You wouldn’t be meeting us if Record hadn’t been doing your job for you

What tragic Stefan’s family told cops after they finally deigned to probe son’s death

BY MARCELLO MEGA reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk THE family of a young man whose body was found on a beach six years ago have been told by police that his death is to be reviewed.

Stefan Sutherland’s parents Sandy and Sandra welcomed the move – but pointed out to officers that it wouldn’t have happened without the Daily Record.

In a series of articles, we have raised serious questions about how police handled the original investigation.

At a meeting with senior officers, Sandy laid out a series of Record articles.

He told us: “I said to the officers that they would not be meeting us if the Record had not been doing their job for them.”

Stefan, 25, was last seen in Lybster, Caithness, on the night of September 6, 2013. His body was washed up a few miles away at Occumster Bay on September 17.

Former police force Northern Constabulary quickly decided his death had been suicide or accidental and ignored substantial evidence suggested by Stefan’s injuries and offered by witnesses that pointed to murder.

Following our articles, Police Scotland has finally bowed to pressure to re-examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Sandy, Sandra and their daughter Katrina were visited at their Caithness home by Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie and Detective Chief Inspector David Hadden on Tuesday to be told the case was being reviewed.

Later, Sandy said: “They told us there would be a review by officers not from the Caithness area and not previously connected to the case.