Two paedophiles found guilty of murdering a woman who threatened to report them for abusing a young boy have failed in the latest stage of their bid to have their convictions overturned on appeal.
Charles O’Neill and William Lauchlan were jailed for life at the High Court in Glasgow three years ago.
O’Neill, 50, was locked up for at least 30 years while Lauchlan, 36, was ordered to serve a minimum of 26 years for murdering Allison McGarrigle and dumping her body at sea in 1997.
They took their fight against the convictions to the UK Supreme Court in London, where they argued points over their right to a fair trial under human rights laws.
Their claim that there was an undue delay in prosecuting the case and allegation of bias by the trial judge were rejected by the UK’s highest court.
The appeal will now be sent back to the High Court in Scotland for final consideration, in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The pair were convicted of strangling mother-of-three Mrs McGarrigle, 39, at Waterside Street in Largs, Ayrshire, on June 21, 1997, before disposing of her body.
At the end of their trial, it was disclosed that the serial sex offenders had been convicted weeks earlier at the same court of sexually abusing boys aged six and 14.
The pair launched appeals against the murder convictions at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh. Judges in Scotland rejected certain grounds but allowed the pair to take part of their case to the Supreme Court for a ruling.
Supreme Court Deputy President Lord Hope, sitting with Lords Kerr, Wilson, Hughes and Toulson, rejected both appeal points.
On the issue of an alleged delay, the judge said police were only in a position to charge the pair in April 2005.
“I would, therefore, hold that the date when the reasonable time began was April 5 2005 and not September 17 1998 when the appellants were detained and interviewed,” wrote Lord Hope.
On the trial judge’s comments, he said: “I cannot find any basis for the suggestion that the judge was apparently biased and I would reject it.