TOP Detective Describes ‘Horrific’ Treatment Endured By Murder Victim Margaret FlemingTHE most senior detective in the Margaret Fleming murder inquiry said today that his officers wanted to be “the advocate she never had”.
Detective Superintendent Paul Livingstone, senior investigating officer, was commenting following the conviction of Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, of Inverkip, pictured below, who killed Margaret Fleming, pictured right, in December 1999 or January 2000.
A police missing person inquiry was started in late 2016 and a massive investigation led to the arrest of Cairney and Jones, who had been Margaret’s carers. Her body was never found.
Detective Superintendent Livingstone said: “Margaret was a very vulnerable young woman who was manipulated, abused, neglected and ultimately murdered by the two people who should have been looking after her. It is clear that one of Cairney and Jones’ motivation was money.
“As part of their scheming ways they also managed to manipulate Margaret’s mother, Margaret Cruikshanks, before Cairney assaulted her.
“For many years, Cairney and Jones kept up the pretence that Margaret was still alive, going as far as to write letters claiming to be from her.
“She was subjected to daily punishment which included being tied up, having her hair cut short and deprived of food. The treatment which she was subjected to can only be described as horrific and the conditions in which she lived in were utterly disgusting and uninhabitable. For Cairney and Jones to continue the charade that she was still alive for all these years is abhorrent, with one of their reasons for doing so being for financial gain.”
The interior of the Inverkip property, Seacroft
He added: “We will never know just how Margaret was killed. What we do know is that she lived her last days in what can only be described as a living hell. She must have felt that she was alone in the world with no one coming to help her which is just heartbreaking to think of. All of the detectives who worked on this complex enquiry were resolute in their aim to secure justice for Margaret. They wanted to be the advocate she never had.
“Margaret was just a young woman when she was murdered. Who knows what she could have gone on to achieve in her life if it hadn’t been ended so prematurely at the evil and greedy hands of Cairney and Jones.”
Margaret Fleming at Inverkip with Jones and Cairney
