Courtesy Daily Record

David Swindle, who linked serial killer Peter Tobin to the murder of schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton, will meet with Diane to see if he can help get some of her assets back.

The retired police officer who linked serial killer Peter Tobin to the murder of schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton is to try to help a Scot recover the life savings she was conned out of by her Sri Lankan husband.

In June, we told how Diane Peebles, 61, from Edinburgh, fled Sri Lanka fearing for her life after armed men were hunting for her.

Her husband Priyanjana, 33 years her junior, who had also married a local woman ­bigamously, had already been shot dead by gangsters.

Now David Swindle, a partner in the Justice Abroad group that tries to help British families affected by serious crime on foreign shores, will meet with Diane to see if he can help get some of her assets back.

David co-founded Justice Abroad, which has been helping families seeking justice.

They include the relatives of Craig Mallon, 26, from ­Coatbridge, murdered eight years ago on Llloret de Mar, Spain, and Kirsty Maxwell, 27, from Livingston, who died in April 2017 after plunging from a balcony in Benidorm, Spain.

David said: It takes a lot of courage to talk about what has happened, as Diane has done. Often women feel ashamed and don’t want to talk about it because they feel foolish.

But by opening up, they let other victims know they are not alone and there can be strength as well as comfort in finding others who know exactly what they have gone through.

These women deserve our sympathy and our support.”

Diane spent about £100,000 on the family of her husband.

It cost her some £60,000 to build a house for her to share with Priyanjana in the grounds of his parents’ home.

She was told it was difficult for a foreigner to own ­property in Sri Lanka, so agreed to the house being put
in her husband’s name. It is now being used by two of Priyanjana’s brothers, who are living there rent-free.

She also spent £31,000 on a car for Priyanjana to use as a taxi, as well as furnishing their home.

Diane’s in-laws made it hard for her to leave after Priyanjana’s murder as she was still paying most of their bills. She no longer had enough cash for a ticket home, and was wary of abandoning her assets.

In the end, she was only able to escape with help from a couple of Sri Lankan men who she befriended online, including a retired police officer. One of them even put her up in his family home for a while.

She also spent a few days in a hotel where armed men turned up looking for her just before she flew back to Scotland.

In June, we reported Diane was keen to find a lawyer who would help her recover her assets.

She is still trying to secure legal help and has written to her MP Deidre Brock and MSP Ben Macpherson asking whether the Scottish or UK Governments might be able to offer support.