Angry letters insist `I'm no pervert'

AFTER THE MASSACRE

PETER VICTOR

Thomas Hamilton posted a bundle of letters railing against being branded a pervert just a day before he went on his killing spree.

The letters provide a chilling picture of a man who became increasingly bitter and obsessed that he was a victim of injustice. Refused a sympathetic audience, he was determined the authorities would take notice of him, albeit from beyond the grave. They are written in flawless English, but assume that recipients, including the Queen and Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth, are already aware of his grievances.

Copies of the seven letters - including one to the Queen and two to Mr Forsyth - reached the BBC, The Scotsman, The Herald in Glasgow and STV in Scotland yesterday morning.

Writing to the Queen just a week ago in her capacity as Patron of the Scout Association, he complained that a colleague "was passing information within the District Scout area that I was pervert". The 43-year-old loner claimed: "I know that no child has ever made any complaint of a sinister or sexual nature against me."

Hamilton also said rumours had reached "epidemic proportions" adding: "I cannot even walk the streets for fear of embarrassing ridicule."

In his letter to Mr Forsyth, his local MP, dated March 24 1993, Hamilton claimed he was the subject of a "full scale pervert hunt", a "modern day witch-hunt" by police.

Hamilton said complaints that he photographed children were an insufficient basis for a full-scale investigation.

"Such a complaint against myself, claiming that I was taking photographs of the children and the purely malicious innuendos associated with this claim, is too vague to be found on and should not have resulted in a full scale police hunt", he wrote.

Taking the photographs had a "proper and legitimate purpose", he claimed, but failed to elaborate.

Mr Forsyth said today he had received several letters from Hamilton and had spoken to him face-to-face a few times at his constituency surgery.

Police told the Scottish Secretary privately that they had concerns over Hamilton, but did not have enough evidence to prosecute.