Viewers tuning into BBC documentary Limbs in The Loch, have been shocked by details of William Beggs' crimes - they're also wondering what happened to him and where he is now.
True crime documentaries and dramatisations are always a point of intrigue for viewers, and TV networks and streamers feed this appetite with gusto. The latest six-part documentary to hit the BBC and delve into a terrible crime, is Limbs in the Loch: Catching a Killer. The series focuses on the cold December morning when the limbs of Barry Wallace were discovered in Loch Lomond, and the ensuing international man hunt for the man responsible.
William Beggs was the man eventually arrested for the murder, and the series has seen rising interest in his whereabouts in the aftermath of the killing. Most recently, the dramatisation of horrifying crimes carried out by John Sweeney in Until I Kill You left viewers wondering where he is now, and also what happened to his only surviving victim, Delia Balmer. With those tuning in to Limbs in The Loch asking similar questions about William Beggs, we took a look at his current whereabouts, also.
Warning: This article contains references to sensitive subject matters
Where is William Beggs now?
William Beggs remains in prison for the murder of Barry Wallace. He was handed a life sentence and told he must serve at least 20 years before he could be considered for parole. By 2019 he'd served 20 years but has been denied parole despite protesting his innocence and making numerous appeals to be released.
Since his incarceration, Beggs has become something of a serial litigant, with many actions raised in the Scottish courts thought to have cost over £1million in legal aid. He has made complaints against everything from his treatment in prison, to requests to reinvestigate and overturn his conviction.
In 2023, Beggs launched yet another appeal to be granted parole. However, the Parole Board for Scotland refused his application for release. Beggs retaliated by raising a judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh ,but denial for parole remained in place.
According to the BBC, Judge Lord Richardson who refused his petition, said he was "entirely satisfied" that the decision had been made with correct consideration. The parole board tribunal reported that Beggs had refused to comply with offence-focused work while in prison, citing this as one of the main reason parole was denied.
Beggs, undeterred, suggested the decision remained unlawful as it breached human rights legislation. Lord Richardson dismissed Beggs' claims, concluding they "would not lead the fair-minded observer to conclude that there was a real possibility that the (parole board) tribunal lacked either independence or impartiality".
What did William Beggs do?
This wasn't the first crime commit by Beggs. In May 1987, the remains of 28-year-old Barry Oldham were found near Cleveland Forest. His throat had been cut and attempts made to dismember his body. It transpired he and Beggs had been in a brief relationship and Beggs was later arrested and charged with the murder.
He was actually found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the conviction was overturned two years later on a technicality. Moving to Kilmarnock, Beggs struck up a friendship with a man named Brian McQuillan. He later attacked Brian with a razor, but he managed to escape through a window.
Beggs was jailed for six years for this attack, undergoing psychiatric assessment. He was found not to need treatment and spent three years in prison instead. Barry Wallace was Beggs' final victim. On December 5, 1999, Barry was out for his work Christmas party. On his way to get a taxi home, he ran into Beggs who offered him a lift.
Despite Beggs being a stranger to him, Barry accepted. Barry later died during an assault carried out at Beggs flat. When his dismembered remains were found and a murder investigation underway, Beggs was a suspect immediately because of his prior history. By this time however, he'd fled the country.
Police forces across Europe joined the search for him, but Beggs surrendered at an Amsterdam police station.
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