Frustrated, disappointed and furious
Family’s anger as ‘unsolved murder case’ is closed by police 20 years on
POLICE have ruled out a fresh probe into the death of man whose body was discovered in a harbour 20 years ago.
Kevin McLeod was found in Wick harbour, Caithness, on February 9, 1997, following a night out with friends. He had drowned after suffering internal injuries.
His family believe the 24-yearold electrician was murdered but no charges have ever been brought.
Northern Constabulary, the force that investigated his death, was criticised for its handling of complaints from Mr McLeod’s family.
Last month, it emerged police were re-examining evidence from two inquiries, sparking hopes the case might be reopened.
The review came after Mr McLeod’s mother June confronted Chief Constable Phil Gormley on a radio phone-in.
But on Tuesday, Police Scotland told the family there were no plans for a fresh inquiry.
In a statement yesterday, the family said: ‘We are furious, frustrated and disappointed with the outcome of Police Scotland’s re-examination of paperwork relating to the case.
‘Northern Constabulary failed us. Police Scotland failed us.’
Mr McLeod’s uncle, Allan McLeod, added: ‘They said
‘His death remains unexplained’
Kevin’s death will not be reinvestigated unless further new information comes to light.
‘We were hoping they would say they were going to correct Northern Constabulary’s wrongs.’
He claimed people saw Kevin in an altercation with an offduty police officer on the night he died.
He added: ‘Kevin, we suspect, was violently assaulted.’
Mr McLeod, who was engaged to be married, drowned after suffering severe internal injuries to his abdomen.
He had been out celebrating his upcoming wedding.
Police believe that he died after tripping and falling onto a bollard but a fatal accident inquiry returned an open verdict.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Blair, head of major crime, said: ‘Police Scotland instigated an assessment of all information known regarding the circumstances of Kevin McLeod’s death.
‘It is important to stress, this was not a reinvestigation of the death itself, but an analysis of a significant volume of information which has been recorded relating to the circumstances since 1997.
‘Having carried out this assessment, there is no evidence of criminality and his death remains unexplained, leading me to determine that there is no basis on which to launch a full reinvestigation.’
A separate internal inquiry is under way into Police Scotland and Northern Constabulary’s dealings with the McLeod family.