World’s End killer drops appeal against conviction

However, he is continuing to appeal against his minimum sentence of 37 years, the longest ever handed down by a court in Scotland, according to BBC News.

The 70-year old was already serving two life sentences when he was tried for the second time for the murders of 17-year olds Christine Eadie and Helen Scott in 1977.

Sinclair, originally acquitted of the murders in 2007, was tried again after theDouble Jeopardy (Scotland) Act 2011 took effect, introducing exceptions to a long-standing ban on re-trying defendants for the same crime.

He was the first person in Scotland to be re-tried under the rules.

Mr Sinclair was already serving a life sentence for the rape and indecent assault of 11 girls, the youngest of whom was six, between 1978 and 1982.

He was later found guilty in 2001 of raping, strangling and stabbing 17-year old Mary Gallacher in 1978 and was handed a second life sentence, making the World’s End life sentence his third.

He was originally expected to appeal his latest conviction on the basis that his trial was not fair because of the particular nature of the case.

The appeal could have further clarified the application of the relatively new double jeopardy legislation.

A spokesperson for the High Court of Justiciary confirmed in May that a judge had considered the appeal and permitted a hearing.