Killers lose human rights case over phone calls block

O'Neill and Lauchlan murdered Alison McGarrigle and dumped her body at sea

Two men jailed for murder and child sex abuse have lost a bid to have the UK Supreme Court consider whether prison bosses breached their human rights.

Charles O'Neill and William Lauchlan had been allowed to phone each other from separate jails until the practice was stopped in 2018.

They argued their previous sexual relationship meant they should be classed as "near relatives".

The calls block, they said, breached their right to private and family life.

The killers had each sought £35,000 in damages for hurt feelings.

Lawyers for O'Neill and Lauchlan - both serving life or killing 39-year-old Alison McGarrigle and dumping her body in the Firth of Clyde - wanted to take the case to the UK's highest court.

But after three separate rulings at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, it has now been dismissed.

The men murdered Allison McGarrigle, who intended to report them for abuse

Judges Lady Dorrian, Lord Tyre and Lord Malcolm ruled there was no "arguable point of law which requires consideration at this time".

O'Neill and Lauchlan were convicted of murdering Mrs McGarrigle, of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, in 1997 after she threatened to report their child abuse crimes to the police.

They dumped her body in the sea and it was never recovered.

O'Neill is serving at least 30 years in prison while Lauchlan was given a minimum 26-year term.

They were also convicted in a separate trial of sexual abuse and grooming.