Peter Tobin: The Serial Killer Behind Unsolved Murders
Three young women fell victim to the heinous acts of serial killer Peter Tobin, but there are lingering suspicions that his murderous spree extended far beyond these cases. Tobin, a native of Scotland, took many of his dreadful secrets to his grave, leaving families and investigators haunted by unanswered questions. A new two-part documentary from the BBC delves into the police investigations surrounding the disappearances of these young women and the eventual revelations that led authorities to Tobin.
By the time he was apprehended, Tobin had been preying on vulnerable young women across the UK for over three decades. The documentary, which airs starting on Tuesday, March 11, on BBC Scotland and iPlayer, features interviews with family members, detectives, and forensic experts who played critical roles in these investigations. David Harron from BBC Scotland stated: “The series examines the relentless pursuit of justice while also telling the very real human stories behind the headlines.”
Who Was Peter Tobin?
Peter Tobin was born on August 27, 1946, in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was the youngest of eight children born to Daniel and Marjorie Tobin. From a young age, Tobin exhibited behavioral issues, leading to his placement in a reform school by the age of seven. In 1969, he moved to Brighton, where he married his teenage girlfriend, Margaret Mountney. However, this marriage was short-lived; Tobin was convicted of burglary and forgery a year later, resulting in a three-year prison sentence.
After his release in 1973, Tobin married a local nurse named Sylvia Jefferies. They welcomed a son, Ian, that same year and a daughter, Claire, in 1975, who tragically died shortly after birth. The marriage crumbled in 1976 when Sylvia left him, taking their son with her. A decade later, Tobin entered a relationship with Cathy Wilson, with whom he had another son, Daniel, in 1987. They married in 1989, but Cathy fled back to Portsmouth with their son just a year later.
Tobin worked various jobs, including traveling across the country to fit insulation panels in homes. All three of his former partners recounted how he initially presented himself as charming and well-dressed, but his demeanor would turn violent, revealing a sadistic nature.
In 1991, Tobin relocated to Margate in Kent and then to Havant in Hampshire in 1993 to be closer to his second son. In August of that year, he committed a horrific crime by attacking two 14-year-old girls in his flat. He held them at knifepoint, forced them to drink alcohol, sexually assaulted them, and then left them unconscious with the gas on from his cooker. Fortunately, the girls survived, leading to Tobin’s arrest and a 14-year prison sentence in 1994 for kidnapping, drugging, and violent sexual assault.
By 2004, he had served his time and was released at the age of 58, moving back to Scotland in Paisley, Renfrewshire. As a registered sex offender, he was required to inform the police of his whereabouts, but in October 2005, he vanished from Paisley. A woman later reported that he had attacked her, prompting an arrest warrant, but Tobin managed to evade capture. By September 2006, he was working as a handyman at St. Patrick’s Church in Anderston, Glasgow, under the alias Pat McLaughlin.
Who Were Peter Tobin’s Victims?
The victims of Peter Tobin were Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton, and Dinah McNicol, each with a tragic story marking the dark legacy of their murderer.
Angelika Kluk
Angelika Kluk was a 23-year-old cleaner at St. Patrick’s Church in Anderston, Glasgow, when she disappeared on September 24, 2006. Originally from Gdańsk University in Poland, she had spent the summer in Scotland to fund her language studies. Her boyfriend reported her missing after she failed to return home. On the day she vanished, she had been assisting Tobin in painting a shed.
Although Tobin and two other men were questioned regarding her disappearance, he managed to evade police before disappearing once again. Sadly, Angelika’s body was discovered hidden in a vault beneath the church on September 29. The post-mortem examination revealed that she had been bound, gagged, raped, beaten with a piece of wood, and subsequently stabbed 16 times. Tobin’s DNA was confirmed on her body and at the crime scene. In March 2007, he was tried for her murder and rape at the High Court in Edinburgh, where he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years. The judge, Lord Menzies, described Tobin as “an evil man.”
