TC Campbell, one of the men wrongly convicted for the “Ice Cream Wars” murders in the 1980s has died.
According to reports that broke overnight, Thomas “TC” Campbell, 66, died at his home near Loch Eck, Argyll.
Police are investigating the unexplained death of Mr Campbell after he was discovered dead in his bed in his rural cottage. Forensic officers were seen at the property yesterday. Police Scotland have not confirmed the death yet.
It is understood he was discovered by his ex-wife Karen, 49, at the property near Dunoon, Argyll.
READ MORE: Crime writer Douglas Skelton remembers Tommy Campbell
His wife told The Sun: "I found him on Monday morning. I was hysterical. He was lying in bed and seemed peaceful — I didn’t want to look.
"We are waiting to find out how he died. I went up there because people hadn’t heard from him.
"I’m just in shock and it hasn’t sank in yet. We always said Tommy was invincible, that all of us would pass away and he’d still be walking about.
"Up there in his checked shirt, cutting the logs. He was happy up there, it was where he always wanted to be.
"He deserved it after everything he had been through. We hadn’t actually seen him since May but that was normal, he was always on the go, down to the shops, walking the dogs.
"He lived a quiet country life, he’d always wanted that. But my daughter was so close to him and was concerned after he didn’t reply to her Father’s Day message – that wasn’t like him.”
READ MORE: Ice cream war killer stabbed in second gangland attack
Campbell and co-accused Joe Steele spent 18 years in prison following the eruption of violence as gangs battled for control of lucrative ice cream van routes which were used for drug runs and money-laundering.
Paying tribute Aamer Anwar tweeted: "I’m heartbroken at news of Tommy Campbell’s death. The Ice Cream Wars case was a monument to the barbaric failures of a justice system, but TC represented the inherent ability of the human spirit to fight for freedom & overcome injustice- RIP"
They were both sentenced for the murder of six people, Christine Doyle Halleron, 25, her 18-month-old son, Mark, James Doyle Snr, 53, and his sons James Jnr, 23, Andrew 18, and Anthony, 14, all died in a fire-bombing in the east end of Glasgow.
READ MORE: A mass murder that shocked an entire nation
Six were arrested for the deaths but only Campbell and Steele were charged.
Campbell and Steele were granted interim liberation by appeal court judges after the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred the convictions back to the appeal court.
They were cleared of the killings in 2004.
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