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| Father jailed for child murders | Father jailed for child murders |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A Fife father who murdered two of his children in their bedrooms has been sentenced to life in prison. | A Fife father who murdered two of his children in their bedrooms has been sentenced to life in prison. |
| Robert Thomson, 50, who knifed his children, Michelle, 25, and Ryan, seven, 26 times on 3 May, must spend a minimum of 17 years in jail. | Robert Thomson, 50, who knifed his children, Michelle, 25, and Ryan, seven, 26 times on 3 May, must spend a minimum of 17 years in jail. |
| At the time he also turned the knife on himself, stabbing his chest. | At the time he also turned the knife on himself, stabbing his chest. |
| His estranged wife, June Thomson, found her children's bodies at the former family home in Buckhaven. Last month Thomson admitted the murders. | His estranged wife, June Thomson, found her children's bodies at the former family home in Buckhaven. Last month Thomson admitted the murders. |
| The court heard that since March this year, he had reacted badly to the break-up of his marriage. | The court heard that since March this year, he had reacted badly to the break-up of his marriage. |
| Sentence was passed by Judge Lord Menzies at the High Court in Edinburgh. | |
| Mrs Thomson said outside the court that her estranged husband was an "evil and sick man". | |
| Earlier Lord Menzies described the crime as "indescribably awful". | |
| The court heard that Thomson had sent another son to a local supermarket, then knifed his son and daughter to death in the empty house. | |
| His son Ross, 20, later returned with his girlfriend, Kay Wallace, and they went to his room to watch a DVD - unaware that the two bodies were lying in their bedrooms. | |
| Thomson, worried by their on-going divorce proceedings, had left a suicide note urging his wife not to blame herself. | |
| The brother and sister were found dead at a house in Buckhaven | |
| On 3 May, Mrs Thomson had been planning to move into a new flat in Markinch with Ryan and Michelle. | |
| Mrs Thomson had been cleaning her new flat and had taken Ryan and Michelle to their father's house. | |
| At about 1600 BST, Thomson asked Ross to go to Asda for things he said he had forgotten. | |
| When he returned just over an hour later, Thomson told him Ryan and Michelle had left. | |
| Mrs Thomson went to the house to pick up her children later that day and found them dead in their beds. | |
| Thomson, who had slashed both wrists and stuck a knife into his own stomach, was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, where he was later interviewed and charged. | |
| The court heard he had left a suicide note which included a message to his estranged wife: "June - too much pain, lies and hurt. Don't blame yourself. I will look after them. Just like your mother, move on alone. Love Rab XXX" | |
| Thomson spent part of his time on remand in the state hospital at Carstairs, but went to court from Perth Prison. | |
| Defence QC Gordon Jackson, said doctors in Carstairs had found no evidence that Thomson was suffering from any mental illness. |