100 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM FILM PROMOTION

Dawn:

West Kilbride is a village in North Ayrshire located on the west coast of Scotland by the Firth of Clyde looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goatfell and the Isle of Arran. Being on the coast, there are some magnificent views. West Kilbride was also the first town in Scotland to organise an annual scarecrow festival to foster community spirit and civic pride within West Kilbride and its surrounding area. Flat 4 114 Meadowfoot Road is located about half a mile from the centre of West Kilbride. This property was an old house that had been split into flats, flat 4 being on the first floor with access to the attic space. It was in this attic space where Lynda Spence spent the last 13 days of her life. She had been abducted, taken to this flat and held against her will. Lynda’s last days consisted of being systematically tortured daily by her captors, her toes were crushed by garden shears, her kneecaps were smashed by a golf club, her hands were burnt with a steam iron, her thumb was chopped off, and the tip of her little finger was cut off. Lynda was tied to a chair, not being allowed to use the bathroom and so had to urinate and defecate where she sat. It’s then believed that she was suffocated, beheaded and burnt. What had gone so wrong in Lynda’s life that it had ended in such a horrendous way? Lynda Spence was born on the 8th of September 1983 to her doting parents James and Patricia Spence. Lynda was brought up in Penilee, Paisley, which is about 7.5 miles and approximately 12 kilometres west of Glasgow. She started her schooling at the nearby Ralston Primary School before heading to Paisley Grammar School when she was 12. Upon starting at Paisley Grammar School Lynda got herself not one but two jobs in local chip shops, where she worked until she was 14. However, Lynda was always thinking of others, and so she made it her passion to help other local children also find work at Christmas time so they too could have some pocket money. In an interview in the Daily Record, Lynda’s mother, Patricia, said that Lynda was a typical teenager and that she never had any bother with her at all. She was a kind, happy girl who was always smiling and positive, and never had a bad word to say about anybody. While Lynda was still at school and between working her two chip shop jobs, she also joined the RAF Air Cadets, which she absolutely loved. So much so that when she was 17 Lynda and her mum attended an RAF recruitment drive, where apparently the recruiter said that he would be happy to take Lynda, but that she maybe shouldn’t put all her eggs in one basket and to come back to see him if she was still interested when she turned 19. However, Lynda wasn’t one for standing still and letting the grass grow under her feet, so by the time she was 19 she had already left school and secured a job working in a call centre for a bank. Over the next five years, Lynda continued to work in call centres, before deciding to try her hand at providing financial services herself, this was despite Lynda’s only experience in finance coming from working in call centres. Lynda’s new finance business mainly involved obtaining mortgages for those with poor credit histories. Lynda’s business wasn’t successful and in December 2008, a year after starting her finance business, she had to declare herself bankrupt, having debts at that time of about £40,000, which is about $56,000.  However, a year later in December 2009, once the debts were written off, Lynda, who was now 26, decided to start a new business called Fraser Properties, using money her parents had given her that they had inherited from the sale of her late grandmother’s bungalow. Lynda rented premises on Great Western Road, which is about 10 miles or approximately 16 kilometres north west of Paisley, where she grew up. Lynda’s new mortgage and letting venture appeared to be extremely successful and Lynda had been able to buy two flats in a well-off part of Glasgow, she had a Mercedes convertible and she liked to buy expensive Cristal champagne. Lynda also enjoyed eating in expensive restaurant and attending bars, strip clubs and casinos. Lynda also chose to share her apparent success and wealth with her friends, and she enjoyed taking her friends out for meals and nights out, paying for everything. This kindness also extended to a school friend, Amanda Robertson, who she employed to work in her finance business. She was definitely living one hell of a high life and appeared to be enjoying every second of it. Despite Lynda’s business taking up much of her time, as well as her enjoying herself when she wasn’t working, she still found time each Saturday to take her mum out to dinner and for a drive in her car. She also took her mum shopping each week, and sometimes would even take her to the theatre. Lynda and her mum had a great relationship, they were apparently best friends as well as mother and daughter, laughing when together and enjoying each other’s company. They would talk on the phone every day and Lynda’s mum described her daughter as a loving, caring girl. From the outside Lynda was living the high life and had not a care in the world, however, this could not be further from the truth. Lynda had quickly realised that she was not going to be making the money or big deal she craved if she continued to just focus on obtaining mortgages for people, and so she began to stray into different avenues. One such avenue was her becoming involved in property development. This particular development was known as Lochburn Gate and was in Maryhill in Glasgow, which was about 2.4 miles or 3.8 kilometres away from Lynda’s offices on Great Western Road. Now, Lynda was described as being confident, charming and likable and, as such, people trusted her with their money. And so, when Lynda approached Glasgow’s Chinese community regarding this new property development she was involved in, many people wanted to be part of it and so happily handed over their hard-earned money to Lynda. It was reported that Lynda had 30 clients that wanted a home in this new development and had amassed about £175,000 in deposits from them, which would be about £240,000 and $330,000 in today’s money. Everyone was happy, the clients had a lovely new property they would be purchasing when completed, and Lynda had secured the kind of money that she had wanted. However, as time went on and the development she promised never came to fruition, the clients who had given her their deposit money were beginning to get a bit concerned. Their concern then turned to anger and dread when, after continually attending the financial company premises and demanding an update, and later their money,  neither were forthcoming. They then turned to Strathclyde Police, where they claimed that they had been defrauded. Strathclyde Police in turn started an investigation into Lynda. Lynda was never satisfied and was always on the lookout for her next big deal and how she could make fast cash, and her next big deal came to her in the form of 41 year old Colin Coates, who she had been introduced to by a mutual business friend, Tony Kelly. Colin was a former I.T specialist and made his fortune in London’s financial services industry. At one time it looked like he had it made,  a millionaire, wife, kids, but the money had gone to his head and had made him selfish. He started drinking through excess and developed a cocaine habit, as well as an explosive temper, leading him to losing nearly everything. He also had a history of violence against his ex-wife, for which he was fined, against his ex-wife’s sister and an elderly man who had stopped to intervene, for which he was given two years probation, also for beating up a Celtic fan, for which he was given a suspended sentence, and in October 2010 he was convicted and fined for assaulting a cabin crew member and threatening passengers on a flight from Glasgow the previous year. It’s not known if Lynda knew this information about Coates, but in early 2010 Lynda and Coates entered into a business deal, where Coates invested £85,000, which is about £111,000 and about $154,000 in today’s money, with Lynda, which was all the money he had.

