Police plea to killers: ‘Tell us where Margaret is’
A senior investigating officer has urged two carers sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering missing woman Margaret Fleming to give grieving family members answers they “deserve”.
Ms Fleming, who had learning difficulties, vanished from “the face of the Earth” in about December 1999. Her body has never been found.
A senior investigating officer has urged two carers sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering missing woman Margaret Fleming to give grieving family members the answers they “deserve”.
Ms Fleming, who had learning difficulties, vanished from “the face of the Earth” around December 1999. Her body has never been found.
Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, were yesterday sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow to a minimum term of 14 years after being found guilty by majority of murdering Ms Fleming following a seven-week trial at the same court.
Jones was also convicted unanimously of fraudulently claiming £182,000 in benefits by pretending Ms Fleming, who would now have been 38, was alive and the couple were both convicted of perverting the course of justice.
Judge Lord Matthews sentenced the couple to life imprisonment, which is mandatory for murder, with both ordered to spend 14 years behind bars before they are able to apply for parole.
Lord Matthews said: “You were convicted after trial of the murder of Margaret Fleming. Precisely how that was accomplished and any other circumstances was not disclosed in evidence and only you two know the truth. Only you two know where her remains are. That remains a source of immense grief as far as her mother is concerned.
“It seems obvious that the motive for the murder and cover up was financial.”
Detective Superintendent Paul Livingstone, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “Margaret was a very vulnerable young woman when she was abused, neglected, manipulated and murdered by these two greedy, evil individuals. Margaret’s family and friends will never know just what happened to her and they have been denied the right to pay their final respects to her at her funeral.
“I would say to Cairney and Jones – if you have a scrap of decency you will give the answers to the questions that Margaret’s family deserve. I am willing to meet either of them, so that they can tell me in order to provide some kind of comfort to her family and allow them to put her to rest finally.”
Jurors found the couple murdered Ms Fleming by unknown means between 18 December 1999 and 5 January 2000 at their home in Inverkip, Inverclyde, or elsewhere in Scotland, and then tried to cover up the crime for almost 18 years. Police launched an investigation after it became apparent in October 2016 Ms Fleming was missing.
Lord Matthews earlier said of those sentenced: “The manner in which you spoke about her was cruel. The fantastic web of deceit that you span was callous and calculating.” Lawyers for Cairney and Jones said both maintain their innocence.
Thomas Ross QC, representing Cairney, said: “Mr Cairney continues to deny any involvement in the crime. He maintains that to his knowledge Margaret is still alive.”
Ian Duguid QC, representing Jones, who is a former legal secretary, said: “She, like Mr Cairney, denies her complicity in any wrongdoing in relation to Miss Fleming.
“She, like Mr Cairney, maintains that the young lady remains alive or at least until 2017 when the last opportunity arose for them to have any contact.”