‘Death threats’ made to Ukip candidate before he was found in a pool of blood
Probe reopened following family fight for answers
AN investigation into the death of a former Ukip candidate found in a pool of blood days after receiving death threats will be reopened by a coroner.
Police described the death of Ramsay Urquhart, 33, in April 2019 as ‘unexplained but not suspicious’.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the death was ‘unascertained’.
His body was found wrapped tightly in a duvet at a flat in London and his laptop was missing. He had moved there from Banffshire two weeks earlier in search of work.
His father, Murdo Urquhart, has been campaigning for a full investigation into his death after refusing to accept the official account there were no suspicious circumstances.
Mr Urquhart senior, 67, a former technician at Inverness College UHI, has now secured a fresh investigation by a coroner in Sunderland, which he hopes will find out what happened.
Ramsay, a former Inverness Royal Academy and Nairn Academy pupil, had been living with his parents in Keith, Banffshire, up until two weeks before
‘All I want is justice for my son’
his death, when he moved to London to find a job.
He stood unsuccessfully for Ukip in Glasgow Central in the 2010 general election.
His body was found in a room in a ‘ home of multiple occupancy’ by police, alerted by his worried family.
They were concerned about their son’s mental health and have since l earned he had received death threats in the days leading up to the tragedy.
But officers who found his body covered in blood said there was nothing suspicious, which Mr Urquhart refuses to accept.
His son’s widow, Pan Ei Phyu, 30, originally from Myanmar, who met Ramsay while they taught English in China in 2014, said: ‘It’s more than a year since Ramsay died and I do not know what happened. He was only in London two weeks. We’d speak on the phone every day and then, when I tried to call and message, there was no response.
‘I got in touch with my fatherin-law and he called police.’
Mr Urquhart said: ‘All I want is justice for my son. I want the coroner to accept that my son’s death is unexplained or suspicious in order for a new investigation to be launched.
‘I believe that my son was smothered and then battered to death, and I think there has been a major cover-up to protect those who initially investigated his death.’
He and his wife Susan claim there are too many unanswered questions and that new evidence is still being uncovered.
He added: ‘We made phone calls to police in London and made a visit to our local station in Elgin to try to get someone to listen to us as we were worried about our son’s mental health, and his wife could not make contact with him.
‘Two officers finally went to Ramsay’s home and found him face down on his bed, surrounded by blood. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two police officers arrived at our door in the early hours of the morning to tell us our son was dead, but said there were no suspicious circumstances.’
After Ramsay’s body was released 12 days later following a post mortem, Mr Urquhart and one of his sons went to London to view it and make arrangements for a funeral.
But he and Ramsay’s wife were denied access. Ramsay was cremated, and his family was charged for the service.
Mr Urquhart said: ‘There has been a catalogue of failings in the investigation. After investigating his death for a number of months, it came to light that two police officers had been to Ramsay’s home two days before he died because he had received death threats. They were the last two people to see my son alive as far as we know.’
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said: ‘The Independent Office for Police Conduct has informed the MPS and the coroner none of the officers and police staff members involved has a case to answer for misconduct. However, the MPS has agreed with the IOPC that management advice be given to four officers and a member of police staff.’
A spokesman for the deputy chief coroner in England and Wales said: ‘The investigation and inquest hearing have been transferred to Sunderland.’
‘I think there has been a cover-up’