Cole:

That was all the money he had? I thought you said he was a millionaire?

Dawn:

Yeah, but because of the drinking and drugs he’d pretty much lost everything. That’s all he had left?

Cole:

That’s a lot of money to spend on alcohol and drugs.

Dawn:

I can think of better things to spend that amount of money on.

Cole:

It depends on the day for me really. (laughter)

Dawn:

Lynda promised he would receive a return of about £131,000 or $182,000. However, things started to go wrong quickly when Coates realised that he wasn’t going to receive any of his money back, because there was no such deal and Lynda had already spent all of his money. Lynda however wasn’t going to let this little detail get in her way, and so she made up another lie this time telling Coates that he would in fact earn millions from a land and property deal that she had ongoing near Stanstead Airport, if he would just wait a little longer. And so he waited and waited, but no deal ever materialised. Lynda kept stringing Coates along though and eventually she told him that she was going to be paid in Danish government bonds from another deal, which was worth about £6.6 million, which is about £8.6 million and $11.8 million in today’s money,  and that he would get his cut from this. He agreed. However, again, there was no such deal. So, in desperation, Lynda persuaded a printer in Glasgow to produce fake Danish bonds and she gave Coates his cut.  However, Coates, not being a particularly stupid man, realised pretty quickly that the bonds were actually fake, and finally he had had enough of Lynda’s lies and started to plan his revenge. Lynda’s worries didn’t stop with Coates however. Never to let the grass grow under her feet and always on the lookout for more money opportunities, Lynda had also made a deal with property developer, John Glen, who had given her £180,000, about £236,000 and $325,000 in today’s money, as part of a non-existent deal, and he too was wanting his money back. Lynda however had already spent this money too. John became very abusive, going as far as sending her text messages threatening to cut her fingers off and chop her head off. At this point Lynda finally started to accept that things were getting out of control and her life was beginning to unravel, and she was getting scared.

Cole:

I get the feeling that Lynda’s not really learning from her mistakes and she just keeps making the same mistakes over and over again.

Dawn:

Yeah, I get that feeling as well. I just want her to stop and just pay some money back!

Cole:

And I feel like you never actually know who you’re getting into business with. And, I mean, I would be scared at this point.

Dawn:

Yeah, I would be scared as well. If somebody’s threatening to cut your fingers off. Yeah, a bit scary. So, while Lynda’s manipulating ways of getting people to part with their money and never paying them back was finally coming to a head, something that Lynda had been involved in almost ten years earlier while working in a bank was also beginning to come back to haunt her. When Lynda was 17 years old she became involved with an Albanian man called Sokal Zefraj, who was an asylum seeker. Mr Zefraj wanted to stay in the UK and Lynda, always wanting to help others, decided the best course of action would be for Mr Zefraj to marry a UK citizen. However, Lynda herself was unable or unwilling to marry him as she didn’t want her parents to know about him, so Lynda asked her school friend, Amanda Robertson, the same friend who would become an employee at Lynda’s finance business, to do her the favour of marrying Mr Zefraj to help him out. Amanda agreed to this deal and the two were married. Then apparently approximately four years later, Amanda divorced Mr Zefraj and Lynda supposedly married him herself, a fact that Mr Zefraj denied, stating that he never in fact married Lynda. It’s not known which version is true, but Lynda did use his surname when making business deals. However, Lynda did have numerous aliases that she used when she was securing fake UK passports for people from Eastern Europe, another sideline of Lynda’s. And so due to her alleged marriage to Mr Zefraj and her apparent close relationship with him, shortly before Lynda’s disappearance, she was in the process of being recruited as an informer or a Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS) by the now defunct agencies Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), who both were interested in the activities of Mr Zefraj. Apparently the go-ahead to recruit Lynda as an informant had been given on the 14th of April 2011. So, had this information somehow come to light and was Lynda kidnapped and tortured due to her apparently being in the process of becoming an informant? Lynda was getting in deeper and deeper and it was only a matter of time before her dealings caught up with her.

Cole:

She’s juggling a lot of plates this girl.

Dawn:

Yeah, I don’t know how she can keep up.

Cole:

And she’s got fake aliases for fake passports to help people come into the UK?

