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scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

ANGUS SINCLAIR'S AMAZING JAIL CONFESSION

By David Leslie, 22/11/2008
EVIL Angus Sinclair was on the verge of pleading GUILTY to the World’s End murders, the News of the World can sensationally reveal.

Scotland’s most twisted sex killer was told that forensic cops had found his DNA on the tights of teenage victims Christine Eadie and Helen Scott.

And the fiend admitted that the bombshell evidence was enough to nail him for the grisly double killing — and confessed to jail pals he was ready to give up.

Sinclair told them: “The police have me. There’s just no way out.

“I wanted to fight this all the way but this looks like the end.

“One of my legal team has told me, ‘You’ll have to come up with a very good reason as to how the DNA — which is your DNA — got there’.

“I know I can’t...so I might as well plead guilty.”

Christine and Helen, both 17, had vanished after chatting to two men in the World’s End pub, Edinburgh, in October 1977.

They were tied up, raped and strangled and their bodies dumped eight miles apart in East Lothian.

Sinclair, 63, was preparing to face trial for their murder in 2006 when he was told police had recovered his DNA from the victims’ hosiery, which had been used to bind them.

The cocky killer had always been confident that fading memories and lack of evidence would help him beat the allegation.

So the colour drained from his face as his lawyers outlined the cold evidence against him.

Sinclair was depressed and sullen when he returned to his job working as a kitchen storeman in Peterhead nick, Aberdeenshire.

Sinclair told a close associate: “The police brought in an expert to unravel the knots used to tie the girls. According to the Crown forensic scientists, they found DNA inside the knots.

“They say it’s mine. And they’re claiming the only way it could have got there was being passed from the person who tied them.

“My lawyers say that unless we can get some expert to throw doubt on what the Crown specialists have come up with, I have no chance of being cleared.

“We’ve even been trying to find somebody in America who can beat this but there’s no luck there. I might as well chuck the towel in.”

But when Sinclair went on trial months later he changed his mind and pled not guilty — and amazingly the case against him COLLAPSED.

It was an unbelievable escape — and today one former pal in Peterhead reveals how TERRIFIED Sinclair had been about the case...and a string of OTHER murders he was linked to across Scotland.

In 2003, the News of the World revealed an FBI computer analysis of more than 2,000 killings in Scotland indicated similarities in SEVEN cases — including World’s End.

One was the slaying of Mary Gallacher, 17, raped and strangled in Glasgow, in 1979.

Sinclair — who’d already done six years for murdering seven-year-old Catherine Reehill, below, in Glasgow in 1961 — had been jailed for life for the killing in 2000 after being damned by DNA evidence.

Other murder matches thrown up by the computer were Frances Barker, 37, Anna Kenny, 20, Hilda McAulay, 36 and Agnes Cooney, 23 — all from Glasgow and all in 1977.

After studying the list, Lothian & Borders, Strathclyde and Tayside police forces pooled resources to set up Operation Trinity to probe the tragedies, plus the unsolved murders of two Dundee women.

Prostitute Carol Lannen, 18, was strangled and dumped in woods outside the city in 1979. The following year, nursery nurse Elizabeth McCabe, 20, was also strangled and left in woods.

In all the cases, the victims’ handbags were stolen.

As cops visited Sinclair behind bars to quiz him about the crimes, our Peterhead insider revealed: “He seemed worried — particularly about the Carol Lannen case. He said, ‘I hope they don’t link her with me. I was working as a painter and decorator around the time she was killed and when her purse was found in Kintore, I was doing a job in a motel in Aberdeen’.

“He went on, ‘The police issued a photofit of the suspect and it looked like me. But I couldn’t have done the two of them’. That was an odd remark. It was natural to assume that he meant he COULD have done ONE in Dundee — but nobody had even asked him about that.”

Sinclair — also suspected of being involved in the disappearance of Patricia Black, 22, and three-year-old Sandy Davidson in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 1976 — was rattled.

Our insider revealed: “He was concerned when they asked him about all the murders in the late ’70s.

“Sinclair told us, ‘I know Ayrshire well. When I was a youngster I used to spend a lot of time cycling around there. I know the area really well’. He also told us that, in about 1979, he had a red Mini that for some reason he decided to get rid of.

“It was driven into a quarry in Lanarkshire and with the help of a pal — probably his brother-in-law Gordon Hamilton — buried under silt but uncovered by cops in 2004.

“That worried Sinclair. He said ‘They’ve asked me about a kid’s cagoule they found in the car. I told them only I would know about that and that was as much as I said.

“‘I’m sure they’ve found something that could incriminate me with the murders but don’t know what it could be.

“‘But I reckon it’s only a matter of time before they charge me. If they do then I’ll just blame Hamilton.”

Our insider added: “The police also added in the case of photographer Eddie Cotogno, who was found dead in Dumbarton in 1979.

