Kevin independent review is a police first
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THE independent review into the death of Kevin McLeod, whose body was found in Wick harbour over two decades ago, is the first requested by Police Scotland since it was formed six years ago.
That emerged this week after the 24-year-old's uncle, Allan McLeod, had submitted a Freedom of Information request to the force. He wanted to know how many times Police Scotland had invited an external force to carry out an independent review relating to an unsolved or unexplained death.
Mr McLeod was told there has been only one – and that is the review being carried out into the death of his nephew by Merseyside Police.
It was asked in May this year to carry out the review, which officially began in September.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr McLeod, said: "After Police Scotland confirmed the review of Kevin’s case is unprecedented, we now hope that this massive step will finally give us the justice and accountability that we have been seeking for nearly 23 years.
"The main points we hope Merseyside Police will finally establish are why police ignored and failed to act on the then procurator fiscal's specific instruction to investigate Kevin’s death as murder, and why the Crown failed to follow up on their instruction to police. Also, why was this concealed from the family by the authorities for two decades and why then was no murder inquiry undertaken?
"We continue to suspect that a cover-up began at a local level to protect someone or something but, due to our persistence, has grown to a national level with all the agencies complicit in a cover-up.
We now hope this massive step will give us the justice and accountability we have been seeking.
"The individual and corporate failings by both police and the Crown to investigate Kevin’s death as murder have clearly undermined every inquiry since, including the 1998 fatal accident inquiry and the 2002 Cameron review plus all subsequent police reviews and inquiries."
Kevin's body was discovered in Wick harbour on February 9, 1997, after a night out. His family are convinced he was murdered because of the injuries found, but the police have insisted his death was the result of a tragic accident.
McLeods have had an initial meeting with officers from Merseyside Police and were told six retired officers are reviewing the case.
Police Scotland has admitted the former Northern Constabulary failed to act on the then Wick procurator fiscal's instruction to treat Kevin's death as a potential murder. An apology has been issued to the family.
