Colin Coats

Colin Coats, a violent male transvestite, was convicted of the abduction, torture and murder of a 27 year old lesbian woman, a financial adviser named Lynda Spence. The Daily Record reports that he has a history of violence against women.

Coats was sentenced to a minimum of 33 years in jail at the High Court in Glasgow in 2013.

Coats and his accomplice Philip Wade inflicted a catalogue of horrific violence on Ms Spence including smashing her knee caps with a golf club, chopping off her thumb (to threaten another man with, who allegedly owed Coates money), crushing her toes and burning her hands with an iron during almost two weeks of holding her captive before killing her in April 2011. Coats is believed to have cut off Ms Spence’s head before disposing of her body, which has never been found.

Judge Lord Pentland said that Coats was “a manipulative devious and cruel personality” and branded him “an extremely dangerous man”.

In 2017, Coats listed Ms Spence as a witness in his proceeds of crime hearing.

Coats’ 2014 failed appeal is available here. (CW: details of extreme violence)

Update August 2019

Coats, now 48,  was convicted of possessing a weapon in prison, a piece of plastic cutlery sharpened to form a blade. His not guilty pleas to two charges of assaulting fellow prisoners, John Luke and Stephen Campbell, were accepted.

Coats was sentenced to serve four months to run alongside his life term. He also received three weeks in segregation and was transferred from maximum security prison HMP Shotts to HMP Glenochil.

Photo via Daily Record

Media reports

Glasgow Evening Times https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/20157479.lynda-spence-torture-murder-glasgow-financial-adviser/  archive

Scottish Sun https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/4666213/colin-coats-killer-torture-lynda-spence-murder-glasgow/  archive

Scottish Sun https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4402247/caged-brute-murderer-jail-fight-colin-coats/

BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-21181144  archive

Daily Record http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/colin-coats-filmed-dressed-woman-1819509  archive  archive

Daily Record http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cross-dressing-torture-murderer-names-9977965

Daily Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cross-dressing-torture-killer-out-9290209

Daily Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cross-dressing-killer-lists-woman-9980136