Father and son blowtorch murderers jailed for life

Ian MacLeod and his son Dean must serve at least 34 years in prison before being able to apply for parole

A father and son who murdered and mutilated two men with a blowtorch have been jailed for life.

Ian MacLeod, 66, and Dean McLeod, 42, killed Derek Johnston, 37, and Desmond Rowlings, 66, at a flat in Edinburgh in 2022.

Both victims had body parts cut off and letters burned into their heads during the attacks.

The father and son admitted murdering their victims when they appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh last year.

The bodies of Desmond Rowlings (left) and Derek Johnston were discovered at a block of flats in Craigmillar

Judge Lord Arthurson ordered that the pair should serve at least 34 years in jail before they can apply to be released on parole.

They are among the longest sentences imposed in Scotland - the longest to date was 37 years given to serial killer Angus Sinclair. Emma Caldwell's killer Ian Packer was given 36 years in prison last month.

The judge said it was, in his view, "one of the worst cases of murder to come before the High Court".

He endorsed the words of one bereaved family member who described the murders as "the cowardly actions of monsters".

Warning: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting

The court heard that the pair repeatedly struck Mr Johnson on the head with a machete and Stanley knife at a flat in the Craigmillar area of the city.

They also repeatedly hit him on the head with a hammer - leaving it embedded in his head - and burned the letters YLT into his forehead.

The killers also cut off an ear and part of his nose and forced nails into his eyes.

The father and son admitted murdering Mr Rowlings after repeatedly striking him with a Stanley knife and machetes and hitting him with a hammer.

He had the letters YLT, VT and YT burned into his body with a blowtorch and parts of his nose, upper lip and both ears were cut off.

'Horrific crime'

After the sentencing, Derek Johnston’s sister Pamela Johnston and mother Angela Couzens issued a statement saying he "should and would be remembered for the courageous, kind and caring soul he was".

They added: “We were so proud of him – and although he was not without his own struggles in life, he battled on with inspirational resilience.

“Our hearts and minds are filled with pain, devastation, heartbreak and trauma where happiness, hopes and dreams once existed.

“Our faith in humanity is shattered. In our opinion – in the absence of capital punishment - there is no justifiable sentence that fits this cruel, calculated, callous and horrific crime. But today, we saw those monsters put behind bars for good."

Moira Orr, the procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the "savage" nature of the attacks had sent "shockwaves through the local community".

She said: "While the families of Derek and Desmond will never recover from the murders inflicted upon their loved ones, I hope these guilty pleas bring them some comfort that justice has been served.

"Today’s sentence spares them the distressing ordeal of a trial reliving the deaths of their loved ones. Our thoughts remain with them."

After the murders police found a note written by Dean MacLeod in the flat which said what they had done was "evil and sadistic" and that he had "pleaded for help for decades".

His defence counsel Mark Stewart KC said MacLeod has suffered mental health issues for a number of years.

Brian McConnachie KC, defending his father, said he has health issues including Parkinson's disease.

He said MacLeod senior understood the sentence to be imposed on him would be "a death sentence" as he would not be coming out of custody.