Dawn:

Yes, that’s correct. She’s busy. Lynda’s world really began unravelling in late 2010 when her school friend, Amanda Robertson, left Lynda’s finance business due to customer complaints and rarely being paid. Amanda was however still able to access Lynda’s emails, and Amanda had sent a text message to a mutual friend following reading a specific email sent to Lynda in which she said to the mutual friend “She’s got some deal involving Arabs and Albanians going on with peeps in New York. It’s all a bit dodgy sounding.” Was this another business deal Lynda was involved in to try and keep her head above water? But was it too little too late? Despite Lynda’s pending downfall, she spent Christmas 2010 in a plush hotel in Glasgow drinking Cristal champagne, but by the New Year things were visibly falling apart as Lynda’s finance business finally dissolved. Sadly though the failing of Lynda’s finance business didn’t just impact Lynda, it also impacted her parent. As when they had given Lynda the money from her grandmother’s bungalow sale for Lynda to start up her own business, Lynda had agreed with her parents that she would pay their rent, but Lynda was now unable to continue doing this and therefore her parents were made temporarily homeless. Lynda then had to apply for benefits and Job Seekers Allowance, and in March she pawned her jewellery. Lynda’s high life at this time must have felt like a distant memory, apparently telling people that if a deal didn’t go through soon she would be in a lot of trouble. Was this the same deal that her former employee and friend Amanda had seen in her emails? No one will ever know. Whichever deal Lynda had been trying to secure, it is doubtful that Lynda could have predicted just how much danger she was shortly to be finding herself in. According to Lynda’s mum, Patricia, Lynda’s behaviour had started to change towards the end of 2010, where she would still call her mum daily but she apparently became distant and said that she was too busy to meet her mum as much. This behaviour would continue until about 6pm on Wednesday the 13th of April 2011 when Lynda went to her parents home in Castlebank Gardens in Glasgow, a mere 2.3 miles or 3.7 kilometres from Lynda’s finance business for her mum’s birthday, giving her flowers as a gift.  Patricia said that the pair had kissed and cuddled and Patricia had asked Lynda where they were going for her birthday, however, she said that Lynda was very tense saying that she had to leave but that she would be back in half an hour. She never returned, and this was the last time her parents ever saw her. It is not known what Lynda did for the remainder of the day on Wednesday the 13th of April and why she wasn’t able to go out to celebrate her mum’s birthday, but on Thursday the 14th of April Lynda was apparently lured from her home in Glasgow to a house in Broomhill Path, also in Glasgow, about 2.2 miles and 3.7 kilometres from where Lynda’s parents were currently residing, which belonged to none other than Colin Coates.

Cole:

And he was the person that she gave fake bonds to, right?

Dawn:

That’s right. Yep. Lynda drove to his property in a silver Vauxhall Astra car that had been hired for her on the 1st of April 2011. Upon arriving at the property she came face to face with both Coates and his friend Philip Wade. Wade, who was 40 years old, was a drug dealer and also enforced drug debts, and he just happened to have a grievance against Lynda as well, as apparently Lynda had extorted £2,000 or $2,700 from Wade’s family. 

Cole:

So, did she know whose house she was going to? Because I wouldn’t have willingly gone to his house after selling him fake bonds.

Dawn:

No, I think she didn’t know where she was going, whose house it was. She probably thought, you know, she was good at blagging her way out of any situation, so I don’t think she thought she would have a problem with this one.

Cole:

Did she know that Wade was going to be there?

Dawn:

No, I don’t think she knew anything about Wade being there, that probably threw her off a wee bit.

Cole:

Right, okay.

Dawn:

I certainly don’t think she was aware of the danger she was walking into when she went there.

Cole:

Okay. Yeah. Maybe she just should have thought about that before she, you know, went ahead with it.

Dawn:

Yeah, just a wee second thought.

Cole:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dawn:

Either way, when she arrived at the property there was no way she could have anticipated or expected what happened next. Coates and Wade restrained Lynda and transported her to a flat in Meadowfoot Road, West Kilbride, which is a 47 minute drive south east of Coates’ home. A 47 minute drive where Lynda would have been absolutely terrified, thinking about what fate awaited her. Flat 4, 114 Meadowfoot Road belonged to David Parker, who was 36 and was a drug addict. Parker apparently had been approached at the beginning of April 2011 by a fellow drug addict, Paul Smith who was 45, to ask if it was possible if he could let his flat out for a couple of days. Parker had agreed to this, as he had not actually been living in the flat since October 2010 due to problems with flooding. Apparently a couple of days afterwards Parker was picked up by Coates, Wade and Smith and they all went to the flat, where Parker was told to remove photographs and anything that had his name on it. Parker said at this point he began to wonder what exactly was going on and what he was getting himself involved in, but said nothing and did as he was told. Parker and Smith were at the property on the 14th of April when Wade and Coates arrived there with Lynda, as they had been hired by Coates and Wade to stay at the property with Lynda in between Coates and Wade’s daily visits. Lynda was forced up to the attic, and Parker said he had heard “raised and muffled cries.” Once Coates and Wade had left, Parker went up to the attic and said he saw Lynda tied to an office chair by her waist and arms, and had tape over her mouth, with glasses on covered in tape so she wasn’t able to see her surroundings or where she was. He said that he was shocked and scared and just couldn’t believe what was happening. He said that when he spoke to Smith about his concerns Smith told him that Coates and Wade were serious guys not to be messed with and to just go along with it, what choice did they have now?  Unbeknownst to Lynda, she would spend the last two weeks of her life in this attic, tied to a computer chair, facing the most horrendous torture imaginable.  Apparently when Coates and Wade returned Wade had a torture kit with him, which included large garden shears, bandages, surgical tape and a bucket. Coates and Wade would apparently attend the attic daily, but as Wade was six foot six inches he was unable to stand up properly in the attic, and so it was left to Coates to inflict the torture on Lynda while Wade just stood and watched from the side-lines. Parker and Smith apparently would give Lynda cups of tea and soup when Wade and Coates left, and were well aware of her injuries and what was happening to her. They knew that she had injuries to both of her hands, her toes, bruising to her face, and she also apparently complained her legs were sore, but they said that they were too frightened to do anything to help her, too frightened to save her life. Parker said that Lynda was in a frightened state at one point saying that she wished she hadn’t got herself into this mess. All Parker said he could do was urge Lynda to tell Coates and Wade what they wanted to know. Apparently Lynda asked Parker at one point “Do you think Colin and Phil will ever let me go?” Parker was unable to answer this question. In the meantime, obviously Lynda’s parents would have been concerned, as, yes, Lynda had become distant and they hadn’t been seeing her as often as before, but she still called daily and obviously hadn’t been able to since being abducted on the 14th of April.

