Margaret Fleming Murder Plot Price Slashed After Sales Fail

Margaret Fleming, aged 19, lived in Seacroft. The bungalow sat near the River Clyde. It was in Inverkip, Renfrewshire. Her carers kept her prisoner there and were later convicted of her murder.

Millionaire developers from England bought the house in 2017. The developers bulldozed the “house of horrors,” where detectives thought Margaret might have been killed. Plans for homes on the site failed, and the plot’s price dropped by almost £20,000.

McEwan Fraser Legal is the property agent handling the sale. They told the Record they are near a sale, as the lower price caused much interest. They expect many buyers to want this “ready-to-build” opportunity.

Renewed planning approval exists, and demand for premium homes is high, so they anticipate a sale soon. Edward Cairney and Avril Jones killed Margaret between 1999 and 2000. Both received life sentences in 2019 and must serve at least 14 years.

Margaret’s body remains unfound despite searches of Seacroft. Her dad, Derek, died in 1995 and was a friend of Cairney and Jones. He left Margaret, who had learning difficulties, in their care, and people hadn’t seen her for 20 years.

Her disappearance became known when she needed to reapply for benefits, as officials hadn’t had contact with her for 17 years. Police visited the house, and a missing person inquiry started as a result.

Jones fraudulently claimed £182,000 in benefits by pretending Margaret was alive. This went on for almost two decades. Cairney died in hospital last October, and Jones is still in prison.

Slam Transport, based in Coventry, bought the site for £120,000. Plans for two new homes received approval, and this could remove the site’s stigma linked to the murder. Previously, plans for four homes failed, and the plot was listed at £350,000 last July.