Limbs in loch killer loses bid for appeal at Supreme Court

THE limbs-in-the-loch killer, William Beggs, was refused another chance to appeal yesterday, as the Legal Aid bill for his constant court actions nears an estimated £1 million.

Beggs has launched several attempts over the last ten years to first avoid a trial, and then to challenge his conviction for murdering a teenager and dismembering the body.

In March, appeal judges in Scotland dismissed claims by Beggs that he had suffered a miscarriage of justice, and confirmed the life sentence and minimum 20 years' imprisonment he received for the killing of Barry Wallace in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, in 1999.

Beggs tried to win leave to go to the UK Supreme Court in London yesterday, but the judges in Edinburgh refused, saying the case threw up no point of general importance which needed further consideration.

The end of the road may not have been reached, however. It is still open to Beggs to seek to apply directly to the Supreme Court for a hearing.

"He has never been slow to go to court in the past, and you can't imagine he will stop now if there is still another opportunity," said a source.

"The cost to the public purse of all the hearings in his case must already be about 1 million."

The murder of Wallace, 18, is one of Scotland's most notorious recent crimes. His body parts were scattered around the country.