Casefile True Crime - Case 162: Lawrence Haggart

Episode Date: November 21, 2020

In 1995, 15-year-old Scottish schoolboy Lawrence Haggart’s dreams came true when he was signed to join Celtic, an elite Scottish football club. The future looked bright for young Lawrence, until one night in March 1996 when his brother John Haggart awoke to the smell of something burning. He discovered Lawrence downstairs, beaten and set on fire. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Milly Raso, Elsha McGill & Erin Munro Written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-162-lawrence-haggart

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Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. In the early hours of Saturday, March 16, 1996, John Haggard awoke to the acrid odor of something burning. It was around 1.20am and the 17-year-old had only been asleep for a couple of hours. John was at home with these two younger brothers, 15-year-old Lawrence and 12-year-old Dennis.

The boy's mother, Janet, had gone out the previous evening to celebrate a relative's birthday. The outing was a rare treat for Janet, a single mother who spent most of her time caring for her sons. As the oldest of his siblings, John was in charge until her return. As John awoke, he saw heavy curtains of smoke wafting through his bedroom. He scrambled out of bed and rushed out the door. The smoke was rising up the staircase from the ground floor below. It was accompanied by a noise that sounded like heavy breathing or snoring. John headed downstairs and followed the smoke to its origin point, the living room.

He entered the darkened room and saw his 15-year-old brother Lawrence lying on the floor in his underwear. His head was bruised and bleeding, as was his shoulder. Lawrence didn't stir, but John could hear his brother's labored breaths. A fire crackled at Lawrence's feet and was spreading up his legs. John tried to drag Lawrence out of the room, but his unconscious body was too heavy. He managed to pull Lawrence far enough away from the fire, then rushed to get a bucket of water. He poured it out over Lawrence's burning face. He then pulled Lawrence out of the room.

John tried to drag Lawrence out of the room, but his unconscious body was too heavy. He managed to pull Lawrence far enough away from the fire, then rushed to get a bucket of water. He poured it out over Lawrence's burning feet, dousing the flames. As he tended to his badly injured brother, John noticed the front door to the house was open. He could see out to the street, but no one was around. John sprinted back upstairs and entered the bedroom that Lawrence shared with their youngest brother, 12-year-old Dennis. The room was filled with smoke, but Dennis appeared sound asleep in his bed. John roused him and told him that Lawrence was hurt downstairs.

At around this time, Janet Haggart returned home after her night out. Upon discovering Lawrence's bloodied and burnt body, she let out a deafening shriek and began wailing loudly. John had to phone triple-nine emergency from the bathroom so that the operator could hear him over his mother's distress. Paramedics and the police arrived at the Haggart home within minutes. Lawrence was still alive, but unresponsive. He was rushed to hospital. The brutal attack was as inexplicable as it was shocking. Lawrence was popular and well-liked, and got on well with his brothers and mother. The family of four lived in the small town of Larbert in the Falkirk Council area of Scotland.

Their home was one of dozens of matching two-story, semi-detached houses on Glenburvey Drive. Cramped and box-like, the houses were packed in a large estate characterised by narrow roads, including closed rear gardens and front doors a few metres away from the street. Lawrence was named after his father, who went by the nickname Larry. By 1996, Janet and Larry Haggart had been separated for three years. While the couple's sons lived with their mother, they remained close to their father. Larry lived four miles west of Larbert in the village of Dunney Pace, where he worked as a painter and decorator. He stayed nearby to his boys and maintained a close relationship with them.

Lawrence inherited more than just his father's name. He also shared his passion and skill for football or soccer. Years prior, Larry Haggart had played for the semi-professional football club Allower Athletic. It was clear from a young age that Lawrence would follow in his father's footsteps. In Scotland, professional football clubs offered schoolboy forms to promising young players between the ages of nine and sixteen. Chosen Boys received special training with a chance to play for their respective clubs later on down the track. In 1995, Lawrence's dream came true when he signed Schoolboy Forms for Celtic, an elite Scottish football club.

The placement meant a lot to the team. His great-uncle had played for Celtic, and it was the team Lawrence had supported his entire life. It was expected that he would sign professional forms with the club in December 1996, taking him one step closer to a career as a star footballer. Lawrence was so talented that he was selected for Scotland's international under-15 squad. Three days before he was attacked in his home, he'd made his on-field debut against Belgium. His team won. Although it was anticipated that Lawrence would go on to achieve glory on the football field, he had a backup plan in case things didn't work out. He would pursue his passion for sport by becoming a physical education teacher. As Lawrence underwent life-saving surgery, his home was cordoned off as a crime scene. Attending police officers were quickly joined by forensic scientists and members of Central Scotland's Fire Brigade.

