Man who hid body dodges jail
A MAN who hid his aunt’s body for eight months while continuing to claim benefits for her care has escaped a jail sentence.
John Macleod left the “mummified” body of his aunt Mina Macleod in her bed in a flat in Leith, Edinburgh, before the decomposing corpse was discovered in 2016.
Macleod had transferred the dying 75-year-old to her former home in the capital by driving her from his home in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, before leaving her body locked in the flat.
He admitted failing to inform authorities of his aunt’s death and to claiming £6956 in benefits at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this year. He returned for sentencing yesterday.
Sheriff Robert Weir QC told Macleod his motives were “wholly misguided” but stopped short of jailing him, instead handing him an 18-month supervision order and 300 hours of unpaid community work.
Sheriff Weir added: “I’ve taken into account the 27 years of care you provided and in all the circumstances, I do not consider it would be in the public interest to imprison you.”
Macleod’s sister Shiona Woodhams, from Kent, said: “I am disappointed by the sentence. He may have done a lot of good [ for Mina] but he’s done a lot of harm.”
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