Ian "Bronco" Macleod, 67, and his son Dean "Denim" Macleod, 43, were sentenced to life imprisonment at the High Court in Edinburgh in April 2004 with a punishment part of 34 years, after they both pled guilty to the double murder of Derek Johnston and Desmond Rowlings in November 2022.
Brutal attack on two vulnerable men
Desmond Rowlings, 66, and Derek Johnston, 37, were attacked with hammers, machetes, knives and a blow torch. Derek was repeatedly struck on the head with a machete and Stanley knife, had an ear and part of his nose cut off, and had nails forced into his eyes. He was also hit on the head with a hammer, which was left embedded there, and the letters YLT and other initials were burned into his forehead. Desmond was attacked with the same weapons, had gang slogan letters burned into his body with a blowtorch, suffered partial removal of his ears and nose, and had multiple stab wounds to the face. The initials YLT are believed to be a reference to the local gang, the Young Leith Team.
Planned and covered up
The mutilated bodies of Derek and Desmond were discovered at Ian Macleod's home in Greendykes Road in Edinburgh's Craigmillar by officers after concern for Desmond's whereabouts by his partner. Police discovered the attacks had been planned weeks in advance. Father and son had bought blue plastic overshoes, white forensic suits and goggles in a failed bid to cover up the evidence. These items were found in a holdall on the living room floor, together with Stanley blades, duct tape, a saw and a box of nails. Also found were cable ties, a saw and bloodstained blue gloves. In a rucksack, police found body parts of both men. An incriminating handwritten note from Dean was found in the hallway, saying: "what we done was evil and sadistic."
Judge's condemnation
Trial judge Lord Arthurson described the case as one of the worst to come before the courts. He told the Macleods: "The offending by each of you in this case is offending of exceptional gravity. This is, on any view, one of the worst cases of murder ever to come before the High Court of Justiciary. The violence was extreme, sustained and prolonged, demonstrating exceptional brutality and sadism. Your victims, who were vulnerable individuals, had done you no harm whatsoever. You have displayed no empathy or remorse to even the smallest extent in respect of your victims and their families. Your appalling crimes demonstrate on your part an immense capacity for wickedness, depravity and sadism. Your conduct in this case was indeed the cowardly action of monsters, a killing frenzy which can be characterised as recreational murder, in which you killed and tormented your victims for no reason other than bloodlust and your own pleasure."
Both victims had been alive for several hours after the first injuries were inflicted. Derek was found to have at least 28 separate injuries to the head, neck and upper and lower limbs, while Desmond had 136 to the head, neck, front and back torso and upper and lower limbs. The walls and ceiling were extensively bloodstained.
Aftermath and family tribute
Dean Macleod was found dead last year at Low Moss prison in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow. His father, a former Hibs casual, outlived him. Dean's defence counsel Mark Stewart KC said he had suffered mental health issues for a number of years. Brian McConnachie KC, defending Ian, said he had health issues including Parkinson's disease and "understood" that he would probably never be set free.
Following sentencing, Derek Johnston's sister Pamela and mother Angela said: "We were so proud of him – and although he was not without his own struggles in life, he battled on with inspirational resilience. Our hearts and minds are filled with pain, devastation, heartbreak and trauma where happiness, hopes and dreams once existed. Our faith in humanity is shattered. In our opinion – in the absence of capital punishment - there is no justifiable sentence that fits this cruel, calculated, callous and horrific crime. But today, we saw those monsters put behind bars for good."