Charles Collier was a divisional officer with the Fire Brigade. He examined the charred remnants of the pyre that had been lit by Lawrence's feet in the living room. It was made from a pile of clothes, a checked shirt, a pair of jeans, and two boots. It appeared as though Lawrence's attacker had dragged his body to the spot after the initial attack. The carpet underneath featured a scorch mark in the shape of a semicircle. Officer Collier could tell it had been deliberately lit, but couldn't find any trace of an accelerant. A second fire had also spread from a nearby couch. A duvet was crumpled on top of it. It appeared as though a lighter was held up to it, after which flames had fanned upwards.

This fire also looked deliberate. The arsonist had likely hoped that either fire would take hold and rapidly destroy their house, consuming the victim and any evidence linking them to the crime. There was no sign of forced entry into the house. John Haggett claimed that the front door was open when he entered the living room and found Lawrence. He didn't see anyone fleeing. Police suspected that the culprit either knocked on the front door or was already inside before launching their attack. A search of the property failed to uncover the weapon used to inflict Lawrence's injuries. Near 30 miles south-east of Valarbet, 36-year-old Larry Haggett arrived at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital.

He'd received a call notifying him that his second-older son had been in an accident. He arrived quickly, but no one was able to give him a clear explanation. All he was told was that Lawrence sustained blunt-force trauma to the head. It had resulted in brain damage and a massive skull fracture that extended to the right side of his face. Lawrence underwent emergency surgery and was placed on life support. Larry joined Janet at their son's side, where the pair kept a vigil into the following morning of Sunday, March 17. The brutal attack made local news, though Lawrence's identity was withheld as some of his relatives had yet to be informed. An article in the Sunday Mail newspaper did mention that a rising Celtic star was fighting for his life.

Celtic youth team boss Willie McStay told the paper, Let's just hope to God he pulls through. Later that day, it was determined that Lawrence would not recover from his injuries. A priest arrived at the hospital and gave the 15-year-old his last rights. Lawrence's ventilator was turned off and he quietly passed away. His death rocked Scotland's footballing community. Celtic manager Tommy Burns told the local press that the club was shocked. He expressed his condolences to the Haggard family.

The coach of Scotland's international under-15 squad echoed these sentiments, telling reporters, Lawrence had great pace and vision. He was just at the beginning of what would certainly have been a top-class career. Because Lawrence had undergone significant surgery, it was impossible to determine exactly how many times he was struck to the head. But it was clear that the attack had been extremely violent and carried out with a heavy object. It had caused skull fractures similar to those sustained by road accident victims who've been thrown through the windscreen of a car. His legs and his feet were severely burnt, exposing the tissue underneath. The soles of both feet were charred black.

There were no defensive injuries or wounds consistent with the fight. It appeared as though Lawrence was taken by surprise, either by an individual or multiple offenders. The teen had also been mutilated. The number's 110 had been gouged into one of Lawrence's shoulders, most likely with a key. Both of his palms had the same number written on them in ink. Police resources at the time of Lawrence's murder were limited, as it occurred just days after an unrelated national tragedy. At 9.30 am on Wednesday, March 13, a 43-year-old man entered Dunblane Primary School near the city of Sterling. Armed with four legally-owned handguns, he opened fire on a class of 28 students.

16 children aged between 5 and 6 years old were killed, as was their 45-year-old teacher. A further 15 children were injured. The gunman then took his own life. The attack would come to be known as the Dunblane Massacre and remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. March of Scotland's police resources were channeled into investigating the major incident. Lawrence Haggert's case was relegated to Central Scotland Police. They had jurisdiction over the council areas of Falkirk, Sterling and Clackmanonshire. The high-profile case was, in hindsight, a lot for the small force to handle. The Haggert homicide investigation was led by Detective Superintendent Jim Winning and his second-in-command Detective Inspector John Bunyan.

Lawrence's final hours were pieced together based on the statements of those he interacted with during that time. Hours before he was attacked, Lawrence had gone out with friends to an underage nightclub called Ziggy's in the nearby town of Denney. A neighbour observed him leaving home. He was dressed in cream-coloured jeans, a white t-shirt, a dark blue and white striped top, a cream bomber jacket and brown boots. He met up with friends and the group went to Ziggy's. Lawrence wasn't the type to stay out later than allowed, so he left the club just before 10. Together with a friend, he caught a taxi outside the Lion and Dragon pub, which was located in a narrow alleyway called Church Walk. When they reached the small village of Bonnie Bridge, Lawrence's friend exited the vehicle. Lawrence continued on in the taxi alone for another three miles.

He got out at the village of Camelon, south of La Berte. A witness spotted him walking towards the Falkirk Sheriff Court building. He walked the remaining two miles home. John was alone in the living room watching television when Lawrence walked through the door at 10.30pm. Dennis was still out, but arrived home a short while later. Lawrence spoke briefly to his brothers, then settled on the sofa and read a newspaper. John and Dennis went to their respective beds. After a little while, Dennis got up to fetch some crisps from the kitchen.

