THE Government made clear last night that it was ready to consider
further representations in the case of convicted murderer Raymond
Gilmour.
For more than eight years, Paisley South Labour MP Gordon McMaster has
been campaigning for a reinvestigation into Gilmour's conviction for the
rape and murder of 16-year-old schoolgirl Pamela Hastie, of Johnstone.
He has maintained that there is ''at least reasonable doubt'' about
the validity of the conviction.
In a late-night Commons debate, Mr McMaster raised a series of fresh
questions about the case, stating that ''a wealth of new evidence now
available'' cried out for a re-
appraisal of the case.
He said it was an open secret that the Gilmour case was discrediting
the Scottish system of justice, adding that a truly healthy system must
confront the possibility of error.
A petition with new evidence is being prepared on
behalf of Gilmour for submission to the Secretary of State, and,
replying to last night's debate, Scottish Office Minister Lord James
Douglas-Hamilton held out the prospect of a further examination.
He said: ''We stand ready to consider further representations on this
case. I can assure the House and Mr McMaster that any new submission on
Mr Gilmour's behalf will be carefully considered and further
investigations instructed if appropriate.''
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