A MAN awaiting trial for the murder of an elderly neighbour has been
found dead in his cell at Greenock Prison. The mystery surrounding the
murder of pensioner Mrs Nan Quinn, 77, may now never be solved.
Detectives had assembled a substantial case against Mr Thomas Byrne,
40, Mrs Quinn's close neighbour in flats at Violet Grove, George Street,
Dunoon. Mr Byrne hanged himself just before noon yesterday.
An unemployed loner who did odd jobs around the Argyll town, he had a
lengthy record of violence and dishonesty. He received a seven-year
sentence for a stabbing in Aberdeen and had spent much of his adult life
in and out of prisons. It is understood that forensic tests revealed no
apparent sexual motive for Mrs Quinn's killing. Police had considerable
evidence pointing towards Mr Byrne yet what the precise motive was for
the murder apparently remained unclear.
Robbery or extortion were the two most likely theories and detectives
were continuing their investigation in an attempt to piece together the
circumstances surrounding the killing.
There will be an internal prison inquiry into Mr Byrne's death with
the possibility that the procurator fiscal at Greenock may order a fatal
accident inquiry.
An inquiry is also a possibility into the death of Mrs Quinn whose
body was discovered in December beside a track on the east shore of Loch
Striven, 14 miles south of Dunoon.
A council roadman, working alone on drainage maintenance, found her
body under an old carpet among bracken in a sparsely populated area.
Mrs Quinn, who was last seen leaving a carers' meeting at a Baptist
hall in Dunoon on November 2, had been missing for six weeks.
She had planned to visit her elderly husband, James, an Alzheimer's
sufferer, at Finnert More Nursing Home, but never arrived. An active
member of the local senior citizens' group, her death caused widespread
shock throughout the close Cowal community.
Forensic examination showed that the slightly-built woman had been
subjected to violence. She was still wearing jewellery when found.
A team of 30 Strathclyde police officers, headed by Detective Chief
Inspector Jeanette Joyce of Dumbarton CID, were involved in the murder
hunt after the discovery of the body.
Mrs Quinn's daughter, Mrs Ann Rayner, travelled from Hampshire to
identify the body.
Mr Byrne was arrested three days later and appeared before Sheriff
Alistair Noble at Dunoon charged with murder the following day. He was
remanded in custody.
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