CONVICTED Glasgow murderer Joseph Steele made his protest against what
he claims is a miscarriage of justice at Buckingham Palace yesterday,
when he handcuffed and glued himself to railings outside.
Steele, who escaped on Sunday while on a home visit with a prison
guard to his mother's house in Garthamlock, had fled to London, but said
in a newspaper interview that he would soon give himself up.
Yesterday, he handcuffed himself and glued his fingers to the
railings. In case the imagery was not noticed, he wore a T-shirt bearing
a picture of Christ on the cross.
Steele, 31, was jailed nine years ago along with Thomas (TC) Campbell,
for the murder of six members of the Doyle family, who were burned to
death in their beds in an incident which became known as the Ice Cream
Wars.
It took an hour to free Steele yesterday, with London Fire Brigade
dealing with the handcuffs and the ambulance service dissolving the glue
with solvent, before he was driven to Charing Cross Police Station.
On a previous home visit to his mother, Steele slipped away from his
escort to sit on the roof of the building with banners protesting his
innocence. Before that he went on hunger strike in prison complaining at
his lack of home visits. He has claimed that police fabricated evidence
against him and that a witness at his trial committed perjury.
His escape on Sunday appeared to be planned as a media event from the
beginning. He left a note apologising to his prison escort, and within
72 hours was giving an interview to Glasgow's Evening Times, stating
that he did not kill the Doyles and that he was ready to endure ''years
of hell'' to prove his innocence.
He went on: ''If I had murdered the Doyles I would have admitted it
and done my time quietly and without any fuss, to get an early release.
But to get parole you must admit your guilt and show remorse. I cannot
admit guilt or show remorse for something I didn't do.''
The Doyle family died when their home in Ruchazie was engulfed in
seconds after petrol was poured over a cupboard at the front door and
set alight. Mrs Lillian Doyle lost her husband James, sons Andrew,
Daniel, and Anthony, daughter Christine, and baby grandson Mark.
Last night, officers from Strathclyde Police were travelling to London
to escort Steele back to Scotland.
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