The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Murder probe after man’s body found in Alyth
INCIDENT: Local man John Donnachy named as victim
Murder squad detectives are probing the “suspicious” death of a young man in a late night incident.
Hazel Court in Alyth was cordoned off yesterday while forensics officers in white suits and masks combed an alleyway connecting the houses to a car park.
Police Scotland said they were called out to an address on the street at around 10pm on Saturday where they found the body of 26-year-old local man John Donnachy.
A large police presence of uniformed and plain clothes officers remained in the area all day.
The man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Graham Binnie, moved to reassure local people, describing it as “a contained and isolated incident”.
A major police investigation was launched after a 26-year-old man died in a late-night incident in Perthshire.
Officers rushed to an address in Hazel Court in Alyth on Saturday after reports of a disturbance where they discovered the body of local man John Donnachy.
The area was quickly sealed off and murder squad detectives made their way to the scene of the “suspicious” death.
Nearby residents were asked to remain within their homes while investigations were carried out.
A command post was set up and forensic officers were drafted in yesterday.
Wearing white suits and masks, they could be seen combing an alleyway which connects Hazel Court to a car park.
Officers remained at the scene for most of the day and refused to be drawn on the circumstances surrounding the death, but neighbours were initially told there had been “a serious assault”. Detective Chief Inspector Graham Binnie, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are currently treating the death of the man as unexplained and inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his death are ongoing.
“Officers are currently at the scene and there will be a police presence in the area for some time.
“I would like to thank the local community for their patience whilst we carry out our inquiries. I would also like to reassure them that this was a contained and isolated incident.
“The family of the deceased man have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”
Near neighbours of the incident said they had been awoken in the early hours of Sunday by the police activity.
David Chalmers, 83, who lives in Isla Road which overlooks Hazel Court, said: “I just happened to be looking out the window at about 10.30pm to see what the weather was like and I saw a police car sitting there.
“More police arrived, I had never seen so many police. It’s not the sort of thing you expect in a quiet place like Alyth.”
Other neighbours thought that the tenant of the house at the centre of inquires had moved to the town within the last two years.
Police appealed for anyone who saw Mr Donnachy on Friday or Saturday to contact them.
He was wearing a dark jacket, dark trousers and green wellies.