Robert Black: How many more? ‘Sugar & Spice’ murderer found guilty of a fourth

Well, sometimes, life never ceases to amaze me.

Here I was, after having spent all day online, promoting our authors in our new digi-publishing venture (MWiDP), blogging, checking the charts, writing about Halloween on my sister blog etc etc, looking at the news… you know, generally being a writer in the 21st century, and I see this article on the Daily Telegraph site:

Article

Wow.

This was the man (and I use the term loosely) that inspired our best-seller Sugar & Spice. This is the monstrous serial killer that caused my writing partner, Mark, so many sleepless nights. Cost him two years of his life whilst he researched him, robbed the families of three precious girls their futures.

He actually doesn’t deserve our time and thoughts.

He has been found guilty of a FOURTH murder.

Robert Black now ranks among Britain’s most prolific serial killers.

Scotland-born Black had denied murdering Jennifer Cardy in August 1981.

The nine-year-old disappeared after leaving her home at Balinderry in County Antrim to cycle the short distance to a friend’s house.

The discovery of her red bicycle sparked a six-day search.

If you’ve read ‘Sugar & Spice’, you’ll already see the similarities. Although our story is very far removed from these heinous crimes, the murders were what inspired the book that has now sold over 100,000 copies. But, there’s a difference:

Our book is fiction. Purely an idea from something real. This guy, well, he crossed the line. In fact, the reporter today called him a “lost cause of humanity”

We have been slated in some areas for how close to the mark ‘Sugar & Spice’ is and had numerous communications from police offers and social workers not liking how they were portrayed in the book. Let me tell you now, make no mistake; the research came from first-hand experience. If only things had been done differently at the time?

Anyway, I am not here to talk about that, I am here to marvel at the forensic science that has enabled this monster to be convicted yet again. A till recipe. Sheesh. I think they said nine and a half years that the parents of that little girl have had to wait for a verdict. Jennifer Cardy, today was about you and your family and the girls and families of the other victims, not him.

I know it will be of little comfort that he (no longer afforded a name, as he isn’t of this world) is convicted of one more crime, but please take heart that the nation and the world are with you. And they’re pleased. Pleased that this monster is no longer free to walk the streets. Sorry that he wasn’t stopped.

This blog is for you, Jennifer Cardy and the others, not him.