THE man who murdered a German tourist and attempted to murder his wife

and daughter was yesterday given two life sentences, with a

recommendation that he spend a minimum of 20 years in prison.

James Boyce, 53, of Gallowflat Street, Rutherglen, admitted murdering

Thomas Boedeker, 53, of Stuttgart, and attempting to murder his wife

Renate, 47, daughter Julia, 20, and son Just, 15, when he appeared at

the High Court in Glasgow. Boyce also admitted robbing the women.

The court heard that the Strathclyde bus cleaner had surprised the

Boedeker family in June as they finished breakfast outside their camper

near Stranraer.

He demanded money from Mr Boedeker, but shot him before he could hand

it over. The German's daughter took his wallet from his pocket and

handed it to Boyce, but he shot her twice.

Boyce then turned his wartime revolver on Mrs Boedeker and shot her in

the abdomen.

As their son, Just, ran off, Boyce shot him through the arm. The boy

managed to reach the A77 and stop a passing motorist to raise the alarm.

Mr Ian Bonomy, QC, prosecuting, then told the court that Boyce stabbed

the mother and daughter several times with a large kitchen knife and

left them for dead.

Mrs Bodeker spent several days in a critical condition after surgery

at Glasgow's Western Infirmary. Julia was treated at Dumfries Infirmary.

Mr Bonomy said that Mr Boedeker was an architect and his wife a

voluntary social worker dealing with refugees.

The family had parked their camper in a quiet spot near Cairnryan and

had just finished breakfast when Boyce appeared carrying the gun in one

hand and the large knife in the other.

Mr Boedeker approached him and Boyce demanded money. But without

waiting for the German to reply, he shot him twice in the arm and

abdomen.

Mr Bonomy said the police launched a huge manhunt, but it was three

hours before they were able to reach the injured women.

As the police hunt intensified, a farmer reported seeing a man acting

suspiciously in his fields and Boyce was surrounded and arrested.

He was caught out by four wet Bank of England five pound notes which

were traced to the German family's bank in Stuttgart.

The gun and the knife have never been found, but the type of firearm

was identified by bullets taken from the victims. Bullets were found in

Boyce's locker at his work, but they were of a different calibre.

Until his arrest, he had worked as a cleaner at the Strathclyde Buses

depot at Parkhead, and as an odd-job man at riding stables near Glasgow.

Mr Bonomy said that the only suggestion about Boyce's presence in the

area was that he had an arrangement the following weekend to attend

Orange Order marches in Belfast, which he had attended in the past as a

member of the Apprentice Boys of Derry.

But Mr Donald Findlay, QC, defending, said there was no connection

between Boyce's crimes and Northern Ireland.

Boyce had headed to the south of Scotland to carry out a robbery.

He said he had asked Boyce one simple question: ''Did you kill the

German tourist?''

Mr Findlay said Boyce replied: ''Yes.''

Mr Findlay said that, considering Boyce's age, any life sentence would

mean he would be an old man by the time of his release.

But if a minimum recommendation was imposed then the life sentence

would become, for Boyce, a death sentence.

Despite this, Lord Cullen told Boyce: ''My recommendation, having

regard to the danger to the public, is that you should not be released

until 20 years have passed.''

At this point, a woman ran screaming from the court as Boyce, married

with a grown-up family, was taken to the cells.

The court heard that Boyce had several convictions, mainly for

dishonesty and, in 1985 at the High Court in Airdrie, had been jailed

for five years for assault and robbery.

In October 1987, he was jailed for 18 months for escaping from prison.

Continued on page 2

Continued from page 1