Father and son blowtorch murderers jailed for life

After the sentencing, Derek Johnston’s sister Pamela Johnston and mother Angela Couzens issued a statement saying he “should and would be remembered for the courageous, kind and caring soul he was”.

They added: “We were so proud of him – and although he was not without his own struggles in life, he battled on with inspirational resilience.

“Our hearts and minds are filled with pain, devastation, heartbreak and trauma where happiness, hopes and dreams once existed.

“Our faith in humanity is shattered. In our opinion – in the absence of capital punishment – there is no justifiable sentence that fits this cruel, calculated, callous and horrific crime. But today, we saw those monsters put behind bars for good.”

Moira Orr, the procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the “savage” nature of the attacks had sent “shockwaves through the local community”.

She said: “While the families of Derek and Desmond will never recover from the murders inflicted upon their loved ones, I hope these guilty pleas bring them some comfort that justice has been served.

“Today’s sentence spares them the distressing ordeal of a trial reliving the deaths of their loved ones. Our thoughts remain with them.”