"Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us.
We will never hide from it. Never fear."
- William Struth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Truth And Justice - Police Scotland Must Leave No Stone Unturned

Written by: The Colour Blue
Thursday, 11th May 2017

In 1996, a supremely talented 15 year-old Celtic youth player was brutally murdered in his own home by serial paedophile Brian Beattie, who battered him to death then set fire to his body. Beattie was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for his appalling crime.

During the investigation, which was clouded by accusations of police corruption, former Celtic coach and kit-man Jim McCafferty was one of the suspects. McCafferty had been a regular visitor to the young players’ home and had phoned him on the day of the grotesque murder. That same year, McCafferty suddenly left his Celtic employ for what an unnamed club spokesman described as ‘personal reasons’. It was subsequently revealed that those ‘personal reasons’ were allegations of sexual impropriety towards young boys. Once again, as with an earlier case of paedophilia uncovered at Celtic FC, serious questions have been asked as to why those running the club declined to call the police when the allegations surfaced.

In December of 2016 McCafferty admitted to a newspaper that he had sexually abused ‘around a dozen’ young boys, five of whom he named. The BBC reported that he had allegedly sexually molested young Celtic players at his home in West Lothian. He has now been charged in Northern Ireland with sexual activity with a child. McCafferty had a close friendship with Celtic Boys Club founder James Torbett, another paedophile convicted and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for the sexual assault of a young Celtic player. Court transcripts revealed evidence that Celtic manager Jock Stein and Directors at the club covered up Torbett’s crimes. Another of McCafferty’s friends was Crewe Alexandria’s Barry Bennell who has appeared in court charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy aged 14.

It is feasible that McCaffety’s phone call to the young Celtic starlet on the day Beattie committed his murder was purely coincidence and perfectly innocent, however it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the phone call was made for more sinister purposes. Two paedophiles engaging with the victim on the same day - one by telephone and the other entering his home to commit the most heinous of crimes - arouses suspicion. During a recorded interview with the Daily Record, McCafferty stated ‘I’m probably as bad as the rest of them....but I hope they're going to apologise the same as I'm going to be doing.’ Who ‘the rest of them’ are remains unclear. Suspicions of a paedophile ring operating at Celtic remain.

Following Beattie’s conviction the then Assistant Chief Constable of Tayside Police James MacKay accused police detectives of planting evidence, namely a hammer, to try and frame the victims’ 12 year-old brother for the crime (Sunday Mail, June 5th 2005). Three officers of sergeant rank were subsequently disciplined with two being demoted (Sunday Herald, 10th March 2001). Detective Superintendent Jim Winning who led the investigation ‘took early retirement’, despite legal moves to block him from doing so by Deputy Chief Constable Mike Currie, aimed at forcing Winning to face a disciplinary hearing (Sunday Herald, 26th August 1998).

This whole episode brings scandal and shame upon those paid and duty bound to uphold the law. The family, friends and society in general deserve a full and thorough investigation into events, individuals and organisations surrounding this tragic tale. Police Scotland (not to mention the Scottish Football Association) need to leave no stone unturned in their quest for truth and justice.

 

by 1972
 
by D'Artagnan

   

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