PHILIP GIVENS FROM DUMBARTON: HORRIFIC KILLER AND ABDUCTOR OF TEENAGER IN GLASGOW AND GOVAN

In March 1962, the quiet town of Dumbarton was shaken to its core by a series of chilling crimes committed by Philip Givens, a man whose twisted actions would leave a lasting scar on the community. Givens, a 35-year-old man known for his love of animals but haunted by sadistic sexual urges, claimed that the Devil had warped his mind into committing heinous acts, including the murder of 15-year-old Fred Dowden in an abandoned surgery in Dumbarton.

Givens was notorious for luring young boys into his grasp during nighttime escapades. Using a borrowed car, he would approach unsuspecting teenagers, enticing them with false promises or mild manners, only to subject them to terrifying ordeals involving tying them up, torturing, and sexually abusing them. His modus operandi was cloaked in deception, often employing aliases such as “Mr Green” and “Mr Blue” to conceal his true identity from the authorities.

The nightmare began when a 14-year-old apprentice entered a police station, trembling and frightened, to report a horrifying encounter. The boy recounted how a chubby man with a scar on his cheek had lured him into a disused shop, offering him ten shillings (50p) to help lift a fireplace grating. Inside the dilapidated building, the man produced a gun, attempted to tie the boy to a chair, and gag him. Fortunately, the young witness managed to escape and ran home to his father, who promptly took him to the police station for questioning.

Initially, detectives were skeptical of the boy’s story, but their suspicions grew when they discovered paint used to black out the windows of the abandoned shop and a chair similar to the one described by the boy. The shop owner confirmed that the premises had been rented to a man calling himself “Mr Green,” matching the description provided by the young witness. Despite extensive investigations in July 1962, the trail to “Mr Green” went cold, leaving authorities frustrated and uncertain.

However, the case took a darker turn when, a few weeks later, Fred Dowden vanished from Dumbarton without a trace. A massive search effort was launched, involving police, volunteers, and tracker dogs, but all efforts to locate Fred proved futile. The community was gripped with fear and despair, believing that the abductor might have struck again.

It was during this tense period that a vigilant police constable noticed something suspicious at an abandoned doctor’s surgery located at 66 West Bridgend in Dumbarton. The windows had been painted over, similar to the shop where the earlier incident had occurred. Peering inside, the officer’s stomach churned as he saw the horrifying sight of Fred’s body, tied to a chair with his face and mouth covered in sticky tape. The surgery had been rented to a man who called himself “Mr Black,” further linking the crimes.

Further investigations revealed that a man named “Mr Blue” had rented another vacant building in Govan, Glasgow, just weeks earlier. Inside that premises, police found rolls of sticky tape, indicating that the killer was planning to abduct yet another victim. Despite the evidence, the police faced a significant challenge: the killer had left fingerprints at both crime scenes, but there were no matches in the police records, leaving them with limited leads.

The only potential clue was a sighting of Fred getting into a black Ford Anglia on the day he disappeared. Tracing the vehicle proved to be a daunting task, as it involved sifting through thousands of similar cars in the area. However, Constable Cameron Wiseman’s keen eye led to a breakthrough when he spotted a black Ford Anglia in Parkhead, Glasgow. The vehicle’s owners explained they had been on holiday in Canada at the time of Fred’s abduction but had authorized their mechanic to use the car in their absence.

When questioned, the mechanic described the individual who had been driving the car: “He’s chubby with a scar on his face.” This description matched Philip Givens, a man with a scar on his cheek, who was eventually identified as the suspect.

Givens was arrested at a property in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, where he lived with other family members. His fingerprints matched those found at the shop and the surgery, and he was recognized by the owners of the premises during an identity parade. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was positively identified as “Mr Green” and “Mr Black.”

Initially, Givens denied any involvement in the crimes, but under pressure, he broke down and confessed to being responsible for the abduction and murder of Fred Dowden. His appearance in the High Court in Glasgow in March 1963 marked a turning point in the case. Givens pleaded guilty to charges of abduction and murder, leading to his commitment to the State Hospital at Carstairs in Lanarkshire.

During the court proceedings, Dr. George Sweeney testified that Givens suffered from a pathological sexual development, which caused him to derive satisfaction from tying himself up and then freeing himself. The doctor explained that Givens viewed his abnormality through a distorted lens, often interpreting it in religious terms as a conflict between the Devil and his good self.

As Givens was led away from the courtroom, he turned to his sister and asked, “How can I meet my Maker? How can I face God after what I did for the Devil?” His tragic story remains a stark reminder of the depths of human depravity and the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting the community from such heinous crimes.