Families in plea over Peter Tobin’s appeal

THE families of two of serial killer Peter Tobin’s victims were today calling for him to be denied the right to a court appeal.

Peter Tobin, 63, who is serving life for murdering three young women, is challenging his 30-year sentence for killing Falkirk teenager Vicky Hamilton.

Tobin has failed to turn up at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh twice through illness.

Vicky Hamilton’s dad Michael Hamilton said it was “ridiculous” that taxpayers’ money was being spent on the appeal when the killer will spend the rest of his days in jail.

Mr Hamilton has written to Scotland‘s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill who has agreed to meet him and listen to his concerns.

Mr Hamilton and Ian McNicol, whose 18-year-old daughter Dinah was murdered by Peter Tobin, have set up an online petition calling for offenders to be denied an appeal if they have committed two or more murders.

Mr Hamilton said a change in the law could take years “but we had to do something”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The outcome of appeals are matters for the courts to determine rather than politicians.”