A CLERK in a law firm who bludgeoned a prostitute to death with his car jack after she ridiculed him about his failure to have sex was jailed for life yesterday.
Relatives and friends of the dead woman cheered at the sentence and hurled abuse at John Law as he was led away.
Law, 31, admitted murdering mother-of-four Mrs Christine Dinnie, 40, in West Bowling Green Street, Leith, Edinburgh, on October 7 last year by repeatedly striking her on the head with the jack.
Mr Gerard Moynihan, Advocate-depute, told the High Court in Edinburgh that Mrs Dinnie, of Hay Road, Niddrie, Edinburgh, had gone to Leith shortly before midnight for the purposes of prostitution.
She met Law and went with him in his car to West Bowling Green Street, where her body was found at 7.35am next day.
Police inquiries identified Law as a potential witness but, as a result of an interview at his workplace and other information, it became clear his involvement was much greater.
Later that day, October 11, Law, of Harbour Road, Bo'ness, West Lothian, confessed.
According to Law, he had attempted intercourse with Mrs Dinnie but was unsuccessful and she became sarcastic.
He went round to the passenger side, dragged her out of the car and punched her in the face. There was some confusion about what happened next but at some point the boot of the car was opened and Law reached inside for the jack.
He struck her with the jack and she fell. While she was on the ground, he struck her with the jack again.
Mr Derek Ogg, defence counsel, told the court that Law was an administrative clerk with an Edinburgh firm of solicitors. For a number of years he had suffered from depression and drink-related problems.
At the time of the offence he had recently split up from his girlfriend. He was sitting in his car in Leith when he was approached by Mrs Dinnie and agreed to go for sex with her.
He tried to have sex but failed, because of his anxiety and depression. She ridiculed him and demanded to be taken back to where he had picked her up.
A struggle took place but there was no violence on the part of the victim to justify any defence of provocation. The victim's behaviour may have been due to her having taken a substantial amount of methadone - enough to kill a person not used to it.
Law had just snapped. All the anxieties and depression of the previous years boiled up and, tragically, resulted in the death of Mrs Dinnie.
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