'Truly appalling crimes': Serial rapist Iain Packer denied appeal against life sentence

Scotland’s second most senior judge described Emma Caldwell’s killer as guilty of “truly appalling crimes” when rejecting an appeal against his life sentence.

Iain Packer was refused attempts to reduce the punishment part of his life at a hearing last week.

Lady Dorrian said her colleague Lord Beckett followed proper legal tests when he decided that Packer should serve a minimum of 36 years.

Packer, 51, was found guilty of murdering Emma Caldwell, 27, in 2005.

She had gone missing from Glasgow on April 4 that year and her remains were later found in Limefield Woods near Roberton, South Lanarkshire, the following month.

He was also convicted of 11 charges of rape against nine women and 21 other offences over a period of 26 years following a six-week trial.

Emma Caldwell died in 2005 Family handout

Lady Dorrian made the observations about Packer in a written judgement which had been issued at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

She and her colleagues Lord Matthews and Lady Wise had been addressed last week by defence advocate Gordon Jackson KC.

The lawyer admitted that client’s crimes were as “bad as it gets” but that it was “inappropriate” in a civilised society for a man like Packer to be detained in custody until his 80s.

The judges rejected the appeal.

Writing about Mr Jackson’s argument, Lady Dorrian wrote: “We cannot accept that submission. The other offences… were of a truly appalling nature, extended over a 26 year period and affected a large number of vulnerable women.

“The offences were committed against 22 separate women. The appellant’s predatory activities covered all aspects of his life, from the domestic setting to his use of sex workers, and attendance at sex parties.

“The appellant was convicted of nineteen charges involving rape and indecent assault that would now be considered rape against fifteen different women. Charge 24 represented an earnest and violent attempt to rape a sixteenth.

“He sexually assaulted a further five women. In all he was convicted of offences against over twenty separate complainers.

“It is clear that the total punishment part sentence selected was within the reasonable range for the offending of which the appellant was convicted

“Against that background, and the nature and length of the offending in the present case, we are satisfied that the sentence imposed was fair and proportionate.”

Emma vanished days after telling her mother Margaret about her hopes to kick a heroin addiction, which began following a family bereavement in her early 20s.

She came from a close-knit family and saw both parents twice a week and spoke to them daily, and was reported missing after she failed to respond to attempts by them to change a planned meeting.

A dog walker found Emma’s body in woodland, with a “garotte” around her neck, on May 8, 2005.

During Packer’s trial, the court heard a soil sample taken in 2021 from the site where her body was found was a “97% match” with soil found in his blue work van, and Packer was charged by police in February 2022.

Packer denied all the charges – accusing all the women of lying – but admitted during evidence that he indecently assaulted Emma.

In the written judgement issued on Tuesday, Lady Dorrian added: “The appeal is refused.”