Man, 80, sentenced to life after murdering his lover and her son more than 45 years ago
A married man who murdered his lover and her young son more than 45 years ago will likely die behind bars.
William MacDowell, 80, was sentenced to life in prison with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 30 years for killing Renee and Andrew MacRae in November 1976.
MacDowell, of Penrith, Cumbria, killed the mother and son at a layby near Dalmagarry on the A9, about 12 miles south of Inverness.
Mrs MacRae’s BMW car was discovered on fire in the layby but the bodies have never been found.
This is despite a huge police investigation after the disappearances and further investigations in 1986, 2004 and 2018.
The double disappearance was one of the longest unsolved murder cases in Scottish criminal history.
Officers are now urging MacDowell to disclose what he did with Mrs MacRae and her son so they can be “provided with the dignity they deserve”.
William MacDowell has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders more than 45 years ago
Murderer ‘wanted to hide affair’
MacDowell, who was married while having a relationship with Mrs MacRae, who was separated from her husband, had been trying to keep their four-year affair secret.
Alex Prentice KC said during the trial MacDowell was the only man with a motive for killing the pair, as his concern grew that news of his affair would be revealed and what that would mean for his finances and lifestyle.
“Life for Bill MacDowell would change dramatically if it all came out in the open. He would lose his job, his family and his home,” Mr Prentice said.
MacDowell, who was brought into court each day in a wheelchair by his wife Rosemary, claimed the murders were committed by Mrs MacRae’s estranged husband Gordon MacRae and others unknown.
William MacDowell and Renee MacRae are pictured together in an undated photo
Murders were carried out in ‘most calculated way’
Mrs MacRae’s sister, Morag Steventon, said after the conviction: “Almost 46 years on, the pain of losing Renee and Andrew in such a cruel and brutal fashion never fades.
“Today there is finally justice for them. It’s a day we feared would never come
“They were both so precious to us and a day never passes without them both in our thoughts.”
Passing sentence after MacDowell was found guilty of the murders at the High Court at Inverness, judge Lord Armstrong told him: “These murders appear to have been premediated, planned and carried out in the most calculated way – not a spontaneous event or spur of the moment.”
He added: “These appear, in effect, to have been executions.
“You murdered your victims and then disposed of their bodies and personal effects, including the boy’s pushchair.
Mrs MacRae’s burnt out BMW was found at the time of the disappearances
Police ‘sympathise with frustrations’ of those who wanted case solved sooner
MacDowell was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the bodies and personal effects.
Operation Abermule, the latest investigation into the murders, was set up to find the killer and to discover the resting place of the pair’s bodies almost 46 years after they were killed.
So far, it has only achieved one of its aims – the conviction of MacDowell following his arrest in 2019.
It has involved more than 1,500 witnesses, many of them either deceased or no longer able to give evidence in court.
“There is no doubt that the team that we had from 2018 onwards uncovered evidence that hadn’t been focused on before,” DCI Geddes said.
“We have certainly improved the known circumstances around Friday November 12 and beyond.”
The police officer said he could “sympathise with lots of frustrations why it’s taken so long” for a conviction.
But he stressed: “We have now achieved what we set out to achieve in 2018.
“And that’s in no small measure to what was carried out in 1976, 1987, 2004 onwards. That all helped us get to this point.”
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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