AYRSHIRE MAN CONVICTED OF TRIPLE MURDER IN IRVINE BLAZE
A man from Ayrshire, Andrew Affleck, aged 25, was found guilty of murdering three young women in a fire.He was convicted of setting a blaze that trapped two sisters, Carrie Marie Murray, 12, and Anna Teraysa, 18, along with their 20-year-old friend Amanda Cooper, all of whom died due to the fire in Sanderson Avenue, Irvine, in March 2001.
The court also found Affleck guilty of attempting to murder Diane Docherty, 20, Alexander Parker, 21, and a five-year-old girl.
The trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock revealed that the sisters were only staying at the flat for a sleep-over when Affleck started the fire.
Scott Devine, a childhood friend of Affleck, was hailed as a hero after catching a child thrown from a window during the blaze, and he testified seeing Affleck fleeing the scene.
Devine initially hesitated to name Affleck but was pressured by police after experiencing nightmares and confiding in his girlfriend.
Affleck, an unemployed slaughterman and heroin addict, confessed to his girlfriend after taking drugs, saying, "It was me." Evidence showed that Affleck deliberately started the fire by setting fire to the front door of the flat, which was highly flammable.
Affleck claimed an alibi, stating he was at his brother's house nearby during the incident.
His brother, James Affleck, testified that Andrew was asleep when firefighters arrived and that he watched firefighters recover bodies from the charred flat.
The High Court found Affleck guilty of the murders but cleared him of two charges of threats against women.
He is set to be sentenced next month after background reports are prepared, and he remains in custody until then.
