'Limbs in the Loch' killer William Beggs to pay legal costs

William Beggs was jailed for life in October 2001

The man dubbed the 'Limbs in the Loch' murderer has been ordered to pay the costs of a legal battle he fought against Scotland's information commissioner.

William Beggs claimed Rosemary Agnew acted illegally over how she handled a freedom of information application he made from prison.

Last month, Lord Carloway ruled Ms Agnew had acted correctly.

The judge has now said Beggs has to pay the information commissioner's costs.

They are thought to be several thousand pounds.

Beggs had wanted to see notes from meetings held by the Scottish Prison Service's Internal Complaints Committee.

Loser pays

One committee meeting was held to discuss his complaint about how prison staff handled "privileged" legal mail which had been addressed to him.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh had earlier heard that Beggs owns property in Kilmarnock and has other assets, and could therefore pay the legal bill by selling them off.

The judge said that normal legal rules - that the loser pays the costs of the winner - must apply in the action.

Beggs was jailed for life in 2001 after murdering 18-year-old Barry Wallace and dismembering his body in December 1999 at a flat in Doon Place in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

He was previously jailed in 1987 for another murder, but his conviction was overturned on appeal.

Beggs lost a lengthy appeal to overturn his conviction for the murder of Mr Wallace.

Limbs and torso

During his trial, the court heard how Beggs cut up Mr Wallace's body and dropped the limbs and torso of his victim in Loch Lomond.

Beggs disposed of Mr Wallace's head by throwing it into the sea off the Ayrshire coast.

The trial judge who jailed Beggs, Lord Osborne, ordered that he serve a minimum of 20 years and said he took into account the "seriousness of the appalling offences".

The murderer has pursued a series of legal actions since he was jailed and previously won a payout because his appeal took too long to be heard.