From upstairs, John heard his two younger brothers talking into the sound of a kitchen cupboard closing. He then fell asleep. Dennis went back to bed. Shortly afterwards, he thought he heard Lawrence enter their bedroom, pick up his duvet, then go downstairs. Investigators were unable to establish a clear motive. They briefly considered the possibility that it was sexual, as Lawrence was found in nothing else but his underwear. Most of the clothing he had worn to the club was used to start the fire at his feet. One convicted sex offender was initially of interest to police, but was quickly ruled out after providing an alibi.

Rumours spread that the murder was motivated by Lawrence's affiliation with Celtic Football Club. The club had a historic association with Irish immigrants who'd moved to Glasgow and Scots of Irish descent. This meant it also had strong ties to the Catholic Church, of which Lawrence was a member. Some speculated that the attack was the result of anti-Catholic prejudice. Lawrence's mother Janet was too distraught by her son's murder to speak about the matter publicly, so his father Larry took on the role of family spokesperson. Larry expressed his doubt that his son had been killed due to anti-Catholic prejudice. On Tuesday, March 19, police officially dismissed this theory.

Superintendent Jim Winning said, There has been talk of a sectarian motive, but let me say that there is nothing so far in this inquiry to suggest that. We have no suspects at the moment, and I would say that this is a seemingly motive-less attack. Police were quick to take possession of the Haggart family home. Janet Haggart and her sons were unable to return to the house while the initial investigation was underway. The restrictions meant little to Janet, who avoided the property permanently following Lawrence's attack. On Friday, March 22, Detective Sergeant Robert Beveridge attended the house to collect clothing for the Haggart family. He'd also been told of a potential issue with the property's electricity and needed to check whether a power cord was needed.

While Detective Beveridge was in the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Flying along the side of the kitchen table was a hammer. Detective Beveridge pulled on a latex glove. He then picked up the tool and noticed what appeared to be a human hair stuck to it. The detective confiscated the item as evidence. Lawrence's funeral was held on Saturday, April 20. Approximately 500 mourners packed into the St. Alexander Roman Catholic Church in Stirling to farewell the young soccer star. The Celtic Football Club's entire first squad attended, dressed in the team's green and black tracksuits.

They were joined by the club's youth teams and top-ranking officials. The officiating priest addressed Lawrence's unknown killer or killers, stating, If you can live with yourselves, keep silent. But if you have any compassion, come forward. Lawrence was late to rest at the hills of the Dunnipay Cemetery in Fallkirk, just five minutes from his father's home. Larry visited his son's grave daily to deliver fresh flowers and clean the headstone. A £1,000 reward for information leading to the identification of Lawrence's killer went unclaimed. The local community feared the violent killer was hiding amongst them and lived in constant anxiety, worried they'd strike again at any moment. In contrast, investigators were growing increasingly convinced that the perpetrator was closer to home.

They were primarily struck by the fact that there was no sign of forced entry in the Haggett House. Dennis Haggett was only 12 years old, but he was big for his age and physically strong. Despite being the youngest of the three Haggett boys, he appeared capable of overpowering both his brothers in a fight. From the outset of their investigation, Central Scotland police eyed Dennis with suspicion. They believed he had been jealous of Lawrence's success on the football field, and these feelings came to a head on Friday, March 15. It was theorised that Dennis confronted Lawrence that night, before lashing out in a fit of deadly rage. Detective Superintendent Jim Winning and Detective Inspector John Bunyan questioned Dennis. He maintained that he was proud of his older brother's football talents and wasn't at all envious.

They also questioned the eldest Haggett son, 17-year-old John. He denied that his two younger brothers had argued the evening before the attack. Yet, in another interview days later, John mentioned something he hadn't before. After finding Lawrence's burning body in the living room, he rushed upstairs to alert Dennis. Dennis was usually a deep sleeper who took a while to rouse. That night, Dennis woke up immediately. Investigators continued to press both John and Dennis. Then, two weeks after the murder, John revealed another unknown detail to police.

He admitted that Dennis and Lawrence had a disagreement shortly before the attack. He recalled Lawrence arriving home by his curfew that night, but Dennis had stayed out later than he was supposed to. When Dennis walked through the door after 10.30, John was upset. He shouted and accused Dennis of taking the mickey. Lawrence sided with John and agreed that Dennis should go to bed. This angered Dennis. He told them to fuck off and retreated to the bedroom he and Lawrence shared. Lawrence went into the bedroom not long after.

John overheard Dennis tell Lawrence to fuck off a second time. The conflict likely prompted Lawrence to sleep on the couch. He collected the duvet from his bed and headed back downstairs to the living room. A short while later, John overheard Dennis go down to the kitchen to get a snack. He heard Lawrence rebuke him again, stating, You are supposed to be in your bed. From the police's perspective, John's admissions proved they were right to suspect Dennis. There had clearly been some animosity between him and Lawrence on the night of the attack.

