Family frustrated by further delay in 'epic scandal' over Kevin's death
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The family of Wick man Kevin McLeod say they are frustrated by a further delay to their campaign for justice, almost a quarter of a century after his body was found in the town's harbour.
Kevin's parents Hugh and June and his uncle, Allan McLeod, describe the handling of the case as "an epic scandal".
They believe the 24-year-old electrician was murdered after a night out in Wick in February 1997, because of the injuries on his body. Police believed his death was a tragic accident.
An independent review by Merseyside Police has resulted in a report containing 357 pages and 1300 source documents. It has been completed and passed to the Crown.
The McLeods were told last month that discussions with Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain and Solicitor General Ruth Charteris were anticipated in "the next few weeks", ahead of a meeting with the family.
In an update on September 17, deputy Crown agent Lindsey Miller told Allan McLeod that they were awaiting expert reports relating to pathology and forensic chemistry.
"We will need to consider what the experts tell us and decide on next steps," Ms Miller said, adding that she would be in touch again in early October "when I would hope to have a more definitive timetable".
Mr McLeod said: "This latest delay is obviously frustrating but hopefully we are nearing the end of a long and arduous road.
"Were surprised that it has taken almost a quarter of a century for these necessary experts to be included by the Crown Office.
"We can only hope that the independent review undertaken by Merseyside Police was meticulous and left no stone unturned, and that both Police Scotland and the Crown Office fully cooperated and provided Merseyside homicide detectives with all known information from the time Kevin was reported missing.
"We trust that not only the police but also the Crown Office revealed to Merseyside its failures in Kevin’s case, including why the local fiscal failed to follow up on his murder inquiry instruction to local police.
"It’s also imperative to the family that Merseyside Police have established exactly when, or at what stage, did the Crown Office discover that police had failed to act on the fiscal's specific instruction to treat and investigate Kevin’s death as murder, and what action, if any, was taken.
"Now is the time for the Crown Office to stand up and be counted and to practise what they preach, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