“Sinclair told us they’d taken porn snaps together before having a big fall-out. When he talked about Cotogno, Sinclair would show he was still very angry — livid even.”

Sinclair was quizzed about Cotogno’s murder but never charged.

The Trinity team also decided he was NOT a suspect in the Dundee cases — and had little evidence on the OTHER five sex slayings.

Our Peterhead source said: “Sinclair was surprised when police quickly dismissed him as a suspect for the killing of Carol Lannen, below.

“But his lack of reaction to being linked to the other killings spoke volumes. If he was innocent he would have been shouting it from the rooftops.

“This was an individual who thought he hadn’t just got away with murder, but with mass murder.

“He was as guilty as hell and taking the attitude of, ‘Well, if you think I am, go ahead and prove it’.”

Cops continued to concentrate their efforts on World’s End — and after the forensics breakthrough, charged Sinclair in 2006.

Our insider revealed how Sinclair changed when the news about the DNA discovery was broken.

He added: “He was sullen, withdrawn and depressed.

“That lasted for a few weeks until he announced one day, ‘You can throw doubt on anything, even DNA. I’m going to fight and plead not guilty. What have I got to lose?’

“Frankly, nobody was surprised and nobody argued with him.

“Anybody who did would have got a smack about the head.”

On August 28 last year, Sinclair finally appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh to face the World’s End murder charges.

It was one of the biggest murder trials ever to be called in a Scots court, with coverage making headlines around the world.

The charges alleged Sinclair and Hamilton — who had died of a heart attack in 1996 aged 41 — lured or forced Christine and Helen into a vehicle, drove them away, attacked, raped and strangled them.

In both cases their hands had been tied behind their backs, ligatures tied round their necks and their knickers stuffed in their mouths.

However, the trial came to a sensational halt when judge Lord Clarke ruled there was no case to answer after vital DNA evidence was not put forward.

Prosecuting Advocate Depute Alan Mackay did not go to court to hear the collapse of his case — and there was stinging criticism of the Crown in the Scots Parly over the presentation of the prosecution.

Sinclair — who’s also been quizzed over the 1970 murder of Helen Kane, 25, in Edinburgh — returned to his cell in C-Hall and his storeroom job.

According to our source, he was grinning and amazed he’d not been fingered for the OTHER murders.

Our man said: “He was back to his old self and boasting, ‘The cops will never know how close they came’.”

W.Roughead · Joined: 25 Oct 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Scotland.

Well, I think we have always known this. I recall my great surprise at the outcome of his recent trial.

It must have been hugely frustrating for the police. In 2025 when he is eligible for release, he will still be capable of rape and murder. He should be there for the remainder of his natural life, since we no longer have the death penalty.

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/...8&siteid=64736-name_page.html
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“Send not to know for whom the bell tolls – it tolls for thee.” John Donne.

PeterCherbi · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 167 Location: Edinburgh

Interesting report from the notw, scotkaz .... .

What stands out for me is the same blame dodging game which has been played so successfully for years by politicians and the Crown Office when caught in such situations, noting the 'inquiry' over the trial's collapse cleared the Crown from any blame as usual.

... and not even a word of responsibility from the Justice Secretary, even when the Prosecuting Advocate Depute apparently absconded from court before the case was thrown out. It seems no matter how bad we think our Justice system can get, it manages to sink even lower, along with some of the personalities within it, as I note from the Sunday papers ...
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My blog on issues of injustice in Scotland A Diary of Injustice in Scotland by Peter Cherbi

Injustice Scotland Campaign website : Injustice Scotland

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

I am ever so sorry folks but I cannot agree on this issue of "Jailhouse Confessions" As much as I think Sinclair is an animal I do not buy these confessions stuff and the system have abused this for years.

The most noteable case was the Paul Ferris one with the shady character "Woodman" which severely backfired on them then.

I am just wondering what rewards this character must have got for this release of info which is entirely "Uncorroborated" and at best "Hearsay"

The sooner people realise these tactics from the Crown Prosecution Services the better form of justice we will get.

At best these stories are fanciful and sell papers but how much is true ?

Angeline · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 148

I agree - you can't trust the papers as far as you can spit when it comes to this stuff. I've lost count of the number of people who have been convicted on the strength of apparent "confessions" in jail, to other inmates who stand to gain a great deal from "repeating" those confessions. I'm not saying Sinclair is innocent, I'm saying we're supposed to prove people guilty, with proper evidence, and this ain't it.
Perhaps one of the most interesting "confession" stories is that of Gordon Park (The Lady in the Lake case.) Gordon apparently confessed to killing his wife three different ways, and all three were led as evidence. In one confession, it's claimed he told another inmate he "went upstairs" and found his wife in bed with another man. Amazing - they lived in a bungalow!
Sadly, Gordon is still in prison, and still fighting to clear his name, along with so many others.
Stories like these may sell papers, but they do absolutely nothing to improve our justice system.
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W.Roughead · Joined: 25 Oct 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Scotland.