Over the following months, both John and Dennis were interviewed several times in order to get to the truth of the matter. On one occasion, Dennis was held for six hours without arrest under the terms of the Criminal Justice Act. The interview was recorded on tape, but he didn't implicate himself in the crime and maintained his innocence. About two months after the murder, John Haggart shared another piece of information with investigators. The police submitted a report to the country's Crown Office in which they said there was circumstantial evidence tying Dennis Haggart to Lawrence's murder. It also suggested that John might have also been involved. Investigators told Larry Haggart that they had enough evidence to at least prove Dennis's guilt. They asked him to speak with his son and get him to confess, but Larry refused.

The suspicion around Dennis and John Haggart remained throughout March of 1996. The public were not informed that the brothers were being treated as suspects, but those within the Haggart family were well aware. Privately, Larry Haggart was furious. He hadn't heard from investigators since July and was left with the impression that they had abandoned the case in favor of blaming Lawrence's siblings. In an interview with The Sunday Mail in September that year, Larry revealed his plans to hire a private investigator to get to the truth of the matter. Quote, It is over two months since I heard from the police. While they didn't say the case was closed, they left me believing that their investigation is over.

They may come down on me like a ton of bricks for going out alone, but I have a duty to my dead son to get some sort of conclusion. The Sunday Mail sought a rebuttal from the investigating officers. Second in command, Detective Inspector John Bunyan said that police required more information before an arrest could be made. He stated, Six months down the road, we need to know if anyone has been speaking about the case since the initial flurry of publicity. We know most of Lawrence's movements up to his death. We need to know what happened in the final moments. Several months passed with no further developments in the case.

Then, towards the end of 1996, it was announced that lead investigator, Detective Superintendent Jim Winning, was being replaced as the head of the criminal investigation division at Central Scotland Police. Consequently, he would no longer be in charge of the Lawrence Haggart murder investigation. He was replaced by Superintendent Joe Holden and his second in command, Detective Gordon Munro. As the one-year anniversary of Lawrence's murder drew near, the crime received renewed attention when it was featured on an episode of the UK television program Crime Watch. Larry Haggart was in favour of the move, as he hoped that the publicity might help jog someone's memory. Yet, no leads emerged, further highlighting the possibility that those responsible were not hiding out in the community, but were remaining tight-lipped in the Haggart home. In March 1997, a memorial mass was held at Lawrence's High School. In the lead-up, Larry Haggart spoke of his continued struggle with grief.

He called Lawrence his best friend and said he visited his late son's grave every day. Quote, People say it gets easier, but every day is as hard as the first. By 1997, the relationship between the Haggarts and the police was fraught. The family firmly believed in Dennis and John's innocence, while the police were certain of their guilt. By the time Superintendent Joe Holden and Detective Gordon Munro took a fresh look at the case, the investigation had reached an impasse. As far as the original case detectives were concerned, Dennis and John Haggart were concealing the truth of what happened on March 16, 1996. No other possible suspect had raised their suspicions as much as the Haggart boys.

The Haggarts said that they only ever heard from investigators when they came to collect Dennis or John for questioning. Detectives Holden and Munro understood that nothing was being gained by keeping the Haggarts at a distance. As such, they set about establishing a positive relationship with the family. After months of being kept in the dark, the Haggarts were now speaking regularly with police and receiving weekly updates on the case. The initial investigators had presented a convincing set of circumstances to support the theory that the Haggart brothers were involved in Lawrence's death, especially Dennis. Even though Detectives Holden and Munro were willing to explore other scenarios, they still had to rule out the possibility that someone in the household had committed the crime. Renowned English criminal psychologist Adrian West was brought in to interview Dennis and John Haggart. After speaking with the pair, West concluded that there was no way either had killed Lawrence.

Superintendent Holden felt vindicated by this finding. He'd been dubious about the brothers' involvement since first looking at the case. To his thinking, the crime was simply too bizarre and too brutal for either to have done it. He later told the Scotsman newspaper, We just had a gut feeling that the circumstances of the crime, the mutilation of Lawrence's shoulder, the motive that we felt was either sadistic or sexual, could not be laid at the feet of Dennis, who was 12 at the time, or John. No brother could have done what was done to Lawrence, then tortured him, before going upstairs to his bedroom to sleep. With Dennis and John Haggart ruled out, other suspects named in the original investigation were re-examined. One was a 31-year-old convicted sex offender named Brian Beatty.

Beatty was the youngest of four brothers raised in the village of Airth in the Falkirk Council area. As a child, he had attended a number of list D schools, a term for Scottish schools that were under the control of local social work departments. His parents eventually separated when his mother pursued a relationship with another man. She moved to the town of Redcar in England, where she got a job as a bus conductor. The teenaged Beatty followed his mother to Redcar, where he began catching the same buses that she worked on. Beatty observed the travelling habits of local pensioners, and would break into their properties when he knew they would be out. As well as stealing any valuables he found, he started fires in some of the residences. He was arrested in 1984 and charged with four counts of burglary and two counts of arson.

