Beware book could be ‘damning’ over Caldwell investigation, ex-detective says

A “beware book” kept by women working in Glasgow’s red light district around the time of Emma Caldwell’s murder could be “damning” for police if its contents were uncovered, a retired detective has said.

The book was used by women involved in prostitution to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients, at a time they felt they had to rely on “their wits and each other, not the authorities” to remain safe.

Kept at the city’s Base 75 drop-in centre, the book contained information like vehicle registrations, names, nicknames and descriptions of clients to watch out for.

The beware book was taken as evidence by police during the investigation into Ms Caldwell’s murder in 2005 – and has since “gone missing”.

Retired detective Stuart Hall was tasked with seizing the book on his first day on the investigation.

“I never read its contents. But the book was seized, and it was taken back to the inquiry and handed over. That was my involvement with the beware book,” he told Clyde 1’s Beware Book podcast series.

“I had a quick flick through it, it was different coloured pens and different handwriting inside, messages from people to people, or car registration numbers, things like that.”

The retired detective said the book was taken to the gymnasium at Cathcart police station, where evidence relating to the murder was kept during the initial two-year investigation.

In 2007 a group of Turkish men was arrested in relation to Ms Caldwell’s death, but the case against them collapsed.

It was not until 2024 that Iain Packer was convicted of her murder, along with a string of sexual offences against other women.

Asked why the book appears to have “gone missing”, Mr Hall said when the investigation ended in 2007 all the evidence would have been “packaged up and taken elsewhere” – but that there could be “other reasons” for its disappearance.

“Packer may or may not have been mentioned in it a lot,” he said.

“Vehicles, they noted vehicles, they noted punters, as they called them, their various names and nicknames and descriptions and who to look out for.

“So it would have been a very valuable piece of evidence.

“However, it would have been a very destructive piece of evidence if the bosses were looking to go down another line of inquiry.”

Podcast co-host Callum McQuade asked him: “So you think it could have been damning for them?”

“Yes,” Mr Hall replied.

One of Packer’s victims, who was involved in prostitution in the city for nearly 20 years, told the podcast there were multiple beware books, as each one would be full “by the end of the year”.

The woman, who is referred to as Claire, said she wrote in the book herself on one occasion, and that the clients listed in it included “lawyers, police, all sorts”.

She said the police were “always in Base 75” and that they would have been able to tamper with the books, such as by tearing pages or scoring out names or vehicle registration details.

She also said she didn’t think police took the information in the book seriously, or it would not have taken nearly 20 years to charge Packer with Ms Caldwell’s murder.

She added: “I don’t even know who went over the books. Where did the book go at the end?”

In February 2024 Packer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years after being found guilty of killing Ms Caldwell and hiding her body.

A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, is due to examine the police investigation into the 27-year-old’s murder.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “Emma Caldwell’s family have shown incredible courage and determination following her murder in 2005 and we are absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.”