Big Wullie
Like everyone else, I tend to take what I read in newspapers with a bucket full of salt. I always have. I also realize that some members of our communities rely heavily on the gospel according to the media.

I feel the same about so-called confessions behind bars, and the possible motives behind them. I agree with what you say here so far as it goes.

However, does it follow that all behind bars confessions are false? I am generalizing of course, but I suspect that some are not false. You mentioned Paul Ferris, which ironically was one of the most successful defence cases ever handled by Donald Findlay QC.

You are probably aware of this too Willie, but I shall mention it here for the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know the system. The reason Donald Findlay QC gets many clients is that solicitors keep instructing him to represent their clients. Unless there is a clear conflict of interest, Findlay {or any other QC} cannot decline, and his reputation ensures he is always busy. He has represented more people charged with murder than any lawyer who has ever lived. I am, of course, talking about the Scottish system.

Angeline.
There was a supposed jail confession in this case too, as you may know. You make a comment about Park having lived in a bungalow, but this alone did not mean he did not go upstairs. It is not the first time that I have been inside a bungalow having a staircase inside leading to an upper floor or landing, so I don't think that argument holds, unless you know with certainty that his bungalow was a single storey one, in which case I stand corrected.

I used to live in a bungalow, which essentially looked like the single storey bungalows we have all come to recognize, but I had a bedroom upstairs. I am not talking about a dorma or skylight addition to the loft area. It was a bungalow and was sold as such, so I thought I would just mention this fact.

It would appear from the court case that all of the evidence was purely circumstantial, but when it was all taken together pointed to his guilt. I freely admit it is not a case I have a great depth of knowledge about, which presumably you do.

I know there was a website set up by friends of his and his deceased wife.
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“Send not to know for whom the bell tolls – it tolls for thee.” John Donne.

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

W.Roughead.

I would agree that all Jailhouse Confessions where the author has ulterior motives (Which They All Have) should be discarded and inadmissible.

We have people chasing parole and even people wanting other charges dropped and they will stop at nothing in their pursuit.

After all how can you put forward a prisoner as credible and reliable and ask a jury to take their word in this day and age.

We only need look at the Campbell and Steele cases for proof where William McDonald Love had serious firearms charges dropped for his false confession of overhearing them talk about murder, and we all know the conclusion of this case.

Angeline · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 148

Hi, WR, I should have made that clearer - Bluestones was a single storey bungalow, no attic rooms.
Most of the other evidence did not, in fact, point to Gordon Park, and, as is often the case, there was another credible suspect who was not followed up.
The "cell confessions" came from two guys who had seen a tv documentary advertising a reward - they'd never come forward before.
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As long as one heart still holds on, then hope will never really be gone

W.Roughead · Joined: 25 Oct 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Scotland.

The Ice Cream Wars and the brutal murder of the Doyle family, what a terrible night that was. I think most of us can remember it well.

I remember Steele using super glue to glue himself to the railings at Buckingham Palace. They always protested their innocence. Later Campbell collaborated on a book with Reg McKay. If I recall correctly the key evidence against the men came from the mouth of William Love, himself facing ten years for armed robbery. He was well known to the police.

As Campbell stated in the book, it was harder to escape a "fit up" than to escape a crime you actually did commit.

Angeline

Just edited this reply to include yours. Thank you for the information, and point taken.

This was why I mentioned the bungalow, as it is not a case I know intimately well.
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“Send not to know for whom the bell tolls – it tolls for thee.” John Donne.

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

Ain't it just funny the way the system would not allow "Love" to retract his statement years later when he had an attack on his conscience.

Even after knowing he had had firearms charges dropped the Appeal Court system refused to accept his change of conscience even when backed up by his Sister.

So even when people admit to telling lies, our Courts cannot and will not accept this as credible, Why ?

Because it points to their Incompetence and unwillingness to see the truth and seek justice.

All they have ever cared about is their conviction rates.

I can remember a Lawyer telling me years ago : Just plead Guilty to all these 20 charges because it will not make any difference to your sentence.

Despite only having committed four or five of the charges, I pled Guilty because it was a summary charge sheet and 6 Months was the maximum sentence.

The Lawyer had obviously known that this would follow me the rest of my life, yet he did not care, All he wanted was an easy day at the office, at all costs.

Wonder how many other young rookies he abused in this manner to help the police clear their books in this fashion ?

So even away back over 20 years ago the Lawyers were clearly helping the Police, Nothing much has changed now apart from the size of sentences and severity of the charges.

Time our courts where in touch with reality.

And time us people started to demand more from our Lawyers and do not accept everything they say as gospel.

Because of all the fit-ups people like Mrs Doyle and the Ross Family and Others will never see Justice done and we should spare a thought for these poor people who are also victims.