Cole:

Was anyone aware of Lynda’s disappearance or was anyone searching for her?

Dawn:

Well no, not initially, because, allegedly, in the days following Lynda’s disappearance, Coates and mutual business friend, Tony Kelly, paid a visit to Lynda’s parents home and warned them about contacting the police, telling them Lynda owed Coates £10,000 or $14,000, and that she had pawned two of his watches.  On hearing this information apparently Lynda’s mum, Patricia, said “If she’s stolen your money I’m going to report it to the police. She has no right stealing money.” In response, allegedly Coates jumped to his feet and banged the couch saying “If the polis look into my computer I’ll get years, and don’t forget I’ve got UDA people and London people.

Cole:

The polis. [Laughter] UDA?

Dawn:

Yeah. It means Ulster Defense Association and it’s an Ulster loyalist parliamentary group in Northern Ireland that was involved in the troubles in Ireland.

Cole:

Okay. So did Coates have involvement with these groups or people?

Dawn:

Well, it’s not actually confirmed anywhere that this was the case, but Lynda’s parents took it seriously enough as they didn’t get the police involved for another month after this. Apparently, Mr Spence did ask Coates if he knew where Lynda was and he said that he didn’t.

Cole:

I don’t think that would have put my mind at rest though.

Dawn:

No, me neither. I would have at least checked it out and tried and got hold of Lynda.

Cole:

Yeah, definitely.

Dawn:

And then on the 20th of April 2011, six days after Lynda just disappeared and stopped calling her parents, Mr and Mrs Spence received a phone call on their mobile phone from Lynda.

Cole:

What? Had she escaped?

Dawn:

No, she hadn’t, and it’s never been explained why she was allowed to make this call. Maybe it was in order to stop her parents actually getting in touch with the police, maybe Coates realised that as time went on his threat would be less effective. Whatever the reason, she was allowed to call her parents.  Mr Spence said that they were on their way to the supermarket and the phone rang and the caller ID said it was Lynda. Lynda’s mum answered but she was so distraught Mr Spencer had to take the phone off her. He asked Lynda where she was, but she apparently was very evasive saying that she was in London. He said that she seemed normal but he was not reassured by this phone call at all, and she would not tell him exactly where she was and just kept being evasive. Before ringing off, Lynda told her parents that she would speak to them again soon, but this was the last time they would ever speak to their daughter again.

Cole:

Okay. So, I don’t really understand, because if she’s been kind of tied up to a chair and she’s been tortured, why would she not ask for help or say I’m being held against my will? 

Dawn:

I thought about that and maybe she was just trying to protect her parents. I mean she now knew exactly what Coates and Wade were capable of, maybe she thought if she didn’t comply then they might hurt her parents too. Or she thought if she did comply they might let her go. I mean, she probably wasn’t in her best frame of mind after having been abducted, tortured and held against her will for six days at this point. How she managed to come across as normal is a mystery.

Cole:

Yeah, I guess I suppose she didn’t actually know where she was, so I guess maybe she just didn’t know what was going on and she thought the best thing to do was to kind of follow what they told her to do.

Dawn:

Yeah. I can’t explain it at all. I don’t know what it was about. It didn’t appear to be a coded message, or at least if it was Lynda’s parents didn’t understand it. Anyway, on the same day this call was made by Lynda to her parents, Wade and Coates had already paid their daily torture visit to the flat in Meadowfoot Road, where Coates had cut off the tip of Lynda’s finger. However, later the same day Smith said that Coates came back by himself to the flat, which was unusual as Coates and Wade always came together. He said that Coates was extremely angry at this point and he said that he was “going to take her thumb”. Coates then apparently proceeded to go up to the attic, where Lynda could be heard to cry out “No Colin!” Coates then reappeared in the living room and indicated that he had Lynda’s thumb in his pocket. After Coates left, Parker went to the attic and saw that Lynda had tape around her hand, but that there was nothing where her thumb was supposed to be.

Cole:

So, did he leave the house with her thumb? Why would he even take that with him?

Dawn:

Well, because he had a plan. While Lynda was being tortured and questioned by the pair of them about her financial dealings, she’d mentioned a man that she was doing business with called John Glen, and that she had given a lot of Coates’ money to him. So, on the same day, the 20th of April, Coates decided to pay John Glen a visit to try and get his money back from him, as he obviously wasn’t getting it back from Lynda, and maybe he felt that taking Lynda’s thumb with him would give him more leverage. And he would be right. As when Coates threatened John and showed him Lynda’s thumb in a plastic bag and demanded he give him his money back that Lynda had given to him, John was frightened enough by this to hand over what money he could to Coates. Now you’d think at this point Coates would be satisfied because he’s got some of his money back and he’s taken out some vengeance on Lynda by the torture that he had carried out, however, Lynda’s nightmare would continue for a further seven days and nights, where she continued to be beaten and subjected to horrific torture daily.

