COLIN WHITELAW'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN LLANELLI AND MIDLOTHIAN: A TALE OF HORROR AND REDEMPTION

In June 2019, Colin Whitelaw was officially released from incarceration and is now residing in a flat located in the Llanelli area. His appearance has changed significantly over the years; he now wears a hearing aid and relies on a walking stick to assist with mobility, reflecting the toll of his past. Despite his age and physical condition, Whitelaw has recently inherited a property on Norton Road in Penygroes, and he has been seen visiting the residence regularly, indicating ongoing ties to the area.

Whitelaw's criminal history is marked by a particularly heinous chapter dating back to August 2010, when he was convicted of multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of children. The court heard that he subjected three young victims to what was described as 'sadistic sexual terrorism,' a phrase that underscores the brutality of his actions. At the time, Whitelaw was working as an accountant in Port Talbot, and he provided a Llanelli address during his trial proceedings.

His case was brought before the High Court in Glasgow, where he faced a total of 12 charges involving three victims. These charges included assault causing injury, rape under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1922, and sodomy. The victims, all children, endured repeated assaults at various locations across Midlothian during the 1960s and 1970s. The severity of the crimes moved the jury to tears as they delivered their guilty verdicts.

One of the victims, who was attacked multiple times by Whitelaw, recounted his ordeal to the court. He revealed that he was threatened with violence if he ever disclosed the abuse, and he recounted a harrowing incident where he had to set his dog on Whitelaw to fend him off. The abuse only ceased years later when the victim threw a bottle of bleach at Whitelaw. It was only around three years prior to the trial that this victim confided in a psychiatrist while awaiting sentencing for a murder, revealing the full extent of his suffering.

The second victim testified that Whitelaw raped him and burned him with a lit cigarette, while the third victim described how she tore out clumps of her hair and flushed them down the toilet as a result of her nine-year ordeal. Whitelaw, a former soldier, married his gay partner of 23 years in a civil partnership last year, a detail that added complexity to his profile.

During the trial, Whitelaw claimed that the three victims had fabricated their stories, describing them as a 'pack of evil lies.' His legal representative, QC Donald Findlay, argued that Whitelaw maintained his innocence and believed he was the victim of a conspiracy. The judge, Bill Dunlop, condemned Whitelaw's actions as 'sick and grotesque,' emphasizing the betrayal of trust and the physical violation inflicted upon innocent children. The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, with an additional five years of supervision upon release, should that occur.

As Whitelaw was led away in handcuffs, his face appeared ashen, a stark contrast to the man he once was. The case shocked the community, and a spokesperson for Lewis, Ladd and Company, where Whitelaw had worked as an accountant, expressed their horror upon discovering his past. The firm revealed that Whitelaw had been employed through an agency in 2008, during which he claimed to be dealing with family problems in Scotland. He subsequently requested leave, and communication was cut off, leading to his departure from the company.

Whitelaw's release in 2019 marked a new chapter in his life, but the scars of his past crimes continue to resonate within the communities of Llanelli and Midlothian, serving as a grim reminder of the depths of human depravity and the importance of justice.