The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Answers are still sought into plastic-bag death of Nikolov
A murdermajor probe into the mysterious death of a “fixer” involved in the of a prominent Fife businessman over a decade ago is still ongoing, authorities have confirmed.
Deyan Nikolov, 33, a Bulgarian ex-bouncer from Kirkcaldy, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years in 2012 after arranging for hitman Tencho Andonov to kill Toby Siddique at a house in Glenrothes in 2010.
However, that sentence was dramatically cut short on June 11, 2018, when staff at HMP Glenochil found Nikolov motionless in his cell with a plastic bag over his head.
Prison sources surmised that Nikolov had either been using the bag to enhance the effect of taking drugs, or had been the victim of a botched sex game, but inquiries are continuing more than two-and-a-half years after his death.
The Courier understands that Nikolov’s death is being looked at more closely after a Perthshire man with previous links to the Bulgarian was found dead in a burned-out stolen car in Blantyre last February.
Rafal Lyko, 36, who worked as a landscape gardener, had previously been jailed for four months in 2012 for smuggling a hi-tech spy phone into prison for Nikolov to use while he was on trial for murder.
Nikolov had the tiny smartphone – which looked like an ordinary digital watch – brought to him while he was remanded in maximum security Perth Prison, and detectives are examining possible links between the 2010 contract killing, Nikolov’s death and Mr Lyko’s murder.
Asked about the status of
Nikolov’s case, a spokesperson for the Crown Office confirmed: “The investigation into the death of Mr Nikolov is ongoing.
“There will be a mandatory fatal accident inquiry (FAI) in due course.”
Nikolov was jailed for the part he played in the fatal shooting of businessman Mohammed Nadeem Siddique, 38, better known as Toby, at a flat in Glenrothes’ Tanshall area in October 2010.
He and two other men were found guilty of murder.
The victim’s brother, Mohammed Azam Siddique, 41, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years after hiring Andonov to execute his brother over their business rivalry.
Andonov, the man who pulled the trigger, was also convicted of attempting to murder former security
man David Dalgleish, 44, who lived at the flat and had been left for dead.
The trio were eventually caught after Nikolov missed his getaway flight by forgetting his passport, and were found guilty after a four-month trial – one of the longest in Scottish criminal history.
Numerous questions remain about the case, however, and the murder weapon used in the Siddique shooting has never been found.
Going online
A timetable of lessons is in place, with most delivered live using Microsoft Teams. More than 600 live lessons take place each week in the Senior Years and around 220 take place each week in Junior Years.
Teachers are also creating pre-recorded lessons and continuously uploading resources to High School of Dundee’s Virtual Learning Environment.
Meanwhile, the Learning Skills Team will continue providing timetabled support.
Junior Years teachers have devised activities to help pupils stay engaged with one another, giving them a chance to work and play alongside friends virtually.
And Senior Years Guidance Teachers will meet groups online every week and continue to provide one-to-one pastoral support. PE lessons and music tuition - around 500 virtual individual music lessons per week - will take place online.
High School of Dundee is also providing care for key workers and vulnerable children at its main campus and Mayfield Nursery.
skills
Creating wellbeing podcasts and lockdown newsletters
· Virtual ensemble music performances
· A virtual Sports Day
· Charity Work
Reinforcing values
While these measures have been established in response to the pandemic, High School of Dundee is also looking ahead. It knows it will need to remain flexible and agile going forwards.
A remote learning programme allows it to do that, ensuring pupils can continue with high quality education regardless of where or how they’re learning.
The pandemic has also reinforced vital whole school values such as togetherness and adaptability, which have already served to strengthen its community.
Rector Lise Hudson says: “The wellbeing of our pupils is always our number 1 priority, and is something we have worked hard to protect and safeguard during lockdown; we listen to our pupils’ concerns and their feedback and respond to their needs.
“We are a community that works to support each other and kindness is at the heart of all that we do. We have learnt how precious our shared humanity is and the power that we have to change the world for the better through our individual and collective actions.”
High School of Dundee worked hard on plans for returning to school and nursery in August 2020.
These arrangements – more details can be found on the school’s website – allowed the school to implement physical distancing, adopt enhanced safety and hygiene measures and respond to a range of different scenarios.
The High School of Dundee knows that when schools can return, it will be ready.