Tobin sentenced to spend the rest of his life in jail

Published on Wednesday 16 December 2009 08:49

THE Father of murdered schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton has said he hopes Peter Tobin "lives to be 100" after the serial killer was ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars following his conviction for the murder of teenager Dinah McNicol 18 years ago.

Tobin, 63, from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, was found guilty of killing the 18-year-old sixth former after a three-day trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. The jury had deliberated for just 15 minutes.

Miss McNicol was the second young woman Tobin murdered in 1991 – 18 months after the break-up of his marriage.

She vanished in August 1991 while hitchhiking to her home in Tillingham, Essex, after leaving a music festival in Liphook, Hampshire.

Six months earlier, Tobin had killed 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton of Redding, Stirlingshire.

But he was not caught until 2006, when he was arrested for killing Polish student Angelika Kluk, whose remains were hidden in a church in Glasgow where the handyman had worked.

Following his conviction in 2008 for the murder of Vicky, a judge ruled Tobin must serve 30 years before being considered for parole.

But after today's guilty verdict, Judge Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said: "The mandatory life sentence in this case has to be accompanied by a whole life order."

The judge told Tobin: "On all three occasions the evidence against you was overwhelming, yet you refused to come to terms with your guilt."

Tobin showed no emotion as the jury of nine men and three women returned its unanimous verdict.

Ian McNicol, Miss McNicol's father, was in court to hear the verdict.

He also showed no emotion.

Vicky's father, Michael, joined Mr McNicol in the public gallery.

Before entering court to hear the verdict, Mr Hamilton said: "He (Tobin) deserves everything he gets."

Afterwards he told reporters: "It's brilliant. The one good thing is he's not going to be out on the streets any more. I wanted to come down here today to give my support to Ian and that's what I've done."

He added: "I'm glad he's going to be in prison for the rest of his life. I hope he lives to be 100."

After Tobin was found guilty of murdering Miss Kluk, police dug up the back garden at one of his former homes in Margate, Kent.

There they discovered Vicky's body. Then Dinah's remains were found buried nearby four days later.

Both young women had been drugged. Forensic tests showed Vicky had been sexually assaulted and Dinah strangled with a ligature.

Inquiries also revealed Tobin had plundered more than 2,000 from Miss McNicol's building society account.

Tobin, who denied murder, is serving life sentences for the murders of Vicky and Miss Kluk, a 23-year-old Polish student on holiday in the UK.

The Chelmsford jury was not told about Miss Kluk's murder.

Detectives had launched new investigations into the disappearances of Vicky and Miss McNicol after Miss Kluk's murder.

They noted that in 1991 Tobin had been living near the spot where Vicky vanished. They also discovered that Tobin often travelled through Hampshire.

Tobin was already a convicted rapist when he murdered Miss Kluk.

In 1993, he had raped a 14-year-old girl – and indecently assaulted another 14-year-old girl – at his then home in Havant, Hampshire, and was given a 14-year jail term at Winchester Crown Court in 1994.

Vicky disappeared from a bus stop in Bathgate near Edinburgh – where Tobin was living at the time. Witnesses said a girl matching her description was seen climbing into a car.

Miss McNicol and a friend had accepted a lift from a man after leaving the music festival. The friend had been dropped off near Redhill, Surrey, and left Miss McNicol alone with the male driver.

Tobin moved from Bathgate to Margate in March 1991 – weeks after Vicky disappeared.

Detectives said he cut the youngster's body in two, wrapped it in bin liners, and carried it from Scotland to Kent for burial.

A family who moved into the Bathgate house after Tobin noticed a "pungent" smell which would not go away, jurors heard.