Carers of missing Margaret Fleming found guilty of her murder

The carers of missing woman Margaret Fleming have been found guilty of her murder.

Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, killed Ms Fleming between December 18, 1999, and January 5, 2000 at their Inverkip home.

Ms Fleming, who had learning difficulties and would now be 38, was reported missing in 2016 but has not been seen in 19 years.

No trace of her body has yet been found despite a huge search operation by police.

Following a seven-week trial, jurors found the couple murdered Ms Fleming by unknown means between December 18 1999 and January 5 2000 at their home in Inverkip, Inverclyde, or elsewhere in Scotland, and then tried to cover up the crime for almost 18 years.

Jones was also convicted unanimously of fraudulently claiming £182,000 in benefits by pretending Ms Fleming was alive.

The jury took around three hours over two days to reach their majority verdict on the murder charge.

Cairney and Jones will be sentenced next month.

Police launched an investigation after it became apparent in October 2016 that Ms Fleming was missing.

Routine social services inquiries were said to have sparked concerns over her whereabouts.

The case attracted major police resources and significant media attention as it was claimed the last independent sighting of her was actually at a family event on December 17 1999.

As the inquiry progressed, it appeared something “sinister” had happened and she may have come to harm.

Specialist search teams combed the cottage where she lived and excavated its grounds for clues to help track her down.

Her supposed carers were arrested in October 2017.

During their trial, which began in April this year, Ms Fleming was described by prosecutors as a “friendless and lonely” young woman who had significant difficulties.

She went to live at the Seacroft home of the accused following the death of her father when she was a teenager after those closest to her “didn’t want her”.

By October 1999, various benefits for Ms Fleming flowed into the household, which was said to have had financial difficulties.

The Crown suggested it was “tempting” for the couple to have the money but not the “inconvenience” of looking after her.

How, and exactly when, Ms Fleming died, may never be fully known. It remains, as the defence highlighted, a case without a body and without a crime scene.

Holding them jointly responsibility for the death, the Crown claimed the couple “literally got away with murder for 16 years”.

Money was the motive behind the “terrible” crime, the court heard, with the pair cooking up an “elaborate scheme” to conceal her disappearance.

They were ultimately brought down by “greed, arrogance and lies” after Jones made claims of Ms Fleming having “fantastical” illnesses and conditions in correspondence with benefits officials.

As police zoned in on the couple, their fabricated stories to explain Ms Fleming’s absence became increasingly “farcical” as they tried to reconcile claims she was both working as a gangmaster and capable of travelling overseas, and that she was someone with major difficulties requiring a number of benefits.

Judge Lord Matthews will sentence the pair on July 17.

Detective Superintendent Paul Livingstone, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “Margaret was a very vulnerable young woman who was manipulated, abused, neglected and ultimately murdered by the two people who should have been looking after her.

“It is clear that one of Cairney and Jones’ motivation was money…

“For many years, Cairney and Jones kept up the pretence that Margaret was still alive, going as far as to write letters claiming to be from her.

“Margaret was described as being a funny, caring young woman who, despite having some mild learning difficulties, just wanted to be liked and to have friends.”

He added: “The treatment which she was subjected to can only be described as horrific and the conditions in which she lived in were utterly disgusting and uninhabitable.

“For Cairney and Jones to continue the charade that she was still alive for all these years is abhorrent, with one of their reasons for doing so being for financial gain.

“We will never know just how Margaret was killed. What we do know is that she lived her last days in what can only be described as a living hell. She must have felt that she was alone in the world with no one coming to help her which is just heartbreaking to think of.”