Cole:

I just don’t understand why he would continue to do that when he’s already got what he wanted.

Dawn:

I have no idea. It’s horrific. He’s just evil.

Cole:

He really does sound evil.

Dawn:

So, on the 27th of April, 13 days after Lynda was first abducted, Coates  and Wade told Parker and Smith that they could leave the property. Both Parker and Smith at this time apparently had the feeling that this wouldn’t be good news for Lynda, and still they didn’t go to the police to try to save Lynda’s life. Lynda’s parents had also not informed the police that Lynda was missing at this time, so no one would be coming to save Lynda. Apparently on the 28th of April, Coates dragged Lynda into the bathroom and killed her, before cutting off her head with a hacksaw. He then put her remains in the boot of Lynda’s silver Vauxhall hire car.  On the 29th of April, using mobile phone records of the pair to track their journey, Coates and Wade drove Lynda’s hire car to a friend of Wades’, Lee Winyard’s, caravan in Tighnabruaich in Argyll, which is a two-hour drive away from the flat at Meadowfoot Road, West Kilbride. Wade apparently asked to use Lee’s boat, saying that they had something to get rid of, however, Lee refused their request. It’s not known where Lynda’s car or body were taken. A week after Lynda’s body was removed from the attic, Coates, Wade, Parker and Smith started on a month-long clean-up of the flat, where every square inch was scrubbed with bleach, and all the furniture, including the chair Lynda was tied to, bedding , crockery and carpets, were removed, as well as the floorboards being ripped up and replaced. Apparently the majority of the items removed were burned by Wade.

Cole:

So, it sounds like they did a really good job of cleaning up then, they’re not taking any chances to find any of Lynda’s DNA or of them being found in the flat either.

Dawn:

Yeah. They certainly did do a good clean-up job, however, not quite good enough, and they completely forgot that bought items can be traced too. The first time that Lynda is actually reported missing in any way is on the 13th of May 2011, a full two weeks after Parker and Smith were told to leave the flat where Lynda was being held, when fraud investigators called at Lynda’s parents home asking for her whereabouts, due to Lynda being investigated for defrauding a number of people in Glasgow.

Cole:

Oh yeah, the Chinese community went to the police didn’t they? So, they started an investigation into that. So that was exactly a month later when she was reported missing?

Dawn:

Yeah. it was a bit of a gap between going missing and being reported missing. So, by this time Coates and Wade presumably thought that they had gotten away with what they had done to Lynda, as they had tortured Lynda for two weeks, disposed of her body, and still there was no police involvement or even a report of Lynda being missing. Coates must have thought the threat he had made to Lynda’s parents had resulted in their silence. And this continued even when the police arrived at Lynda’s parents home looking to speak to Lynda on the 13th of May.  Lynda’s parents did tell the police that they hadn’t seen Lynda since the 13th of April, but also that they’d spoken to her by phone on the 20th of April. They also didn’t divulge the fact that Coates had visited them and warned them from contacting the police. Therefore, a more serious missing person inquiry did not begin. It might have been assumed at this time that Lynda had chosen to disappear based on the allegations she was facing rather than anything else . At this point only posters were put up detailing that Lynda had been last seen on the 13th of April 2011 and was believed to be driving a silver Vauxhall car. It wouldn’t be until around three weeks when a full-scale missing person inquiry finally began. This was because Lynda’s mum, Patricia, had received a phone call from Lynda’s mobile phone, but it wasn’t Lynda calling. On the 2nd of June 2011, Lynda’s mobile phone had been found in a bin at a cafe in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, a 20-minute drive north east from where Lynda was being held, and also apparently about a mile away from where Wade lived.  The lady who found the phone called Lynda’s mum saying “I’ve called mum. I’ve found this phone.” The woman immediately took the phone to the local police station. It was following Lynda’s phone being found that Mr and Mrs Spence went immediately to the police station and told them everything they knew regarding Lynda and Coates’ business dealings, including the fact that Coates had visited them and threatened them into not contacting the police about Lynda’s disappearance. Finally on the 14th of June 2011 an appeal was made by Lynda’s mum and dad where Lynda’s mum was incredibly upset and sobbed throughout the appeal. She pleaded for anyone with any information about Lynda’s disappearance to contact the police. The investigation started with the police carrying out an extensive proof-of-life inquiry, which led to no clues about Lynda’s whereabouts. These lack of clues demonstrated to detectives that Lynda’s life had most likely been taken, not a case of choosing not to make contact but not being able to. Now, obviously, police were investigating Coates due to his business dealings with Lynda and also due to the threats he had made to Lynda’s parents about not calling the police, but the police had got nowhere with Coates and found that no one was willing to talk about him, so they hit a brick wall. Until that is they found that an automatic number plate recognition camera had picked up Lynda’s hire car on a section of motorway which runs between Glasgow and Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire on the 20th of April, but even more interesting is that both Coates and Wade’s mobile phones were cell cited in the same area at the same time. Coates had denied that he had seen Lynda since her disappearance. So could it just be a coincidence that Coates, Wade and Lynda’s hire car were in the same vicinity at the same time? Yeah, the police didn’t think so either. But yet again the police came across a brick wall, no one was willing to talk to them. But it was becoming clear to the police that Coates and Wade were somehow involved in Lynda’s disappearance, they just needed a breakthrough, and this came in the form of John Glen on the 16th of August 2011.

