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| Lynda Spence murder: two convicted of torturing and killing businesswoman | Lynda Spence murder: two convicted of torturing and killing businesswoman |
| (7 days later) | |
| Two men have been convicted of abducting, torturing and murdering the missing businesswoman Lynda Spence, who disappeared two years ago. | Two men have been convicted of abducting, torturing and murdering the missing businesswoman Lynda Spence, who disappeared two years ago. |
| Colin Coats and Philip Wade, both 42, taped the 27-year-old financial adviser to a chair in a flat in Ayrshire in April 2011 and assaulted her every day for almost two weeks before killing her. | Colin Coats and Philip Wade, both 42, taped the 27-year-old financial adviser to a chair in a flat in Ayrshire in April 2011 and assaulted her every day for almost two weeks before killing her. |
| A jury at the high court in Glasgow found the pair guilty after an 11-week trial. | A jury at the high court in Glasgow found the pair guilty after an 11-week trial. |
| Coats and Wade forced Spence into a car on Broomhill Path, Glasgow, on 14 April 2011 and drove her to West Kilbride, Ayrshire, where David Parker and Paul Smith let them into Parker's flat in Meadowfoot Road. | Coats and Wade forced Spence into a car on Broomhill Path, Glasgow, on 14 April 2011 and drove her to West Kilbride, Ayrshire, where David Parker and Paul Smith let them into Parker's flat in Meadowfoot Road. |
| Spence was wearing sunglasses that had been taped on the inside, and Coats held on to her waist. Wade carried in a tool bag that was referred to during the trial as the "torture kit", containing garden loppers, surgical tape and vinyl gloves. They took the woman upstairs to the attic area and taped her to a leather chair by the arms and waist. | Spence was wearing sunglasses that had been taped on the inside, and Coats held on to her waist. Wade carried in a tool bag that was referred to during the trial as the "torture kit", containing garden loppers, surgical tape and vinyl gloves. They took the woman upstairs to the attic area and taped her to a leather chair by the arms and waist. |
| Coats and Wade would arrive each day to hurt her as a way of trying to extract financial information. She was burned with an iron and hit with a golf club, and they crushed her toes, cut off her thumb and severed her little finger. | Coats and Wade would arrive each day to hurt her as a way of trying to extract financial information. She was burned with an iron and hit with a golf club, and they crushed her toes, cut off her thumb and severed her little finger. |
| Parker told how he originally believed the arrangement was to help somebody who needed to get out of Glasgow, but as the situation "snowballed" he could see no way out of it. | Parker told how he originally believed the arrangement was to help somebody who needed to get out of Glasgow, but as the situation "snowballed" he could see no way out of it. |
| He and Smith were also charged with Spence's murder but were cleared after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of holding her against her will and assaulting her. | He and Smith were also charged with Spence's murder but were cleared after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of holding her against her will and assaulting her. |
| Spence was not allowed to move from the chair for the 13 days she was there, and had to urinate and defecate where she sat. On 27 April Parker and Smith were dismissed by Coats and Wade, who told them: "Yous (sic) can go." | Spence was not allowed to move from the chair for the 13 days she was there, and had to urinate and defecate where she sat. On 27 April Parker and Smith were dismissed by Coats and Wade, who told them: "Yous (sic) can go." |
| During the trial the court heard how Spence and Coats were involved in a land deal at Stansted airport in which Coats claimed to have invested all of his money. Wade was described as his right-hand man in the killing and later told a friend, Pamela Pearson, that he had helped dispose of a woman's body. | During the trial the court heard how Spence and Coats were involved in a land deal at Stansted airport in which Coats claimed to have invested all of his money. Wade was described as his right-hand man in the killing and later told a friend, Pamela Pearson, that he had helped dispose of a woman's body. |
| Following the verdict, the officer in charge of the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Alan Buchanan, said: "Police Scotland is pleased that the persons responsible for the abduction and horrific murder of Lynda Spence have been brought to justice. | Following the verdict, the officer in charge of the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Alan Buchanan, said: "Police Scotland is pleased that the persons responsible for the abduction and horrific murder of Lynda Spence have been brought to justice. |
| "I hope in some small way this will bring some satisfaction to Lynda's parents who have had to endure the pain of hearing the graphic details of the horrific torture and terror inflicted on Lynda in her final days. Although satisfied with the verdict, the pain for the Spence family continues as due to the actions of the accused, Mr and Mrs Spence have been unable to lay their daughter to rest. | "I hope in some small way this will bring some satisfaction to Lynda's parents who have had to endure the pain of hearing the graphic details of the horrific torture and terror inflicted on Lynda in her final days. Although satisfied with the verdict, the pain for the Spence family continues as due to the actions of the accused, Mr and Mrs Spence have been unable to lay their daughter to rest. |
| "At this time I would appeal for those convicted to show some common decency and tell us where Lynda is in order that we can get her back to her parents and allow them to grieve properly and move some way towards rebuilding their lives." | "At this time I would appeal for those convicted to show some common decency and tell us where Lynda is in order that we can get her back to her parents and allow them to grieve properly and move some way towards rebuilding their lives." |
| Buchanan praised the witnesses in the case. "Despite many of them being terrified of the accused, they had the courage to stand up and be counted to ensure that the people responsible for Lynda's abduction and murder pay for their actions," he said. | Buchanan praised the witnesses in the case. "Despite many of them being terrified of the accused, they had the courage to stand up and be counted to ensure that the people responsible for Lynda's abduction and murder pay for their actions," he said. |
| Spence's parents, James and Patricia, said: "There is no verdict that will bring our daughter Lynda back or spare her the terrible ordeal that took her life. We will never begin to imagine her suffering or comprehend the cruelty of any person who would do that to another human being. We cannot begin to understand or forgive what they did to our daughter, Lynda. No words can begin to describe the heartache and pain we are suffering. | Spence's parents, James and Patricia, said: "There is no verdict that will bring our daughter Lynda back or spare her the terrible ordeal that took her life. We will never begin to imagine her suffering or comprehend the cruelty of any person who would do that to another human being. We cannot begin to understand or forgive what they did to our daughter, Lynda. No words can begin to describe the heartache and pain we are suffering. |
| "Lynda was a warm, kind and thoughtful daughter and was someone who always had time for others. We miss her so much." | "Lynda was a warm, kind and thoughtful daughter and was someone who always had time for others. We miss her so much." |
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