Vicky Hamilton
In the wake of Tobin’s arrest, Strathclyde Police launched Operation Anagram, a covert investigation into his life and possible connections to unsolved murders. Detective Superintendent David Swindle led the operation, which aimed to create a comprehensive timeline of Tobin’s whereabouts.
Vicky Hamilton, just 15 years old, disappeared on February 10, 1991, after saying goodbye to her sister at a bus stop in Livingston, West Lothian. She was last seen buying chips in Bathgate before catching a bus to her home in Redding, Falkirk. Vicky’s purse was discovered in Edinburgh eleven days later, but there was no sign of her.
Operation Anagram revealed that Tobin had been living in Bathgate at the time of Vicky’s disappearance. A search of his former residence unearthed a five-inch dagger-style knife hidden in the loft, which contained traces of Vicky’s DNA. In November 2007, after further investigations, Vicky’s dismembered remains were found in the back garden of Tobin’s property in Margate. In November 2008, he was tried at the High Court in Dundee for Vicky’s murder and was convicted after a month-long trial, receiving a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years. Judge Lord Emslie expressed profound revulsion towards Tobin’s actions, stating: “It is hard for me to convey the loathing and revulsion that ordinary people will feel for what you have done.”
Dinah McNicol
The Anagram team also uncovered Tobin’s presence in the vicinity of Dinah McNicol’s disappearance on August 6, 1991. Dinah was a sixth-form student from Tillingham, Essex, who had attended a music festival in Liphook, Hampshire. She decided to hitchhike home with a male friend, but while the driver dropped her companion off, Dinah remained in the car. She was never seen again, but her building society account showed regular cash withdrawals totaling over £2,000 across Hampshire and Sussex.
In late 2007, police reopened the investigation into her disappearance and began excavating Tobin’s Margate home in November. A neighbor had reported seeing Tobin digging a hole in his garden, claiming he was building a sandpit for his son. To the horror of investigators, they discovered not only Vicky Hamilton’s body but also Dinah’s remains. Dinah had been bound and gagged, and traces of sleeping pills were found in her liver. Tobin was tried for Dinah’s murder in December 2009 at Chelmsford Crown Court and was found guilty within just 15 minutes of jury deliberation. He received a third life sentence for his horrific crimes.
Why Was Tobin Suspected of the Bible John Murders?
After Tobin’s convictions in the 2000s, police began to suspect a link between him and the infamous “Bible John” murders in Glasgow during the late 1960s. The unidentified serial killer was responsible for the deaths of Patricia Docker, Jemima McDonald, and Helen Puttock between 1968 and 1969, earning the moniker for his habit of quoting from the Bible.
However, DNA testing eventually eliminated Tobin as a suspect in the murders of Helen Puttock, as he had relocated to Brighton at the time of her and Jemima McDonald’s killings. Additionally, photographs from the era revealed that Tobin did not have the red hair attributed to Bible John. Ultimately, he was ruled out as a suspect by Operation Anagram.
How Was Peter Tobin Caught?
Following the investigation into Angelika Kluk’s disappearance in 2006, Tobin’s image was released to the public. He was located in London shortly after, having been recognized by a nurse who identified him as a hospital patient claiming to be a pipe-fitter named James Kelly. Initially, he was arrested for breaching the terms of the sex offenders’ register, while police worked to build a case against him for murder.
When Did Peter Tobin Die?
Peter Tobin served his life sentences at HMP Edinburgh. In August 2012, he was transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after suffering a suspected heart attack. In July 2015, he was attacked by a cellmate, who slashed his face with a razor blade, leaving him with a noticeable scar. By February 2016, Tobin had been hospitalized again due to a suspected stroke, and in 2019, it was reported that he was battling cancer.
In October 2022, Tobin was once again admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after falling seriously ill. He passed away on October 8, 2022, at the age of 76. His ashes were scattered at sea on October 16, 2022, after no relatives or next of kin came forward to claim his remains. While incarcerated, Tobin reportedly boasted of having taken additional victims, but the details of these claims died with him.