Cole:

So, John Glen was the guy that Coates showed Lynda’s thumb to so that he could scare him into giving him more money, is that right?

Dawn:

Yep, that’s the guy. John Glen had been sufficiently scared by the thumb incident that he had also kept his mouth shut about what he knew. Until that is Coates paid him a visit again on the 15th of August 2011, where, before he extorted money from him, he made him strip naked. John was terrified and scared that he would become Coates’ next victim, and so this time he didn’t keep quiet but went straight to the police the next day and told them everything he knew. Armed with this new information, the police bit by bit managed to get other witnesses to come forward and talk to them about what they knew, including Pamela Pearson, a friend of Wade’s, who said that Wade had actually told her that he’d help dispose of a woman’s body, until finally even Smith and Parker admitted to the police their part in the horrific last two weeks of Lynda’s life, including the address where it all took place. On the 28th of October, six months after Lynda was murdered, police broke down the door of Flat 4, 114 Meadowfoot Road, where they were met with a completely refurbished flat and attic space. Forensic teams spent a week examining every inch of the flat and attic space and, despite the clear clean-up job, a tiny blood speck was found on the linoleum next to the bath, which following being swabbed and tested was identified as matching the DNA profile of Lynda. A fingerprint was also found on the bathroom door which was identified as belonging to Coates. So, the police had witnesses coming forward with damning statements, they had Lynda’s DNA in the flat, and now Coates’ fingerprint was placing him in the property.  To add to the evidence mounting against Coates, through some great detective work, CCTV footage was found of Coates buying floorboards, sandpaper, white spirits and nails on the 25th of May 2011, presumably purchased for the clean-up job at the flat. Things were starting to seriously unravel for Wade and Coates, but it only got worse for them on the 31st of October 2011 when Coates, Wade, Smith and Parker were taken into police custody and charged with Lynda’s abduction and murder. The trial of Coates, Wade, Smith and Parker on the charge of abducting, torturing and killing Lynda Spence began on the 16th of January 2013 at the High Court in Glasgow, one year and nine months after Lynda first went missing, with all four men pleading not guilty. The jury consisted of six men and seven women. The jury were firstly made aware of Lynda’s lifestyle and of the many “deals” she had on the go where she would take other people’s money in the pretence of investing it but actually spending it herself. They were told of her financial business and of how she helped those with poor credit gain mortgages fraudulently. They were also told that Lynda had been secured as an informant by the now defunct Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency on the day she was abducted. Now, I’m going to come back to that later in the story. They were also told that Lynda was being investigated by the police in connection with a fraud allegation involving the Chinese community. They were then told of Lynda’s abduction, the horrendous torture she suffered and her subsequent murder, based on witness statements and evidence. They were told DNA evidence had been found in the flat at Meadowfoot Road proving Lynda had been there, along with Coates’ fingerprint. They heard from witnesses, including Wade’s friend, Pamela Pearson, who told of Wade’s confession that he had helped dispose of a woman’s body. As well as evidence from Wade’s friend, Lee Winyard, that the two men had driven to his caravan at Tighnabruaich and had expressed a desire to get rid of something. Lee also testified that he believed the car the two men arrived in was the same car that had been featured in the missing person poster, Lynda’s silver Vauxhall hire car. They also heard from an inmate, Peter Hadley, who had been friends with Coates while he had been in prison for suspicion of murdering Lynda, who advised that Coates told him that he had killed Lynda, that she had tape over her mouth and he’d held her nose until she died, before cutting off her head and burning her remains in a furnace, having to set it to its hottest temperature as there were” still parts of it left”. He told the courts that Coates had told him that there had been other people present when she was killed, but that apparently no one else was directly involved. Although when cross-examined by Derek Ogg QC, Hadley was accused of being a malicious self-serving liar who had simply made up this story in order to secure benefits for himself, such as an early release from prison. The jury were also played a taped police interview with Parker when he was arrested on the 31st of October, in which he denied being involved in Lynda’s murder, but talked about being aware that his golf club had been used to hit Lynda but he wasn’t sure by who only that he had found it twisted to bits. John Glen also gave evidence against Coates from behind a screen, having been forced into a protection program as he was so scared of repercussions. He told the jury that Coates had threatened to kill him and had brandished Lynda’s thumb. John Glen wasn’t the only witness that was scared of repercussions from Coates and Wade if they talked, as both Coates and Wade threatened any potential witnesses. It was suggested at the trial that even the three men that were on trial with Coates were afraid of him. Thankfully, regardless of how scared of Coates and of any repercussions people were, they were willing to come forward as witnesses for the prosecution against the four men on trial because they were disgusted by what they had learned had been done to Lynda.

Cole:

It really sounds like none of the men involved could keep their mouth shut. I can’t decide if they were boasting about what they had done hoping to scare people to be quiet or if they were just stupid.

Dawn:

Yeah, I’m not sure either. Will we go with stupid?

Cole:

I would hazard a guess it’s stupid. 

