24-page Alan Titchmarsh Gardening mag
A PROBE into how a social work department handled murder victim Margaret Fleming’s case has been relaunched.
She was reported missing in October 2016 – 17 years after vanishing as a 19-year-old in 1999, and has never been seen since.
Authorities have restarted the probe after it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her disappearance only came to light when one of her supposed carers, 61-year-old Avril Jones, applied for Personal Independence Payments on her behalf.
Jones and Margaret’s other registered carer, Edward Cairney, 79, of Inverkip, Renfrewshire, were arrested over her murder in 2017.
The pair, who pocketed more than £182,000 in benefits meant for her, were convicted of her murder in July 2019 and jailed for life.
They have refused to reveal what they did with Margaret’s body.
Last January, Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (IHSCP) confirmed that Professor Jean MacLellan, the director of Autism Network Scotland, was leading a significant case review into possible failings in the case. In February 2020,
BY RORY CASSIDY the first meeting in the probe into Margaret’s case took place.
But in April it was announced the inquiry had been put on hold because it was “unable to undertake effective investigation because of the Covid-19 emergency”.
This week, the council confirmed the probe had restarted.
An IHSCP spokesman said: “The significant case review process has started and, currently, Professor MacLellan is planning on ensuring she has access to all of the records needed and planning direct engagement with individuals and the wider community.”
Announcing the review last year, an IHSCP spokeswoman said: “A key area for the significant case review team will be to uncover any lessons that are to be learnt from the extensive cover-up carried out by Edward Cairney and Avril Jones to hide their appalling treatment of Margaret while she was in their care, and the murder that they subsequently committed.”
Jurors ruled Cairney and Jones murdered Margaret some time between December 1999 and January 2000.