While on remand, Beatty set fire to his prison cell. He also attempted suicide by lighting himself on fire. Beatty pleaded guilty to all charges. He was labelled a fire risk and a danger to the public. The judge contemplated giving him a life sentence, but instead sentenced him to seven years. Beatty was released on parole four years later in 1988 and moved back to Scotland. By November of that year, he had started a new series of crimes. Beatty would study houses around his hometown of Erth. This time, he took note of where adolescent boys lived. His first target was a house in the town of Stenhouse Muir. Late one night, Beatty broke into the property and entered the bedroom of a 14-year-old boy.

Beatty tried to sexually assault the teen but fled when his victim fought back. More than 18 months later, in August 1990, Beatty broke into a house in Falkirk under the cover of darkness and attacked a 17-year-old male. The victim woke to find Beatty pressing a pair of scissors against his stomach. He was ordered to turn over and lie face down. Beatty covered his head with a pillow and duvet while threatening to kill him if he looked at his face. He then sexually assaulted the boy before running from the scene. Three weeks later, a 21-year-old male was asleep in his family's home in Stenhouse Muir. He woke to find Beatty holding a knife to his stomach.

Beatty's other hand was pressed against the victim's genitals. He threatened to slash the young man if he moved, but the victim pushed him off and chased him from the room. In October of 1990, Beatty targeted a house in Larbert, the town where Lawrence Haggett lived. He threatened an 18-year-old male resident with a screwdriver before sexually assaulting him. Within five days, Beatty struck again. He broke into a house belonging to a former Scottish football star and assaulted his 14-year-old son. Beatty was eventually arrested for his string of attacks, but was released on bail. Six days later, he assaulted a 21-year-old man at his home in Fallkirk.

In February 1991, Beatty faced Edinburgh's High Court charged with multiple counts of assault. He was sentenced to just 18 months in prison. Within eight months, he had been granted parole. Three days after his release, Beatty was loitering on a residential street in Stenhouse Muir in the early hours of the morning. He silently entered a nearby house and made his way to the bedroom of the 16-year-old boy who lived there. The teen was fast asleep. Beatty covered the boy's head with a blanket and a t-shirt. He warned him that he had a knife before tying the boy's wrists with a shirt and a wire.

For the first time ever, Beatty ordered his victim out of their house. He was going to carry out the assault elsewhere at his own pace and under his full control. Yet, the boy managed to pull the covering from his head and saw his attack his face. Beatty fled, but was soon apprehended again. This time, he was sentenced to five years in prison. In September 1994, he was once again released early on parole. He lived in Edinburgh for several months, then returned to the Fallkirk area. Roy and Beatty was questioned by police the day after Lawrence Haggert was attacked.

He provided an alibi, saying that he was at his brother's home until 9.30pm on March 15. He then drove to Edinburgh and parked in the grass market, a historic market area in the city's old town. He walked one and a half miles to a street called Royal Terrace, a known cruising area for gay men. Beatty said he arrived there by about 11pm and stayed in the area for around an hour and a half. During that time, he met a man and had oral sex with him. The men parted ways after about 15 minutes without sharing names or any other personal information. Beatty said he arrived home by 2am. When asked if he'd been near Lawrence Haggert's house, he replied,

I'm positive I wasn't in that area last night at all. Investigators at the time didn't believe the crime was sexually motivated. Beatty's alibi was accepted and he wasn't pursued any further as a suspect. The scorched carpet and couch from the crime scene had been discarded during the initial investigation. Neither item underwent a detailed forensic examination. This left investigators reexamining the case with little in the way of physical evidence. All they had was a series of photographs taken at the scene and a pubic hair recovered from Lawrence's underwear. Yet, the hair wasn't of any value. Testing confirmed it belonged to Lawrence.

Investigators sought assistance from the National Crime Facility think tank at the Police Staff College in Bramshill, England. They determined that Beatty was the only known criminal whose profile fit the circumstances surrounding Lawrence Haggert's murder. He exclusively targeted adolescent boys and young men in their homes late at night. His attacks had occurred in or around the Fallkirk area. He had a history of committing arson to cover up his crimes. And in March of 1996, Beatty had lived in a caravan in Stenhouse, Muir, just a few miles from the Haggert home. By 1997, Brian Beatty still lived in Fallkirk. On Friday, August 22, police officers arrived at his home and placed him under arrest for willful fire-raising.

The charge related to an incident that had occurred six months earlier in February and allowed police to hold Beatty for questioning for an extended period. The following day, a search of Beatty's residence was carried out. Draws in his bedroom contained two videotapes. Both were pornographic films that had been recorded from a German satellite channel. One was titled Redemption, the abduction series part three. It depicted fantasy scenarios in which young men were kidnapped from their homes, then used as sexual slaves. Some of the footage showed the men being whipped and tied up with strips of cloth. Beatty was questioned by detectives multiple times over the weekend.