Dawn:

And then on the 6th of March Parker and Smith were cleared of murder and instead a reduced charge of detaining Lynda against her will, assaulting her and attempting to defeat the ends of justice was accepted by the Crown. The pair had decided to turn on Coates and Wade and give evidence against them to save themselves. Wade and Coates continued to be on trial for the murder of Lynda and continued to deny this charge. Both Paul Smith and David Parker appeared in court on the 15th of March to give evidence against Wade and Coates. The pair both testified that they were asked by Wade and Coates to keep Lynda at the flat in Meadowfoot Road and that Wade and Coates would visit the flat daily to inflict violence on Lynda. Parker actually broke down in tears when he recounted the violence that was inflicted on Lynda, recalling one particular time he heard Lynda crying out “No Colin” just after Coates had told him “I’m taking her thumb.” The pair may have given evidence against Coates and Wade, but they still did nothing to help Lynda in the last weeks of her life. Smith justified this by saying that he was too scared to do anything saying that he quite liked his fingers the way they were. Then it was Wade and Coates’ turn to take the stand. When Wade was questioned by the prosecutor, Leslie Thomson, regarding Smith and Parker’s testimony about Wade’s involvement in Lynda’s kidnapping, torture and death, Wade replied that it was “total fantasy.” He continued to state that he had no idea of Lynda’s whereabouts, but that he hoped she would hand herself in. He also stated that when he saw her last she was alive and “just the usual Lynda.” Wade had been described throughout the trial by witnesses as Coates’ right-hand man in the abduction, torture and killing of Lynda. When it was Coates’ turn to take the stand he had a completely different story to tell about Lynda’s disappearance than anyone else that had testified already. Coates told the court that he was in fact a close friend of Lynda and that he had helped her when she had to get out of Glasgow as she was being threatened by other business associates due to unpaid debts. He went on to say that she had actually arranged to stay at the flat with Smith herself and that it was sort of a safe house for her until she could get further away from the area, and then she simply disappeared one day, taking with her Coates’ laptop and Parker and Smith’s drug stash.  Because, wait for it, that was actually what the attic was being used as, a cannabis factory.

Cole:

Was there any evidence of that when the flat was taken apart?

Dawn:

