Serial killer Peter Tobin’s ashes scattered at sea after body goes unclaimed

The ashes of serial killer Peter Tobin have been scattered at sea after his body went unclaimed.

The murderer, 76, was taken from HMP Edinburgh to hospital earlier this week after becoming unwell. He subsequently died and the City of Edinburgh Council confirmed he was cremated on Thursday.

Tobin was serving three life sentences for the murder of two women and a girl: 23-year-old Polish student Angelika Kluk, 15-year-old schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton, and 18-year-old Dinah McNicol.

He is thought to have killed other victims, but the full extent of his violence may never be known.

If no relatives or next of kin come forward to claim a person’s body after they die, funeral arrangements fall to the responsibility of the local authority.

A council spokeswoman 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.”

Tobin died at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at 5.35am on Saturday 8 October, according to a death cerificate obtained by the Sunday Mail. His cause of death is registered as “unascertained (pending investigations)”.

It follows a series of futile attemps by police to get Tobin to reveal information about other potential victims towards the end of his life.

The newspaper reported last month that the serial killer was lying “chained to a hospital bed” in a hospital gown, looking gravely ill. It claimed also Tobin had cancer, was suffering a broken hip and was refusing food and medication.

Vast police hours were spent in recent years piecing together the Tobin’s nomadic lifestyle and the variety of identities he hid behind.

Officers believe Tobin killed others and had at least 40 aliases and 150 cars during his life to hide his tracks as he targeted vulnerable women.

It was only with the murder and rape of Polish student Angelika Kluk in 2006 that his double life began to unravel.

Tobin – who was using the false name of Pat McLaughlin – stabbed and gagged her in September 2006 before hiding her remains beneath the floorboards of a Glasgow church.

The killer was also serving life terms for the murders of 15-year-old schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton, of Redding, near Falkirk, in 1991, and 18-year-old Dinah McNicol the same year. Their bodies were found 17 years later, buried in the garden of his former home in Margate, Kent.

Former Strathclyde Police detective David Swindle, who led the investigation into Tobin, said he had no doubts the serial killer murdered more people.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Peter Tobin is evil. He’s pure evil.

“This is someone who had no respect for humanity.”

He added: “This is a coward, who has taken his secrets to the grave.”