Helen Butler

Helen Butler was beaten to death in her home at 110 Brockburn Road, Pollock on 17 March 1984.

Two 16-year-old teenagers were tried for her murder but acquitted after a freidn of theirs changed his evidence.

The two tennagers had been unemployed and were said to have been sniffing lighter-fuel for kicks and to have then gone to her flat and punched and stabbed her to death.

However, their friend that had been inhaling butane gas with them changed his story in court, saying that he had invented evidence that he had seen his two friends running from Helen Butler's flat because the detectives had beaten him up and threatened to charge him with the murder.

Following his disclosure, the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Helen Butler had lived in sheltered accomodation. She was ast seen on the Saturday morning when she was out shopping and later at 1pm, and her body was found on the Sunday afternoon.

Helen Butler had been a retired cleaner.

The police said that since she ha dhad a habit of refusing to admit strangers, that they thought that she might have known her killer. THey added that they were trying to interview everyone that had seen her in the previous 6 months.