Eh, no, none that I can find. I think it was just more lies. Coates said that it was actually monstrous lies that had been told about him abducting, torturing and killing Lynda. Coates said that he did think people were scared, not of him though but of the police, and that every witness that had testified was under pressure by them to tell these lies about Coates. Not surprisingly Coates also denied showing John Glen a thumb in April 2011, as well as denying that he kept Lynda on a chair in the attic at the flat at Meadowfoot Road. Coates’ defence QC, which is Queen’s Council, Derek Ogg, tried to back this up by saying that Lynda’s DNA being found in the flat could have a perfectly reasonable explanation, and that Lynda may simply have cut herself. The defence stated that the Crown had not proven that Lynda was even dead. However, Prosecutor, Leslie Thomson, QC, countered this by saying that if Lynda had indeed been laying low in the flat as suggested, her DNA would have been all over the place instead of minuscule drops of blood being all that was found, thus indicating a thorough clean-up job. She went on to state that although no body had been found Lynda’s lack of contact with her parents, who she was in constant contact with normally, could conclude that Lynda was indeed dead. Following the closing statements, the jury finally retired for deliberations on the 2nd of April 2013. It took the jury about 20 hours over five days to come to their verdicts, following the 11-week trial, but on the 8th of April 2013 Wade and Coates were found guilty of abducting, torturing and murdering 27 year old Lynda in April 2011. They found Coates unanimously guilty of murdering Lynda and disposing of her body. Wade too was convicted of both of these charges, but he was cleared of cutting off Lynda’s head. Coates was also found guilty of threatening behaviour towards John Glen and of trying to extort money from him. Before sentencing, Lord Pentland said that it was due to Parker and Smith’s “despicable and cowardly” actions of providing Coates and Wade a place to keep Lynda and by keeping guard on her that ultimately led to what had happened  to her. He went on to say that Coates and Wade had been convicted of “a truly monstrous and barbaric crime”. He described Wade as a “violent, dangerous man with no respect for human life or respect for civilised society”. He went on to give his opinion on Coates saying “from the extensive evidence I am left in no doubt you were the more dominant actor. You were the prime mover behind the abduction, torture and murder of Lynda Spence. I am convinced you have a devious and cruel personality. In my view you are a ruthless and dangerous man.” As the four men’s sentences were heard, they stood with their heads bowed. David Parker, 38, was sentenced to 11 years and three months and Paul Smith, 47, was sentenced to 11 years.  Philip Wade, 42, was sentenced to spend at least 30 years behind bars and Colin Coates, 42, was sentenced to a minimum of 33 years in prison. This was one of the longest jail terms that had ever been handed down in a Scottish Court. There were gasps from the gallery as the men were handed down their lengthy sentences, before being led away. Following the verdict, whilst I’m not saying Lynda’s family felt relief as their beloved daughter was still presumed dead, they certainly must have felt that justice had indeed been served. Lynda’s parents, James and Patricia, did release a statement saying “There is no verdict that will bring our daughter Lynda back or spare her the terrible ordeal that took her life. We will never begin to imagine her suffering or comprehend the cruelty of any person who would do that to another human being. We cannot begin to understand or forgive what they did to our daughter, Lynda. No words can begin to describe the heartache and pain we are suffering. Lynda was a warm, kind and thoughtful daughter and was someone who always had time for others. We miss her so much.” In this statement, Lynda’s parents thanked the lead detective involved in the murder investigation, Alan Buchanan, and his team, the prosecutors who had worked to bring their daughter’s murderer to justice, as well as an organisation called PETAL, standing for People Experiencing Trauma And Loss, who had offered them a great deal of support. The detective who was in charge of the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Alan Buchanan, advised that he was pleased with the guilty verdicts and the sentencing. He hoped that in some way it gave some satisfaction to Lynda’s parents, especially after they had to endure the horrendous details in the court case of what had been done to their daughter. He appealed to the accused to show some common decency and tell Lynda’s family where her body was so they could lay their daughter to rest.  Unfortunately, Coates and Wade have shown that they have no such thing as common decency as they have never told the family where Lynda’s body is. While there was a search carried out in February 2012 in a well at a farm at Law Brae, West Kilbride, and a field has been excavated in the search for Lynda’s body, so far the searches have turned up nothing. Sadly, due to not having Lynda’s body, the exact details of what happened to her and how she died may never be known. All there is to go on is the boasts by her killers and the confessions of their accomplices. Now, I mentioned earlier about the Court being told that Lynda had been recruited as an informant. Well, after the ourt case, senior officers were asked to investigate their dealings with Lynda, as it had emerged in Court that Lynda had actually been recruited as an informer before she had disappeared not the day off as previously thought. Well, apparently, because she was an official informer for the agency before her disappearance, things maybe should have been handled differently. For example, apparently Lynda’s handler at the defunct SCDEA actually got told that Lynda had disappeared within 48 hours of this happening, but her handler didn’t deem it necessary to inform Strathclyde Police of Lynda’s  involvement with them. Sharing this information between agencies could have proven vital, not only because Lynda was an authorised Cohort Human Intelligence Source and her safety and welfare should have been protected under the law, but also because if this information had been relayed to the police 48 hours after Lynda went missing, the police presumably would have started an investigation into her whereabouts a whole lot sooner, but also it might just have given Lynda a fighting chance of being found. In my opinion, agencies need to learn to better communicate and share information so that everybody involved has the big picture instead of small parts of it, because nobody can work effectively this way. So, what happened to Coates and Wade? Well, of course, after the sentencing they both launched an appeal, stating that they were victims of a miscarriage of justice, and also a further appeal against their lengthy sentences. After reviewing their appeals, one of the judges presiding over the case, Lord Gill, said that in his view it was an overwhelming case that the accused murdered Lynda and that in his opinion there was no miscarriage of justice. As for their sentence appeal, Lord Gill said he considered their sentences to be appropriate and he saw no basis to interfere with them. The appeal judges deemed that there was overwhelming evidence that both men were guilty of the crime they were charged with. Coates continues to cause trouble in prison. In January 2019 it was reported that he had been found with a plastic pointed three-inch t-shaped weapon on him made from plastic cutlery from the canteen. As punishment, he had been put in segregation for three weeks and removed from his Open University course he had been on. He was given a four-month sentence to run alongside his life sentence for this crime and was moved to another prison. Also in 2019 it was reported that Wade, who was then 49 and in Kilmarnock prison, had been given a job counselling other convicts. Apparently he got this role after being trained by the Samaritans. Lynda’s family were up in arms about this saying that it was all rubbish, how can he have this role after the horrific crime he committed? And if he was reformed and so caring now, why wouldn’t he tell them where Lynda’s remains were and put them out of their misery? Apparently, other inmates think it’s a joke that after what he did he is in this role. But a Samaritans spokesperson said “the listener scheme is our peer support scheme which aims to reduce suicide in prisons. Volunteers select, train and support prisoners. The listeners then provide face-to-face support to fellow prisoners who are struggling to cope. We have a rigorous selection and application process.”

Cole:

I think I’m with Lynda’s family and friends here, how can this man be the right person for the job?

Dawn:

Yeah, I agree. Now, sadly, in February 2014, Lynda’s mum, Patricia, who was aged 57 at that time, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she was given less than two years to live. At this time, she appealed again to Coates and Wade to finally tell her where her daughter was, but again this fell on deaf ears. Now, Lynda was portrayed in Court as a con artist, known for providing fake bank statements and other documents to aid people with low income or bad credit to appear able to get a mortgage or loan etc, as well as manipulating people into giving her their money for ventures and projects that never were to take place and spending their money like it was her own, however, Lynda was a daughter and loved very much. Her mother, Patricia, stated that Lynda was a loving, caring girl and that she meant everything to her.

Cole:

I think this is a really unfortunate case, and obviously Lynda didn’t deserve what happened to her. I think she made some questionable decisions, but to kidnap and torture someone for two weeks over money, it doesn’t seem… I mean murder never seems justified, but to kidnap and torture someone over money doesn’t seem right at all.

Dawn:

It’s not right Cole. It’s just absolutely horrendous what they did to her, regardless of what she had done.

Cole:

Yeah, it really was horrendous.

Dawn:

Lynda clearly was a swindler and she had made many people victims of her manipulation and they did deserve justice for having their money taken from them, but by means of the proper legal channels. Lynda did not deserve what happened to her. Lynda was a victim too.

And that’s the end. If you’ve enjoyed this episode and know just the person who’d also like it, please share it with them, don’t keep it to yourself.

Cole:

Please also get in touch on social media if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. All social media and contact details are on our website scottishmurders.com, as well as all the source material and photos related to this episode.

Dawn:

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

Dawn and Cole:

Join us there. Bye. 

Granny Robertson:

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn.

Scottish Murders is a production of Cluarantonn

Hosted by Dawn and Cole

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