The death of Johnstone serial killer Peter Tobin is to be the subject of an investigation

An inquest has been launched into the death of Johnstone murderer Peter Tobin.

The serial killer died on October 8, 2022 at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI).

He had been an inmate at HMP Edinburgh and had served three life sentences for the murders of three women and girls.

He was admitted to the emergency room on September 9, 2022 after falling in his cell.

While in hospital under the supervision of GeoAmey officials, the 76-year-old was treated for a broken hip and received palliative care after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has announced that a Fatal Injury Inquiry (FAI) will now be conducted to determine the circumstances that led to his death in custody.

A preliminary hearing will take place at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, May 27. Prosecuting attorney Andy Shanks said: “The Lord Advocate is of the view that Peter Tobin's death occurred while he was in custody and therefore a fatal accident inquiry is imperative.”

“The filing of the first notice allows the FAI process to commence under the direction of the sheriff.”

Tobin, who was born in Johnstone and lived for periods in Paisley, Renfrew and Glasgow as well as the south of England, was first convicted of murder in 2007.

The twisted murderer was found guilty of beating 23-year-old Angelika Kluk to death. The Polish student disappeared in September 2006 while working as a cleaner at a church in Glasgow.

Another of Tobin's victims was 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton, whose murder he was convicted of in 2008 after her remains were found in a house in Margate where he lived in the 1990s. She was last seen waiting for a bus to Falkirk in 1991. A search of the same property a month later uncovered the remains of 18-year-old sixth former Dinah McNicol from Tillingham, Essex, who disappeared on August 5, 1991 after hitchhiking back from a festival in Liphook, Hampshire, when Tobin picked her up.

He is also believed to have been involved in many other murders. Tobin was suspected of the murder of Dorothea Meechan, whose body was found in 1971 in Renfrew, where he lived.

Before Tobin died, police had investigated hundreds of unsolved cases to see if they could be linked to the killer. His prison cell was sealed after his death and his personal belongings, including letters and papers, were examined for evidence.

His body was not claimed and his cremation was eventually organized by Edinburgh City Council. His ashes were secretly thrown into the sea.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature and are intended to establish facts rather than assign blame.

The purpose of the FAI includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the death occurred and to determine what, if any, appropriate precautions could have been taken and implemented in the future to minimize the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.