A SLAUGHTERMAN from Ayrshire yesterday was convicted of murdering three young women in a fire.

Andrew Affleck, 25, was found guilty of starting a blaze which trapped two sisters and their friend in an upper flat in Irvine.

He will be sentenced next month.

Carrie Marie Murray, 12, and her sister Anna Teraysa, 18, were both killed in the fire in Sanderson Avenue, Irvine, in March 2001. Amanda Cooper, their 20-year-old friend, died a month later from her injuries.

Affleck, an unemployed slaughterman, was also found guilty of attempting to murder Diane Docherty, 20, a tenant in the block, Alexander Parker, a 21-year-old friend of the family, and a five-year-old girl.

The two-week trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock was told that the sisters had only been staying at the flat for a sleep-over when Affleck started the early-morning blaze.

Scott Devine, 23, Affleck's childhood friend, who had been hailed as a hero after catching a child thrown from a window during the blaze in the flat, told the court yesterday that he saw the slaughterman fleeing the scene.

Mr Devine had given police conflicting statements following the fire. He said he was driven to tell them about Affleck, from Benslie Avenue, Irvine, after suffering from nightmares.

The prosecutor read one of Mr Devine's witness statements to the court which said: ''I'm certain it was Drew Affleck. I grew up with him. I've known him for years.''

Giving evidence, Mr Devine said that at first he had only told police officers that he had seen somebody running away from the fire but was unable to identify who it was. However, detectives suspected he had more information and put him under pressure to reveal further details.

The court was told that police had asked Mr Devine why he had not named Affleck earlier and he told them: ''At the time, I thought I would get done in by the Affleck family so I didn't say.''

As the police investigation continued, rumours of Affleck's involvement began circulating around Irvine. At one point, Affleck was approached in the street by Kayron Murray, the dead girls' mother.

When she asked him what he knew, he said: ''Kayron, I never murdered your weans. No-one knew Anna and her wee sister were there.''

However, the court heard how Affleck, a heroin addict, confessed to his girlfriend as they lay in bed after taking drugs. He had wrongly believed he could not be brought to trial after a year, having previously appeared in court on petition. He asked his girlfriend: ''What would you say if I told you?'' When she replied ''nothing'', he said ''It was me''.

James Walker, 47, a Strathclyde fire brigade investigator, said the blaze was started deliberately by setting fire to the front door of the flat.

All that was left of the mainly PVC door was its timber frame.

Assistant Divisional Officer Walker said ignition tests were carried out on an identical door supplied by the local council. ''From my experience, a door of this type is highly flammable once it is ignited,'' he said.

Affleck had entered a special defence of alibi, claiming he was at his brother's home nearby.

James Affleck, 22, gave evidence claiming that his brother was asleep when the emergency services arrived and he woke the slaughterman shouting: ''They're still trapped in there''. He said he watched as firefighters brought bodies out of the charred council flat.

The High Court yesterday found Affleck guilty of the three murders, but he was cleared of two charges of breach of the peace by threatening Ms Docherty and another woman.

Lord Hardie deferred sentence until next month for background reports and remanded him in custody.