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Bloody Scotland 2016 is dedicated to the memory of William McIlvanney. This year the Scottish Crime Book of the Year has been renamed the McIlvanney Prize. In an exclusive series this week, the Daily Record has access to the 10 long-listed authors and we'll bring you the real stories behind their books. The winner will be announced at the festival on September 9
CRIME writer Douglas Skelton once found himself evading the Boys in Blue after he was linked to the prison escape of a convicted murderer.
Former journalist Douglas had written a book about the Ice Cream Wars in Glasgow, for which Joe Steele and Thomas Campbell were jailed.
Steele escaped from Edinburgh's Saughton prison in 1993. At liberty for a few weeks, he made a video begging for justice to be done and his pleas of innocence to be heard.
Douglas said: "The police had heard that Joe had help from a journalist, who helped make the tape that had fallen into the hands of the tabloids.
"I knew nothing about the escape until I heard about it on the news. But I had advised the journalist who had taken delivery of the tape not to, as it would lead to a visit from the Old Bill - and that is what happened.
"For a week or two, I evaded speaking to them. I had been JANE HAMILTON j.hamilton@dailyrecord.co.uk advised my phone would be tapped because I was criticising the authorities and I'm sure my phone buzzed and beeped.
"For a time I was absolutely terrified about the chap on my door and did feel a bit hunted.
"Of course, years later both men had their convictions quashed and were found to be innocent."
For Douglas, 59, who has 11 true-crime books under his belt, meeting people "on the wrong side of the law" taught him that they had more integrity than some law-abiding citizens he knew.
He created lovable rogue Davie McCall, a Glasgow hardman with a heart. The character has been so popular that Open Wounds, Douglas's McIlvanney Prize entry book, is the fifth in the series.
He said: "Not everything in crime is...