Man jailed for suitcase killing

Water of Leith, where Timothy Wallace was found

A 24-year-old man who murdered his vulnerable friend and concealed his body in a suitcase before dumping it in a river has been jailed for life.

Kevin Gibson was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh of murdering Timothy Wallace, 24, at a homeless hostel in the city.

He was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Lord Dawson told Gibson he must serve at least 15 years in prison before being considered for parole.

Mr Wallace had been staying at the Dunedin Harbour Hostel and his remains were discovered in the Water of Leith on 28 July last year.

Gibson punched and kicked the victim, stamped on his head and body, repeatedly hit him with a belt and threw a kettle of boiling water over him.

Passing sentence, Lord Dawson said: "No words of mine can possibly bring Timothy Wallace back to life.

Justice was done, Timmy didn't deserve that Martin Edmunds Timothy Wallace's stepfather

"No words of mine can adequately express the public revulsion for your behaviour towards him, your friend.

"All I can do is reflect that revulsion in the only severe sentence the law allows for the crime of murder."

The judge also told the nine women and six men on the jury that because the trial had been so distressing they were excused further jury service for life.

Mr Wallace, from Galashiels, had suffered all his life from the after-effects of meningitis when he was a child.

'Surreal' trial

He was described as a vulnerable and trusting individual.

Speaking after the verdict, the victim's stepfather Martin Edmunds, 44, said he was glad the family's ordeal was over and said it was like a surreal documentary film.

He said: "You always think when the verdict comes up you are going to jump up and go "yes" or want to punch the guy in the head, but it wasn't like that.

"I didn't know how to react. We're just happy about the verdict. We thought it was right.

"We thought the evidence in the trial pointed to Kevin Gibson and that was it.

'Piece of rubbish'

"Justice was done, Timmy didn't deserve that."

Asked about his attitude towards Gibson, Mr Edmonds added: "In all honesty, I've thought less and less about him as the case has gone on.

"It's been surreal. You look at the guy and you don't see a murderer. You see just an ordinary laddie."

Advocate Depute Dorothy Bain, for the prosecution, said Mr Wallace had been squashed like a sardine into the suitcase and tossed into the river "like a piece of rubbish".

The weighted case was recovered from the river two weeks later.

Training shoe patterns matching those of Gibson's were found on the victim's thighs.

Pathologist Professor Anthony Busuttil said the marks had been made after Mr Wallace had died, possibly as Gibson had tried to force him into the suitcase.