29-05-2025
'Limbs in the loch' killer makes new freedom bid 25 years after he raped and killed teenage boy before cutting up his body
The 'Limbs in the loch' killer who raped a teenage boy before slicing him up has made another bid from freedom 25 years on.
William Beggs, 62, was convicted of luring Barry Wallace back to his Kilmarnock home in 1999 where he then killed him, dismembered his corpse and dumped his remains in Loch Lomond.
Mr Wallace's head was later found washed up on Barassie beach. Beggs was jailed for life in 2001 and told he would have to serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars before being considered for parole.
This was after he was found guilty of stabbing Gary Oldham, 28, to death in Yorkshire in 1987 and leaving his mutilated body on the moors. Though, his conviction was overturned on a technicality 18 months into his life sentence and he was freed.
His lawyers now claim the Parole Board's decision not to release Beggs in February 2024 was incorrect and have asked judge Lady Drummond to quash the decision.
They have also requested the board convene a tribunal of new members to reconsider Northern Ireland-born Beggs' latest bid for freedom.
Mark Lindsay KC told Ms Drummond that Parole Board officials had acted lawfully by refusing Beggs' parole.
He said: 'There's no merit in the grounds of appeal advanced on behalf of the petitioner. I invite your lady to dismiss the petition.'
Police divers found the severed limbs of the teenage supermarket worker in Loch Lomond a few days after he disappeared on December 5 1999
Beggs observed some of the proceedings from prison via a webcasting app.
His lawyers claim Parole Board officials considered his conviction for murdering student Gary Oldham in 1987 as part of his hearing. However, Beggs had successfully appealed that conviction.
On Monday, Mr Lindsay said the Parole Board had simply considered evidence which related to the level of risk posed by Beggs to the public.
He added: 'They looked at the lack of insight and they looked at the lack of insight focused work on the part of the petitioner.
'They were entitled to conclude that the level of risk posed by the petitioner cannot be, at this time, managed within the community.'
Beggs will have another chance to secure parole later this year.
Having moved to Scotland after his conviction for murdering Gary Oldham was overturned, Beggs – who was working in a call centre in Edinburgh – lured 18-year-old Barry Wallace from Kilmarnock to his home.
The teen had been leaving a Christmas party before Beggs raped and murdered him. He used a saw and kitchen knife to hack his body into eight pieces.
North Yorkshire Police recently attempted to find fresh evidence that might link Beggs to the murder of Mr Oldham, with a view to possibly bringing the case back to court.
Police Scotland handed over a blood-stained razor they found in Beggs' home – anticipating that DNA tests would link it to the Yorkshire case.
However the blood was not a match for Beggs, Mr Wallace or Mr Oldham. A source at North Yorkshire Police said: 'The murder of Barry Oldham is unusual in that Beggs was convicted and there seemed no doubt about his guilt.
'Even with the changes to the double-jeopardy law now well-established, it would take significant fresh evidence to give us any chance of charging Beggs afresh.
'We hoped the blood on the razor might provide that calibre of evidence and we were happy to assist Police Scotland in that enquiry.
'Mr Oldham's dad, Albert, was still alive at that time and we were able to obtain his DNA for comparison, but there was no match.
'This suggests there might be another victim of a bloody assault by Beggs out there. If there's little hope of justice for Barry Oldham, perhaps the razor offers hope for another.'
The hearing continues.
