In October 1988, 26-year-old drug courier Paul Thorne arrived in Glasgow from Bristol with a £30,000 consignment of amphetamine sulphate, worth £85,000 today. He was met by four Glasgow men and a Spaniard, Ricardo Blanco, and agreed to stay at a safe house in Ayrshire while the drugs were sold. The gang stopped to buy a spade and fish and chips, later joking it was Thorne's 'last supper'.
The Murder on Fenwick Moor
Outside the village of Moscow, the five men took Thorne into a wooded area on Fenwick Moor. Blanco, 26, used a sawn-off shotgun to blow off part of Thorne's jaw. John Paul McFadyen, 24, reloaded and shot him at point-blank range. Thomas Collins, 25, and Thomas Currie, 28, also took turns shooting the victim. A fifth man, Stephen Mitchell, 26, refused and ran off. They dug a grave with the spade, placed Thorne's body inside, and covered it with a mattress. The gun was dumped in the River Clyde, the spade in a bin, and Thorne's belongings burned.
Discovery and Investigation
Nine months later, in June 1989, detectives arrested a husband and wife for drug dealing. They offered information about a murder on Fenwick Moor in exchange for leniency. Collins, Currie, and Mitchell were arrested and named McFadyen and Blanco as accomplices. Police had no name for the victim other than 'Paul' and no exact burial location. McFadyen was already on remand for brandishing a gun; Blanco, known as 'The Mad Spaniard,' was suspected of killing a man while deserting the French Foreign Legion.
Detective Superintendent Joe Jackson led the investigation. He said: 'The priority from day one was to find Paul Thorne's body.' Collins, Mitchell, and Currie were taken to the moors to locate the grave, but the area was 30 square miles. Police used heat-seeking cameras and dogs, with over 100 officers involved at one stage. The murder weapon was never found, and the spade yielded no forensic evidence.
Breakthrough and Trial
A breakthrough came when Blanco was arrested at Bristol Airport. He admitted his part, identified the victim as Paul Leslie Thorne, and described the burial. The woman known as 'Scouse' gave a statement about her trip with Thorne. Police also traced the van rental firm, and a photo of Currie showed Blanco in the background.
In October 1989, McFadyen, Blanco, Collins, Currie, and Mitchell stood trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court—the longest murder trial in Scottish legal history at 47 days. Mitchell had charges dropped in return for testimony, revealing that Blanco and McFadyen laughed as they shot Thorne. McFadyen, Blanco, and Collins were convicted of murder and received life sentences. Currie was found 'not proven' after his lawyer argued Thorne was dead by the time he fired the fourth shot. McFadyen was ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years; Blanco, 15 years.
Aftermath
To this day, Paul Thorne's body has never been found. Joe Jackson retired in 1992 after 32 years. He said: 'I think they thought it was a hoax and that we wouldn't solve it. We never found the body or the mattress. However, we got the conviction against all the odds and it was a very satisfying moment.'
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Three men were convicted in connection with the death of Paul Thorne in 1989. Mr Thorne's remains have never been found. Any new information received will be fully assessed and any necessary action taken. Anyone who may have information about this case is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101.'
