THE killer of young Celtic football star Lawrence Haggart was jailed for life yesterday with a recommendation he serves at least 15 years for his ''brutal and ferocious'' crime.

Cheers erupted from the public benches at the High Court in Edinburgh as a jury returned a majority guilty verdict against 33-year-old Brian Beattie, described by trial judge Lord Dawson as an extremely dangerous man with a formidable criminal record.

Central Scotland Police announced last night it was to hold an independent inquiry into the conduct of its officers during the first year of the investigation into Lawrence's murder.

The move followed severe criticism by the dead boy's father, following yesterday's verdict, of the police handling of the initial stages of the investigation.

Although Beattie was interviewed by police within hours of the attack on the 15-year-old footballer, who had just won a Scotland schoolboy cap, he was not charged until about 20 months later.

In the meantime, suspicion fell on the victim's 12-year-old brother, Dennis, who was also blamed for the murder by Beattie in a special defence of incrimination.

Passing sentence yesterday, Lord Dawson's words echoed those of Advocate-depute Paul Cullen (later to become Solicitor General for Scotland), when Beattie appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh in January 1992, on a charge of abducting a 16-year-old boy from his bedroom.

Mr Cullen told the court: ''It does indicate that Mr Beattie represents a serious danger to the public.''

Lord Dawson told Beattie: ''This was a most brutal and ferocious attack, completely unprovoked, upon a young 15-year-old boy in his own home.

''Having inflicted horrific and patently lethal injuries upon him, you then set fire to him by setting alight the clothing upon which his inert body lay in the living room of his own home in which his two brothers lay asleep and unawares upstairs.

''You have a very serious criminal record indeed. In 1984, you were sentenced to seven years for breaking into premises and for arson. You have been convicted twice in this court. On the latter occasion, you were sentenced to five years for crimes which included assault and abduction.''

In that case, the 16-year-old victim woke at 3am to find Beattie, who had been released from jail four days earlier, standing over his bed. He covered the boy's face with a blanket and, after warning him that he had a knife, tied his wrists with a shirt and wire.

The half-dressed boy was forced from his home with a T-shirt over his head but Beattie fled after his victim managed to pull the shirt off and saw his attacker.

Lord Dawson yesterday referred to evidence that police had found a homosexual pornographic video - Redemption: The Abduction Series Part Three - in the bedroom of Beattie's home in Ewing Drive, Falkirk. Its theme was the abduction of young men from their homes for sexual pleasure.

Lord Dawson continued: ''I consider your possession of the video tape as extremely sinister. In view of the circumstances surrounding this vicious crime, I regard you as an extreme danger to the public.''

Beattie was also convicted of setting fire to Lawrence's body and the judge said: ''I also regard the fire-raising charge as extremely serious. You were heedless of the fact people might well be asleep upstairs whose very lives would have been put in severe jeopardy. It was only by fortune that the fire did not develop into a conflagration.''

The fire-raising charge is to run concurrently with the life sentence.

In a statement issued last night, Central Police Chief Constable William Wilson said: ''I have invited Mr James Mackay, Assistant Chief Constable of Tayside Police, to initiate a full and independent review of how we handled the inquiry.

''And, if there are any lessons to be learned as a result, we will take them on board. Until Mr Mackay's findings are made available to us, I feel it would be inappropriate to comment further.''

Beattie had denied murdering Lawrence, who won a Scottish schoolboy cap on the day of the Dunblane massacre in March 1996.

Two days later, Lawrence was left with severe head wounds inflicted during a savage attack as he lay on the settee of his home in Glenbervie Drive, Larbert, Stirlingshire, watching late-night television. He died later in hospital.

The murder ended what promised to be a successful football career for the young Celtic player. Last night, former Celtic assistant manager Billy Stark said Lawrence had shown the potential to go right to the top of the sport.

''He was a level-headed youngster who loved his football and was very dedicated. Lawrence had all the attributes, not only the ability but the temperament and attitude to work hard that would have taken him right to the top.''