A brand new investigation into the Bible John murders has revealed that detectives have been prejudiced in the direction of the three girls that have been killed.
Investigative journalist Audrey Gillan has uncovered authentic police stories that described the victims as sexually promiscuous and heavy drinkers whose behaviour may very well be accountable for his or her deaths.
Patricia Docker, 25, Jemima McDonald, 32, and Helen Puttock, 29, have been all murdered between 1968 and 1969 following evening outs on the Barrowland Ballroom within the Glasgow’s Gallowgate.
All three moms had been discovered close to their houses after being strangled and sexually assaulted.
Patricia, the primary sufferer is described within the typewritten notes as: “The deceased seems to benefit from the firm of males and like the eye of males. She was an solely youngster and apparently quite spoiled.”
“She seems on events to have had dates and dance corridor escorts.” The papers additionally describe affairs that Patricia had with males whereas dwelling in Cyprus together with her RAF husband Alec Docker.
And so they disclose that she had a daughter to an American serviceman in Edinburgh within the Sixties. A report on the second sufferer Jemima McDonald reads: “She seemed to be extraordinarily keen on male firm and extremely promiscuous.
“She was in receipt of public funds plus upkeep from the fathers of her kids.”
Whereas a file on Helen Puttock, the third lady whose dying prompted Scotland’s largest hunt for a doable serial killer acknowledged: ”Mrs Puttock was mentioned to be keen on a great time. She may eat a great quantity of liquor with out have an effect on on her.”
It additionally refers to the truth that Helen would go consuming together with her sisters earlier than heading to the Barrowland including: “All three sisters are promiscuous and well-known to quite a few males who frequent the ballroom.”
Audrey mentioned: “I can see no empathy anyplace. There may be nevertheless the sense that their behaviours might very nicely have led to their deaths.
“These victims are being judged and blamed for what occurred to them even. The stories additionally reveals the attitudes of the detectives who wrote them. Prejudices that will have blinded them of their investigations.
“It's time that prejudice was uncovered.”
Patricia labored as a nurse at Mearnskirk Hospital in Newton Mearns. She lived together with her dad and mom and younger son Alex in Langside Place, Glasgow, having break up from her husband in 1967.
On February 22 1968, Patricia went to the Barrowland within the metropolis’s Gallowgate. Her bare physique was discovered the next morning in Carmichael Lane, only a few hundred yards from Langside Place.
Eighteen months later Jemima McDonald’s physique was discovered close to her residence in a tenement shut in MacKeith Road, Bridgeton within the east finish of Glasgow. She was final seen alive on the Barrowland Ballroom the place she had spent the evening dancing.
On October 31, 1969 got here the invention of Helen Puttock within the again gardens of her tenement residence in Earl Road, Scotstoun. She had additionally been had been on the Barrowland Ballroom that evening and left with a thriller man.
However crucially Helen’s sister Jean Langford had shared a taxi residence together with her sibling and her admirer. Langford informed Detective Superintendant Joe Beattie’s homicide squad workforce that her sister’s companion had mentioned that he didn’t drink and repeatedly quoted from the Outdated Testomony.
Newspapers then coined the time period Bible John from her description. However the case floor to a halt after a couple of 12 months and officers have been transferred to different duties.
In 1996, Audrey was working as a reporter when she revealed that police have been a brand new suspect. The physique of former soldier John McInnes was later exhumed from Stonehouse Cemetery after a DNA evaluation of Helen’s clothes. However checks finished of McInnes did not match semen discovered on Helen’s tights.
Her new BBC podcast Bible John: Creation of a Serial Killer she places the lifeless lady’s tales first and concludes that the police’s misogynistic attitudes might have hampered the hunt for the killer or killers.
Greatest promoting creator Andrew O’Hagan mentioned: “These Glaswegian girls have been routinely described as promiscuous as heavy consuming. It was virtually as in the event that they shouldn’t have been in a dance corridor.”
Patricia Docker’s son Alex, who now lives in England, additionally reveals he has little reminiscence of his mom or his time dwelling in Glasgow as a four-year-old. He mentioned: “The few images of Pat I've solely elicit a weak sense of recognition if any in any respect.
“I do bear in mind tub time. It was at all times within the kitchen sink. I should have loved these occasions as I've a transparent reminiscence of it.
“I can virtually, however not fairly, bear in mind my mom’s laughing face.”
The Bible John inquiry stays Scotland’s largest manhunt.
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