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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Norman Silvester & Jacob Farr

Peter Tobin's body cremated by Edinburgh Council and dumped at sea

It has been revealed that evil serial killer Peter Tobin’s remains were covertly cremated and his ashes dumped at sea in secret.

Edinburgh City Council are understood to have arranged the cremation of the infamous murderer on Thursday, October 13 and that no service was held. Tobin died last Saturday, October 8, whilst chained to his hospital bed.

The local authority was forced to make arrangements for the funeral after none of Tobin’s remaining family members declared an interest in claiming his body, the Sunday Mail revealed. A source said: “After he died, this was dealt with quickly. Like serial killers Robert Black and Angus Sinclair, it was considered best that his remains were scattered in the sea.”

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Tobin, who was found to have committed three murders and is believed to have carried out many more, was taken to hospital after breaking a hip following a fall at the HMP Edinburgh in late August.

Officers cordoned off his cell in the aftermath of his death in order for a thorough search to take place. Detectives were hopeful that through examining any remaining personal items, such as letters and papers, that they may be able to find new information or evidence that would connect him to other crimes.

It is believed that there are also remaining questions over how Tobin passed away. The death certificate, that was registered on the same day he was cremated, say that the cause of death is unascertained (pending investigations).

Those in the know have alleged that the serial killer was suffering from terminal cancer. Tests were said to have been carried out on his corpse before he was cremated to establish the exact cause of death but the results are still not known.

His death certificate named Tobin’s three ex wives Margaret Mountney, Sylvia Jefferies and Cathy Wilson and his parents Daniel and Margaret Tobin. His address was listed as 33 Stenhouse Road, the address of the prison in Edinburgh, and the Renfrewshire man was described as divorced and holding no job.

The responsibility for officially registering the death lay with a detective sergeant at Gayfield Police Office. Tobin’s time of death was declared to be at 05:33am on October 8.

The exact location of the cremation has not been revealed but some suspect that it may have taken place at the capital’s crematorium at Mortonhall. Last month The Sunday Mail revealed a picture of Tobin on his deathbed in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

At this time he was said to have been refusing food and medication. He was visited by Detectives on his deathbed to try to get the killer to reveal any information regarding other crimes but they had little success.

Edinburgh city council confirmed the cremation had taken place. A spokesperson said: “The remains of Peter Tobin were cremated in accordance with the requirements of Section 87 of the Burials and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.

“Ashes from the cremation were dispersed into the sea. The Council’s thoughts are with the victims of his crimes and their loved ones.”

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) yesterday declined to comment on the cremation of Tobin. Tobin was serving three life sentences including that of the rape and murder of Polish student Angelika Kluk, 23, whose body he hid under the floor of a Glasgow church in 2006.

The following year he was charged with the murder of 15-year old Bathgate schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton. She had last been seen waiting at a bus stop in Redding, Falkirk, in 1991.

Her remains were unearthed by police officers who searched Tobin’s former home in Margate, Kent. Vicky’s body was discovered alongside that of a third victim, Dinah McNicol.

Dinah, 18, had not been seen since 1991 when she hitched a lift with a man, later identified as Tobin, after leaving a music festival in Hampshire.

Tobin was also given life terms for Vicky and Dinah’s murders and told he would never be set free. The killer has been linked to at least seven other murders or missing women cases in the last decade.

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