Bid to retry man over mother’s murder
● Previous trial ended in a not proven verdict after 22 days of proceedings
Prosecutors are seeking to retry a man in connection with the alleged murder of his mother under double jeopardy legislation.
Sean Flynn went on trial in 2005 for the murder of Louise Tiffney but was cleared with a not proven verdict.
The Crown Office has applied to set aside his acquittal after the 43-yearold’s remains were found in East Lothian last year.
The son of a murder victim could be tried again for her killing, prosecutors have said.
Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC has applied to the High Court for authority under Double Jeopardy laws to set aside the acquittal of Sean Flynn.
Mr Flynn’s mother Louise Tiffney, 43, was last seen leaving her flat in Dean Village, Edinburgh, after a row with her son, who was aged 18 at the time in 2002.
In April last year Ms Tiffney’s remains were discovered near Gosford House in East Lothian.
Mr Flynn, then 21, stood trial at the High Court in Perth in 2005 accused of murdering his mother and disposing of her body.
But he walked free after a not proven jury verdict following 22 days of proceedings.
A cyclist stumbled across Ms Tiffney’s remains on a seclud- ed patch of scrubland on the Gosford House estate on 2 April last year just yards from the A198.
The lead detective on the case said at the time that Ms Tiffney’s family had given up hope of ever finding the mother-of-two alive.
DCI Keith Hardie said sisters June Tiffney and Iris Mckinlay had told him they were “relieved” at the news.
“So rather than this being bad news, it may even be considered good news for them because they might be able to bring this lengthy, lengthy event to some kind of conclusion,” he said.
Up to 40 officers worked the case trying to piece together Ms Tiffney’s last moments.
The window dresser was last seen leaving her home on 27 May 2002.
A copy of Ms Tiffney’s death certificate states the cause as “unascertained pending investigation”.
Following the discovery last year, Dundee University’s world-renowned Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification were called in to help with the case.
They helped solve the Philomena Dunleavy murder after the 66-year-old’s dismembered body was found in a shallow grave on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh, in 2013.
Detectives re-appealed for any witnesses to come forward a year on from finding Ms Tiffney’s body in April.
Ms Tiffney’s family are understood to have been kept updated on the inquiry’s progress.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth davidson called for fresh impetus from officers on the anniversary of Ms Tiffney’s remains being found.
“This was a notorious Edinburgh murder which had a significant breakthrough last year,” said Ms Davidson, whose constituency includes Ms Tiffney’s former home.
“Her loved ones have suffered enough and deserve closure.”