Lawrence Haggert's murder was discussed, though Beatty maintained he had nothing to do with it. Towards the end of one interview, however, he suddenly broke down in tears. He then began shaking, wailing and sobbing. Detective Gordon Munrow thought he looked like a child trapped in an adult's body. Beatty admitted that he had, quote, urges that disgusted him. The interview concluded there. During another interview in which Beatty was crying and distressed, detective Joe Holden asked him if he had killed Lawrence Haggert. Beatty nodded his head firmly about six times.

Holden inquired. Does that mean yes, Brian? Beatty replied that it did, then said he wanted to speak about it with his brother. The police fetched Beatty's brother, but when the pair spoke, Beatty reasserted his innocence. After this incident, Beatty reportedly told police he would confess on the condition that he wasn't recorded. Interviewing officers agreed and instead took detailed notes in a police notebook as he spoke. According to Detective Munrow, Beatty explained that he was outside at the Haggert family home on the night of March 16, 1996. Some neighbors across the road were having a party and a taxi arrived to either pick up or drop off a guest.

Beatty approached the Haggert house and entered via the front door, which was apparently unlocked. He walked towards the living room door, which was shut. Beatty peered through its glass panes and saw Lawrence lying on the couch with a duvet or blanket pulled over him. Beatty opened the door and entered the room. Upon seeing the stranger, Lawrence got up and spoke. Beatty couldn't recall what he said. Beatty then hit Lawrence. He told investigators, quote, I can remember his face. I will never forget it. He fell back on the couch and I hit him again.

I keep remembering the fear in his face. Beatty said he couldn't recall how many times he struck Lawrence. He insisted he had not taken a weapon with him, but was certain he must have used one as his hands bore no injuries the following day. The next thing he said he remembered was running away down the street. Beatty then returned to his caravan where he quickly fell asleep. He rose early the next morning and went to a lay by near a highway to burn his clothing. He claimed he'd buried some articles of Lawrence's clothing that he had taken with him. Beatty allegedly offered to take officers to the locations, as well as along the route he'd walked from his caravan to the Haggard House.

Nothing in the confession referred to the mutilation of Lawrence's shoulder or the numbers written in ink on his hands. Beatty theorized that he'd committed the crime because he had been distraught about the recent mass shooting at Dunblane Primary School. According to the police notes, Beatty also said he felt bad about the fact that Lawrence's brothers had been considered suspects in the murder. Quote, I felt guilty because I knew they never done it. You will maybe find it hard to believe, but I wanted to go and say to the brothers and to his mum and dad that I was sorry for it. I also wanted to go to the grave to say sorry to him as if he would hear me. I wanted to tell his mum and dad who'd done it so they would know he was at peace now. When later presented with the transcribed notes of his confession, Beatty refused to sign them.

He remained on remand for his fire-raising charge as the Haggard investigation continued. Dozens of police officers searched the Falkirk countryside for the evidence that Beatty had allegedly burned following Lawrence's murder. Yet nothing of significance was found. The Haggard family was privately informed that there was a suspect in custody, but the news didn't break in the media until three months later in October. Larry Haggard told the Daily Record that the police in charge of the case were doing a great job, but he was reluctant to get his hopes up until the suspect was charged for Lawrence's murder. He described the earlier speculation about Dennis and John's involvement in the crime as a disgrace, adding, It was shocking what my sons went through. Knowing the person responsible was still at large meant my family have not had the chance to grieve properly. Then, on November 7, 1997, 33-year-old Brian Beatty was formally charged with Lawrence Haggard's murder and for fire-raising in the Haggard home.

Brian Beatty entered a plea of not guilty. His trial began six months later in April 1998 at Edinburgh's High Court. John Haggard took the stand and wept as he detailed how he had discovered his brother's beaten and burning body, then desperately tried to save his life. During cross-examination, John admitted that he withheld knowledge of Lawrence's argument with Dennis for two weeks before coming clean to investigators. John described that fortnight as hellish and said he'd kept the fight a secret because he could tell the police suspected Dennis. John had wanted to protect the only brother he had left. He conceded that he found Dennis physically intimidating and had been briefly suspicious of him. However, when the prosecution asked whether he thought Dennis was capable of the crime, John replied, Not really. If it was just a fight or something, you could understand. But what actually happened to Lawrence? No way.

Dennis Haggard was now 14 years old. Before he began his testimony, the judge cautioned him that he wasn't required to answer any questions that might incriminate him. Following prodding from the defense, Dennis described a fight that he'd had with Lawrence several weeks before the murder. On that occasion, Lawrence had thrown a dart at his younger brother's leg, which pierced his skin. The defense suggested Dennis murdered Lawrence in revenge, quote, You were not the same kind of star at football, and that was why you burned his legs because you were jealous and angry. Dennis was adamant that he hadn't, telling the court that he had been proud of Lawrence. Detective Gordon Munro told the court of Brian Beatty's confession, which the defense was firmly rejecting. The document had been penned by police while Beatty was in custody, and he'd refused to sign it.

