THE family of a murdered Bolton man said today the man convicted of his killing should never have been freed from jail -- as he begins a life term for a violent murder in Scotland.
Homosexual William Beggs was released by the Court of Appeal two years into a life sentence imposed for murdering 28-year-old Bolton croupier Barry Oldham.
Mr Oldham's mutilated body was found semi-naked at a beauty spot on the North Yorkshire Moors near Stokesley in May 1987. He had been stabbed to death.
Police said attempts had been made to hack off Mr Oldham's legs, arms and head.
Irish-born Beggs, aged 38, was found guilty at Teeside Crown Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Two years later he was released on a legal technicality at the Court of Appeal.
Beggs, from Ayrshire, is today back behind bars after being convicted last week at Edinburgh High Court of sexually assaulting and murdering 18-year-old Kilmarnock man Barry Wallace.
Mr Oldham's aunt, Jean Platt, of Clifton Court, Farnworth, expressed her disappointment today after hearing of the Scottish murder conviction. "It is tragic," she said.
Parts of Mr Wallace's leg and arm were found in Loch Lomond. His severed head was found on a beach near Troon.
Mr Oldham's family said the Scottish teenager -- described as "healthy and fun-loving" by his father Ian Wallace -- could still be alive today if Beggs had lost his appeal.
Mr Wallace, aged 51, said: "Our Barry was a normal, healthy, fun-loving teenager whose only mistake in this whole sordid episode was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fall prey to a monster -- a mistake that cost him his life."
The BEN has learned that Beggs has launched a second appeal against his conviction. A police spokesman in Kilmarnock confirmed that an appeal was lodged yesterday.
Mrs Platt, aged 81, spoke today of her shock at hearing about Beggs's Scottish murder conviction.
She said: "It was a terrible, terrible shock. My son, Geoff, phoned me at the weekend to say that he had been reading in a paper that Beggs has been jailed for murder in Scotland.
"We were all bitterly disappointed when he was let out of jail. We do not know why his appeal was successful and I don't think Barry's father, Albert, does either.
"He should never have been let out in the first place and that was the view of the whole family at the time. Our view has certainly not changed now.
Likeable
"Barry was a lovely lad. He was a very, very likeable person."
Mr Oldham had been working in Aberdeen since Christmas 1987 as a travelling salesman. He was brought up in Settle Street, Bolton, and was a former pupil of Leigh Grammar School.
His body was found by a man travelling to work on May 12, 1987. Grampian, North Yorkshire and Northumbrian police launched a manhunt to find his killer.
A man who survived an attack by Beggs today called for reforms to the police and justice system. Without a tougher appeals system there was a real possibility that he could be freed to kill again, said Brian McQuillan.
After his appeal over the Barry Oldham killing and subsequent release, Beggs moved to Scotland and went on to attack Mr McQuillan in Kilmarnock, for which he served half of a six-year sentence.
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