Double murderer who hid Edinburgh victim's body in wheelie bin refused lung cancer treatment before death

A convicted double murderer died from natural causes following complications of lung cancer after refusing treatment.

Robert Chalmers, who was in custody at Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison as he served his second life sentence, died at the city’s Western General Hospital on April 4 last year – two days before his 70th birthday.

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) was held at Edinburgh Sheriff Court following his death.

Sheriff Alistair Noble said that Chalmers, who was described as ‘stubborn’, had refused treatment on various occasions and at the end of his life elected to have only palliative care.

He said: “He died from complications of the lung carcinoma which first manifested itself within two months of the date of his death.”

Chalmers had been taken to hospital from prison complaining of pain but on March 31 last year began to refuse all food and oral medication.

Chalmers was first given a life sentence for murder in 1974 but was released from jail nine years later before going on to commit a second killing and receiving a further life sentence in 2011 when he was ordered to serve a minimum term of 23 years.

The former handyman and labourer committed his first murder in 1973 at the address of his victim William White in Beech Road, Johnstone, in Renfrewshire. Chalmers stabbed the 47-year-old victim to death.

Following his release from prison he moved to Edinburgh but struck again when he murdered Samantha Wright before dumping her remains in a wheelie bin.

He was given a second life sentence in 2011 for the killing of the young woman, who was from Stevenage, in England, but had been living in Edinburgh.

She was reported missing in January 2009 on what would have been her 25th birthday. Her body was found nine months later by police.

Father-of-eleven Chalmers had denied murdering her and hiding her remains at his home in the city’s Magdalene Drive but was convicted of the offence.