They maintained that their client was in Edinburgh from about 11pm to 2am the night of Lawrence Haggard's murder. However, a man who lived in the caravan next to Beatty's contradicted this claim. He said that he'd heard Beatty return home in his car between 10 and 11 that night, and didn't hear the car's engine again. When he went outside at 1.30am to dispose of some rubbish, the vehicle was in its usual parking spot. Brian Beatty told the court that the police had concocted his entire confession. He alleged that they had beaten him and used his nephews as leverage by threatening to put them into care and alleged that Beatty was molesting them. He said that he'd never admitted to the murder and had refused to sign the transcribed confession because it was entirely false. When the prosecution cross-examined Beatty, they accused him of having fantasies about abducting young men.

He denied this. Beatty said that he had only watched between 5 to 15 minutes of the pornographic video found in his home before switching it off because he didn't like it. During his testimony, Beatty began to sob. When asked why he was crying, he said, Because I am accused of this murder. I am not guilty. In summing up, the defense told the jury that the police had fabricated Beatty's confession because they were desperate to close the case. His lawyer told the court, The police were determined to get their man. They made up their mind they were going to solve this crime.

If police could not solve the murder fairly, then they would do it unfairly. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the defense calls the police liars. They pointed out that the interview in which Beatty allegedly confessed had not been recorded as others had been. The prosecution stated that if the police had indeed fabricated the confession, then they were such talented actors that they should be members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. They asserted that Beatty had broken down on the stand because he was haunted by his guilt. Before the jury was dismissed for deliberations, judge Lord Thomas Dawson made it clear to them that their verdict hinged on Beatty's alleged confession. He said, Either the police officers are lying, or the accused is not telling us the truth.

The jury returned with a verdict that same day. They found Brian Beatty guilty of the murder of Lawrence Haggart and of fire-raising. The courtroom erupted in cheers and applause. In addressing Beatty, judge Dawson described his unprovoked attack brutal and ferocious. He added that Beatty's criminal history was very serious and he was an extreme danger to the public. Judge Dawson sentenced Beatty to life in prison with a minimum of 15 years. His sentence for fire-raising would run concurrently with his sentence for murder. Larry Haggart was grateful to those who conducted the renewed investigation into his son's murder.

Yet he remained angry that it had taken more than two years to identify and convict Lawrence's killer. He accused Scotland police of botching the investigation by failing to verify Beatty's alibi and for not singling him out as a likely suspect based on his criminal history. Larry also stated that by focusing on Dennis as the perpetrator, the police had given Beatty a plan of defence. In the aftermath of the trial, the Haggart family lodged a civil complaint against central Scotland police. It addressed the investigation team's mishandling of the case and their poor conduct towards the Haggarts, including the persistent and baseless pursuit of Dennis as the killer. Dennis and John Haggart were awarded £20,000 in compensation. The police issued a public apology stating that the family should have received a much better performance. They were assured that the force had rectified its approach so that the same mistakes wouldn't be repeated.

Larry Haggart told BBC Scotland that he welcomed the apology, but he wanted the officers involved sacked. The mayhem they caused to the family, especially the two boys. To me, they've got off too lightly. In mid-1998, an independent inquiry was held to determine what exactly went wrong in central Scotland police's initial investigation into Lawrence Haggart's murder. Conducting the inquiry was Assistant Chief Constable James Mackay of the Tayside Police. His findings were published three months later in a document dubbed The Mackay Report. The details and outcome of the report were withheld from the public, including the Haggart family. Journalist Russell Finlay had covered the case extensively for the Sunday Mail and was intrigued as to why the report had been suppressed. But there was no avenue for him or anyone else to gain access to it.

Seven years later, in 2005, British Prime Minister Tony Blair passed the UK's Freedom of Information Act. This allowed members of the public to request access to information held by public authorities. Russell Finlay later wrote in his book, Acid Attack, a journalist's war with organised crime. I decided to seek a copy of the Haggart Report, so I approached Lawrence's dad Larry and submitted an application on his behalf. When it arrived, it made my blood run cold. The report revealed that in 1994, while serving time for abducting a teenage boy, Brian Beatty said he wished he'd killed his victim so that he could have escaped arrest. Social workers warned that Beatty was at high risk of reoffending, but he was released early on parole. By 1996, he had faded back into the Falkirk community.

