The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plea for a law change to help solve double murder mystery
Former detective believes World’s End killer could be proved responsible
A former detective believes a law change is the last hope of solving two of Tayside’s most notorious unsolved murders.
Cold case murder expert and ex-police intelligence officer Chris Clark, who served with the police from 1966 to 1994, believes World’s End killer Angus Sinclair was also responsible for the murders of Carol Lannen and Elizabeth McCabe.
However, he says “similar fact evidence” would be the only way to move the two cases forward.
Under existing Scots Law, in all but exceptional cases, the jury is barred from hearing about the accused’s previous convictions, even if they were for a crime committed in almost identical circumstances.
However, a series of high-profile cases – including the trials of Peter Tobin for the murders of two girls found buried in his garden – have ramped up pressure for a review.
The body of 20-year-old Elizabeth was discovered in Templeton Woods on the outskirts of Dundee in 1980 – only 150 yards from where the corpse of Carol, 18, was found almost a year before.
Mr Clark and journalist Tim Tate previously investigated unsolved cases from across the UK for a book about Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe’s “secret murders”.
Lannen and McCabe’s murders were previously included in a secret investigation into possible Ripper attacks – but Mr Clark does not believe Sutcliffe was responsible.
He said both Dundee murders instead bore hallmarks of Sinclair’s previous killings with regards to the circumstances of their deaths, methods used and missing personal items.
Mr Clark said: “I feel the only way for Police Scotland to progress the two cases is for the law of similar fact evidence to be voted in by the Scottish Parliament.
“Scotland is the only country in the UK which does not have this very valuable law.”
Mr Clark also believes the Scots murders of Frances Barker, Anna Kenny, Hilda McCauley and Agnes Cooney all have the same “modus operandi” employed by Sinclair.
He said: “Just as the law changed on double jeopardy and convicted Angus Sinclair, I believe similar fact evidence would be extremely useful for the circumstantial evidence and virtually unique Sinclair crimes.”
Sinclair raped and strangled 17-yearolds Helen Scott and Christine Eadie after a night out at the World’s End pub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in October 1977.
Police Scotland said the murders initially formed part of the Operation Trinity investigations that led ultimately to the conviction of Sinclair for the World’s End murders.
In both cases it said “all investigative opportunities were explored”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Before any further major change is made to our approach on how criminal cases are conducted, we need to understand better how juries perceive information.
“The Cabinet secretary recently announced a study into jury research.
“This team will consider jury size, decision making processes, majorities needed and the three verdict system, and will gather evidence to inform future reform of the criminal justice system in Scotland.”