Murder seemed to come naturally to Peter Campbell. He was only 17 when on SEPTEMBER 19th, 1965, he attacked an elderly shopkeeper during a robbery in Leven Street, Glasgow. Mrs. Fanny Scragowitz was repeatedly hit over the head with a hammer and died three weeks later. Campbell was convicted of murder at Glasgow High Court and sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure.

Two years later, at Edinburgh Young Offenders’ Institution where he was incarcerated, he teamed up with Brian Rice, 20, to murder fellow-prisoner William Walker, 18, by stabbing him in the back in his cell.

Rice had himself been acquitted of murder at Dundee High Court in February 1967. The charge against him then was reduced to assault and he was sentenced to two years’ custody.

Campbell and Rice were convicted of murdering William Walker and sentenced to life. When the judge heard that Campbell was already serving a sentence for murder he recommended that he should stay in jail for a minimum of 15 years.