The Princess of Wales laughs as she meets the boss of her children’s charity, unaware he is a convicted murderer.
Paul Carberry stabbed a father-to-be on a train five times and wounded another passenger.
Colleagues knew of his past when he became the £154,500-a-year chief of Action for Children in March.
But charity patron Kate and her husband Prince William had no idea of his crimes when they met him at a primary school a year ago.
Carberry, 60, was photographed smiling with the couple – then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
They then joined others in a discussion about teaching children emotions.
Carberry was a teen himself when he carried out his fatal attack, age 16.
But it did not stop him becoming boss of AfC, which aims to “protect and support children and young people”.
Nor has it prevented him securing a role on the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce in his native Scotland – with a brief to curb youth gangs.
Today, when we confronted Carberry about his past, he told us: “That’s something I’ve regretted every day of my life. A family did not have their loved one because of me.”
Carberry stabbed John Murray, 21, on a train carrying Scottish football fans to London for a match against England in 1979.
Court reports said Carberry, who had been drinking beer and vodka, was in the Govan Team gang – named after a tough district of his native Glasgow.
The court was told violence began after a member of Carberry’s mob molested a woman on board.
Carberry was reportedly brandishing a flick knife as he chased Murray and two pals through the crowded train.
He first stabbed Michael McBain, 22, who was asleep on a carriage floor. Then he repeatedly plunged the knife into Mr Murray when a locked door stopped him escaping, reports said.
Carberry was arrested when the train was halted at Warrington, Cheshire. In December 1979, aged 17, he was found guilty of murder – after pleading not guilty, at Chester Crown Court.
In defence he claimed he had confiscated another man’s knife and remembered nothing of the attack after being headbutted by Mr Murray during an argument over a girl.
He was given a sentence at Her Majesty’s Pleasure – an indefinite term which can never become a spent conviction under UK law. The judge, Mr Justice Mars Jones, called the killing “a tragic case”, and told the jury: “I agree entirely with your verdict.” Carberry was said to have shown little emotion – just closing his eyes and shaking his head. One paper reported the story under the headline: “Terror on the Tartan Express”. Survivor Michael McBain is now a married father and works as a joiner.
He told us tonight: “Stabbing somebody once is one thing but five times is different. I remember they put the other guy on a trolley on the platform then pulled a blanket over him.
“You’ve got to think of the family that was left without a son.” Victim Mr Murray’s fiancée Mary Manley spoke of her heartache after the trial. Their daughter was reportedly born six weeks premature on July 1.
Mary said in an interview: “The baby has been a great comfort to me, my family and John’s parents.
“He was delighted at the thought of being a father. He was always talking about the baby. We planned to get married at a double ceremony with John’s sister.”
Carberry served time at a youth jail and in adult prison before being freed in 1985. He got a job as a social worker and rose high in the profession. He joined AfC and was its Scottish boss when he met Kate and William – patrons of a string of charities – at St John’s primary in Inverclyde last May.
He said afterwards: “The Duchess is a great supporter of our charity. I was honoured to discuss our work with the Duke and Duchess.”
AfC said the Palace was informed about Carberry’s murder conviction when he became CEO this year. None of the charity’s literature refers to his crime. And there is no sign Carberry ever mentioned it during public appearances or articles. In his blog post for Scottish charity Children’s Parliament, Carberry wrote about life in Govan with “a ma who sacrificed, was there for you... whatever path you took, that love gave you a basis for believing you were of value and could be a good person”.
According to its annual report, AfC delivers more than 400 services across the UK and had income of £145million in 2021-22, including £16million from donations and legacies. A spokesman said: “The Trustees who appointed Paul Carberry as CEO did so in the full knowledge of his past, which is a matter of public record.
“He joined AfC as a manager in 1994. The organisation had full knowledge of his past. Paul has helped thousands of children and young people, including those involved in crime, helping many find jobs, avoid criminal exploitation and reach their potential. Prior to the interview for CEO, he had a discussion with the chair about his conviction.
“Chair Sarika Patel says he told her his time inside was a turning point and although he couldn’t change what he did, he had dedicated his life and his rehabilitation to help vulnerable young people. Paul told us he did disclose his conviction before he became a member of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Force.”
My ‘terrible offence’ robbed child of dad
Paul Carberry yesterday told of his regrets and said he had not spoken of his past out of respect for his victim and their family.
In a conference call he said he only revealed his conviction on a “need to know” basis.
Carberry said he was advised to plead not guilty but told us he admits the murder.
He said: “I’ve committed a terrible offence, it’s something that I regret.”
Asked whether it haunts him that victim John Murray’s child never met her father, Carberry said: “Of course. For me, and particularly the line of work that I’m in and coming from a close family, a loving family.
“That’s absolutely been a factor in my life. And, actually, it’s been a factor in what I’ve then done as a result.
“I haven’t tried to make contact because I didn’t want to add to anybody’s suffering and did not want to open up old wounds for anybody. I’ve had many opportunities to go on record, many opportunities, and I’ve chosen not to. And the first thing for me was some mother did not have her son because of me and some child did not have a father.
“The last thing I wanted was to go on the record talking about my progress or whatever. The trustees know and I always acknowledged my background on the basis of need to know.”
From murderer to kids' mentor
May 1979 Aged 16, Paul Carberry stabbed 21-year-old John Murray to death aboard the so-called Tartan Express train and wounded 22-year-old Michael McBain.
December 1979 Carberry is convicted of both the murder and wounding, and jailed indefinitely.
1985 Killer says he served five-and-a-half years before being released. He later became a social worker.
March 2023 After a long career at Action for Children, he becomes the charity’s chief executive.