Then, he was questioned in relation to the Lawrence Haggart case. The police accepted his alibi and he was promptly ruled out. The Mackay report confirmed that no effort was made to verify Beatty's whereabouts on the night of Lawrence's attack. Additionally, Beatty's criminal record wasn't accessed by investigators until almost a year later. It also noted that they didn't consider that the crime could have been sexually motivated. Furthermore, two officers had searched Beatty's car and caravan following the attack. They discovered a hammer and a petrol container, but disregarded them. In one of Beatty's previous attacks, he had struck a victim over the head with a glass bottle.

A glass bottle was found in the Haggart's kitchen, but wasn't flagged as significant. Another potential weapon went missing when a piece of green metal was collected from the home, but never logged as evidence. The report detailed how fire investigators had examined the living room for 90 minutes immediately after the attack. This was before the area was secured and examined for crucial evidence such as finger or footprints. Then there was the discovery that detectives had faked a diary entries in relation to their investigation. The fraudulent entries were exposed by the author's habit of referring to Lawrence as the deceased prior to his actual death. The report also addressed confusion surrounding the discovery of a hammer in the Haggart's kitchen. One officer who inspected the property with a team of experts two days after the attack stated that if the hammer was on the kitchen table at the time, they would have seen it.

The Haggart house was searched nine times before Detective Sergeant Robert Beveridge said he'd stumbled across the item by chance during a visit one week after the attack. The Makai report concluded that Sergeant Beveridge was lying and had planted the hammer himself. According to Assistant Chief Constable Makai, the corrupt actions of investigating officers were intended to pin the crime on 12-year-old Dennis Haggart. Sections of the report were not released to journalist Russell Finley. These included portions dealing with a criminal probe against the officers involved in the original investigation. Only a few received any disciplinary action. The case's second in command, Detective Inspector John Bunyan, was suspended in August of 1998. He faced five charges, including two counts of discredible conduct and three charges of neglect of duty.

The latter three charges were dropped after a lengthy disciplinary hearing. Inspector Bunyan was only found guilty of the two lesser offenses of discredible conduct. Detective Sergeant Robert Beveridge, the officer who planted the hammer in the Haggart's kitchen, was transferred out of the criminal investigation department, as was another sergeant. The case's former lead investigator, Detective Superintendent Jim Winning, avoided discipline by retiring from the force. Aged in his 40s, Winning cited health reasons for his early departure. Central Scotland Police had attempted to block his retirement, but were unsuccessful. Larry Haggart voiced his family's disappointment, telling the press, We have been fighting to get a bit of justice for our family for years. I just feel we haven't got it.

There is somebody answerable to the way we were treated, and as far as I'm concerned, nobody has come up with the answer yet. In 2003, Brian Beatty lost an appeal against his conviction. He was denied parole in 2012 and remains incarcerated as of the release of this episode. In October 2015, one of Beatty's nephews came forward to accuse his uncle of molesting him. Michael, not his real name, told The Sun that Beatty started abusing him in 1994, when Michael was 13 years old. He would serve Michael sugary alcoholic beverages known as Alcopops, then rape him. Michael told The Sun, quote, It was so traumatic I blocked it out. It was horrific. There were hundreds of incidents over a spell of three years.

I would regularly wake up some days with no clothes on and him lying next to me. There were times where I'd be upstairs doing my homework, and he'd just come into my room and start doing stuff to me. Michael was scared that if he fought back, Beatty might start abusing his brothers instead. After Lawrence Haggert was murdered in March 1996, Beatty took Michael for a walk past the Haggert House. He told his nephew that he had killed Lawrence, and if Michael ever told anyone, then he would kill him as well. According to Michael, Beatty threatened his life on multiple occasions. He once held a razor to Michael's throat. Another time, he claimed to have a gun hidden under a bridge that he would use to kill him. After Beatty was convicted for murder, he sent Michael a letter.

In it, he said he had naked photos of Michael. He blackmailed Michael into staying silent by threatening to release the images to his friends and family. Michael became a Royal Logistics Corps soldier, but struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and maintaining employment as a consequence of the abuse. His personal relationships also suffered. He told the son, He has turned me into a nervous person. I've made bad decisions and pushed away my family. My worry is now that he gets out. I think he'll try and kill me. I'm trying to move on with my life, but it's so difficult.

In March 2016, a football tournament was held in honour of Lawrence Haggett near his hometown. More than 100 players took part. A charity auction was also held in conjunction with the event to raise funds for a local girl battling cancer. Lawrence's brother Dennis gave an interview to the Scotsman newspaper about the event. Quote, The response has been phenomenal. Thanks to social media, we have heard from people my brother played with more than 20 years ago. We've been overwhelmed by messages of support. People are just delighted to see Lawrence being remembered in this way. After Lawrence's death, his father Larry continued to be involved in football by helping to coach a youth team.

He told the Herald Scotland that doing so helped with his mental health. When things got too difficult, he would rewatch home movies of Lawrence playing the sport. Larry often paused the videos at moments that reminded him of happy memories with his son. Quote, I had a lot of good times. It was short, but it was a pleasure. Thanks for watching.