Henry John Burnett

Henry John Burnett, born on 5 January 1942 and executed on 15 August 1963, was the last person hanged in Scotland. He was tried at Aberdeen's High Court for murdering Thomas Guyan, a merchant seaman, in May 1963. Burnett, who had developed a possessive relationship with Guyan's estranged wife Margaret, killed him after an argument over her returning to her husband.

Burnett, influenced by his belief that Margaret would leave him, locked her inside their home. When she met her estranged husband on 31 May 1963, Burnett attacked her and later retrieved a shotgun from his brother Frank's house. He forced his way into the Guyan family flat, shot Thomas Guyan in the face at close range, and then kidnapped Margaret. Burnett stole a car and fled north towards Peterhead but was arrested shortly after.

During his trial, Burnett's defense included claims of insanity or diminished responsibility, supported by psychiatric evaluations. However, these were disregarded, and he was sentenced to death under Scotland's capital punishment laws for murder committed with a firearm. His execution on 15 August 1963 marked the last hanging in Britain until 1964.

Burnett's remains were exhumed from Craiginches Prison in January 2014, where he had been buried in an unmarked grave following his execution. They were cremated and a private ceremony was held on 7 August 2014.