ANNIVERSARY SHAME OF DUNBLANE SURVIVORS

Internet boasts of sex, drink and violence as youngsters hit 18

SCOTTISH EXCLUSIVE
By Paula Murray

DUNBLANE survivors
have “shamed” the memory
of their dead peers
with foul-mouthed boasts
about sex, brawls and
drink-fuelled antics as
they reach adulthood.
A number of the youngsters,
now 18, have posted
shocking blogs and photographs
of themselves on the
Internet, 13 years after being
sheltered from public view in
the aftermath of the atrocity.
Sixteen pupils and their
teacher died when gunman
Thomas Hamilton burst into
the gym at Dunblane Primary
School and opened fi re on
March 13, 1996.
In the days and months
that followed the survivors,

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Sick messages shame memory of classmates

then aged just five and six, were
the subject of overwhelming
worldwide sympathy.
But now the Sunday Express
can reveal how, on their webbased
social networking sites,
some of them have boasted
about alcoholic binges and
fights.
For instance, ... –
who was hit by a single bullet
and watched in horror as his
classmates died – makes rude
gestures in pictures he posted
on his Bebo site, and boasts of
drunken nights out.
The webpage of ..., who suffered serious
injuries in the shooting, states
he is the “f***y who canny stop
drivin in the silver hing”, is littered
with foul language and
features images of him with his
new tattoo on his back.
Others boast about discovering
sex. Politicians and relatives
of the victims yesterday
said they were shocked by the
webpages.
..., whose
granddaughter, ...,
died in the tragedy said the
behaviour “brought shame” to
the community.
She said: “It is insulting.
They were damn lucky to come
out of it and they should be
making the most of it. Maybe
that’s what they think they are
doing, but it is in bad taste.
“We go to the cemetery every
Sunday and we nearly always
meet some people who are visitors,
and they come and have a
wee look. I think that is lovely
and I always say to them that it
is nice they remember.
“So the behaviour of these
children is a real contrast to
all those caring people. It’s
shameful.”
MSP Elizabeth Smith, Scottish
Tory spokeswoman for
children, schools and skills,
said: “I have to say personally
I’m not happy. Some of the
things that go up on these
websites are very unfortunate
and I don’t think they give a
very good picture about the
youngsters.
“Some of them are in great
bad taste and I am quite worried
about that.
“I feel embarrassed about it
and I’m sure other people do
too. In some cases the people
are still really young and you
can’t really expect them to have
a sense of responsibility.
“I’m sure that when they look
back at what they have done in
10 years time they will be cringing
with embarrassment.”
The Dunblane survivors
were kept away from the spotlight
in the aftermath of the
tragedy to allow them to cope.
Indeed, no photographs of any
of the children have been seen
in more than a decade, and the
social network sites give the
fi rst insight into how their lives
have progressed.
...’s Bebo page,
which is a shrine to Rangers
Football Club and Scotland,
boasts about “gettin gassed wi’
the lads”, enjoying “carry oots”,
and getting in fights.
On his profile he writes: “Im
stewart although im also known
as weirdo i like to tkink im a
sound guy but i get p****d off
easily nd if u p*** me off ul
know about it as i start gettin
smart just ask ....”
Among the blogs on his site
is a list of 23 best chat-up lines
– but he is still single. His pictures
include images of him
gesturing with one finger, and
posing in London as a “Scottish
terrorist” with a scarf around
his face.
It is a far cry from the image
of the smiling boy in the back
row of ...’s class.
The social network site of
... is equally eloquent
as he states he is “up fur
anyhin”. On his biography he
asks to be called “God” and
says he lives “fur the weekend,
that sounds so sad but am 18 so
suck ma b*ws.”
He adds: “U’ll fi nd one in
Dunblane on a friday or saturday
night staggerin about down
the street or the hills, consumin
BUCKFAST (its just good). If u
dinny drink till u drop ur no
drinkin.”
... was named player of
the year by Bannockburn Amateurs
youth football team. He
suffered major abdominal and
pelvic injuries in the shooting.
In the days following the
tragedy his late father, ...,
said relatives were worried the
youngster might suffer from
long term effects. Speaking in
October 1996, he said: “He’s
trying to forget which is fine,
but isn’t fine, if you understand.
He needs treatment but not in
a dramatic way.”
... said yesterday
she would consider confronting
the survivors involved.
She added: “Can it really be
genuinely these same young
people? I think it is totally out
of order to put something like
that on the Internet. It is a bit
nasty really.”

Tragic pupils leave bad times behind

SURVIVORS of the Dunblane
tragedy regularly keep in touch
through email and social networking
sites to update one another
on their lives.
Like ... and ..., former Dunblane pupils
..., ...,
and ... use Bebo too.
On his page, ... – who
was shot twice and described as
“extremely lucky” to survive –
says he enjoys playing the guitar.
He has posted pictures of his
eighteenth birthday celebrations
but makes no mention of the tragedy
thirteen years ago.
After his birthday he said:
“Eighteen at last! Unleashed to
the world of legal drinking.”
His father, ..., told the Scottish
Sunday Express yesterday:
“... has always been the one
who likes to stand in the background.
It’s just the way he is.
“I think at his age he just wants
to keep a low profile.
“I’d say that part of the fact that
they are positively moving on is
that they don’t really want to go
back.”
..., who was shot
in the arm, is now enjoying student
life at the University of St
Andrews, where he is studying
for a psychology degree. On his
page, he features the catchphrase:
“Sex is not the answer.
Sex is a question, ‘yes’ is the
answer.”
His youthful looks still cause
him problems. He writes: “Need
to get a new ID as the one I have
looks nothing like me, and it’s a
hassle to get people to believe
me. I mean, seriously, would I use
a picture of myself when I was
younger if it was a fake?”
..., who was hit in
the knee and has been left with
one leg shorter than the other,
has a selection of pictures showing
her enjoying university life
with friends.