The Arrest

Conviction

Four days after the disappearance of Angelika, the police release a picture of ‘Pat McLaughlin’. Two days later, the police find her remains. They quickly realise it’s the work of a serial killer. The mutilated corpse had been disposed of using an established methodology.

On 1 October 2006, Tobin, who suffers from a genuine heart complaint, gives another false name to staff at the National Neurology Hospital in Queen’s Square, London. He hopes the name change and distance will help him escape detection. It in fact hastens his end. Tobin is arrested after a staff member recognises him from a police alert. Six days later, he’s charged with the murder of Angelika Kluk.

Psychologists think it unlikely that Tobin started killing so late and believe there will be more bodies. The fact that Tobin lived just a mile from the Bathgate bus stop where Vicky Hamilton disappeared leads detectives to investigate and uncover his past killings. But the search of his properties turns up not one, but two bodies. In July 2007 police confront Tobin with damning DNA evidence linking him to Vicky Hamilton murder, but he insists that he’s never met her and refuse to help officers find her body. From this point on, he refuses to co-operate in any way with the authorities.

Peter Tobin frequented over 20 different UK locations, constantly changing jobs (everything from swimming instructor to carpenter), and constantly changing names. At last count, the police have found 20 aliases. He lived in at least nine different properties since his 20s and was linked to nearly 40 mobile telephone Sim cards. How many lives he touched and destroyed remains to be seen.