New Year’s Day assault and robbery in Clermiston: Police issue CCTV appeal

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they believe may be able to assist an ongoing investigation into an assault and robbery in Clermiston.

The incident happened around 6.40pm on Saturday, 1 January, 2022, on Essendean Place. A 43-year-old man was assaulted and robbed, sustaining facial injuries.

Officers believe the man (pictured below) may be able to help with the investigation.



He is described as white, aged in his 20s, around 5ft 10in, medium build, wearing a hooded zip up top and Adidas jogging bottoms with short, dark hair and moustache.

Detective Constable Richard Paton, of Corstorphine CID, said: “We have released a CCTV image of a man we would like to speak to in connection with this incident.

“Despite extensive enquiries, we have not been successful in identifying the man in the image.

“I would urge the male or anyone who recognises him to come forward as soon as possible.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Corstorphine CID via 101, quoting incident number 3992 of 1 January, 2022, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Did planning dispute lead to Alistair Wilson murder?

‘TIME IS NO BARRIER TO JUSTICE’

Detectives investigating the murder of Alistair Wilson at his home in Nairn in 2004 are appealing for information about a local planning application they believe may be significant to the enquiry.

Mr Wilson had objected to a large decking area outside the Havelock Hotel, opposite his home in Crescent Road, shortly before he was shot dead on his doorstep.

Detectives recently travelled to Canada to interview a key witness regarding this planning application and are appealing for the public’s help to gather more information.

Officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, which is carrying out the investigation, can also confirm they now believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and is not connected to his employment with the Bank of Scotland.

Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie said: “Shortly before his murder, Alistair had objected to the building of a large decking area within the car park of the Havelock Hotel, directly opposite the family home which he said was responsible for increased noise and litter in the area.

“The decking was built in the summer of 2004 and subject to a retrospective planning application at the time of the murder.

“While we cannot rule out any scenario, we believe this could be significant to our enquiries and I am asking anyone with information about this issue to please come forward and speak with officers.

“Alistair did not disclose his disapproval regarding the decking to many people, however we understand that his formal objection was sent by the Local Authority to the Havelock Hotel on the Thursday before his murder and knowledge of his objections became public before his murder on the Sunday, which may be significant.

“I would also appeal to anyone who was involved in the building of the decking area at the Havelock Hotel in 2004 to come forward.

“Through significant enquiries being carried out we believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and not in his role with the bank.

“Someone locally will have that piece of information that could be crucial to catching his killer and providing answers for his family.”

Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Last month Police Scotland issued an appeal for information about two men seen with a handgun on a beach near the town a month before the fatal shooting.

Following recent appeals for information, a witness has reported seeing two men, one aged in their 20s and the other between 40 and 60 years old on East Beach, Nairn.

The witness has said the younger man was in possession of a handgun.

Detective Superintendent Mackie said: “We have been very clear that time is no barrier to justice and I hope these recent appeals will further reassure the public that we are determined to bring Alistair’s killer to justice.

“I would like to thank the local community for the positive response to our recent appeals for information.”

Following a recent review of witness accounts, further analysis of timings from the night in question and investigative developments, officers altered the description of the man they want to trace in connection with Alistair’s murder.

Detectives believe the man who shot Alistair on his doorstep to have been aged between 20 and 40-years-old at the time. This would mean he is now aged in his mid-30s to almost 60 years old.

He was approximately 5ft 7in tall and was wearing a baseball cap and jacket.

Previous appeals described the gunman as being between 30 and 40-years-old.

Mr Wilson was shot around 7pm on Sunday, 28 November 2004 after a man called at the family’s home on Crescent Road, Nairn, spoke to his wife Veronica who answered the door and asked for her husband by name.

Mr Wilson went downstairs to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with the word “Paul” on it. He went inside briefly and then returned to the door for a second time when he was fatally shot.

Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Muirhouse youth project ‘devastated’ by arson attack on minibus

MUIRHOUSE Youth Development Group’s minibus was the victim of arson on Saturday afternoon.

All at MYDG are devastated as this will have a massive impact on the project’s programme and what they are able to offer local young people.

If you have any information please contact @PoliceScotland on 101

West Pilton incident: boy charged

Following the theft of a motorcycle from the North West of Edinburgh, which was reported on Monday (18 April), police were made aware of a linked incident in the West Pilton area later that day involving a group of youths.

This resulted in a 13-year-old boy being identified and charged in connection with attempted robbery and possession of a blade.

Enquiries are ongoing into the theft of the motorbike.

Police appeal for witnesses following Westside Plaza hit and run

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was hit by a car at Westside Plaza, in Wester Hailes. The incident happened around 9.30am yesterday (Thursday 14 April 2022) and is being treated as attempted murder.

The 45-year-old is currently in a serious condition in The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Detective Inspector George Calder from CID at Corstorphine Police Station said: “The vehicle did not stop after the incident, but has now been recovered by officers, we are still trying to trace the occupants.

“We appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time, or has dash cam footage of the incident to come forward.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 0742 of 14 April 2022.”

Jail for Edinburgh man involved in serious and organised crime

An Edinburgh man has been sentenced to more than nine years for drugs and organised crime offences.

Shaun McKinnon (35) was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today for his involvement in the supply of drugs and serious and organised crime. He is also subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for a period of 3 years.

He pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, 17 February, 2022, when he appeared alongside his co-accused Samantha McCafferty (35) who pled guilty at an earlier date. McCafferty received 200 hours community service.


Detective Inspector Robert Campbell said: “I would personally like to acknowledge and praise the bravery of the victims who refused to let fear and intimidation stop them from speaking out.

“The arrests of McKinnon and McCafferty were achieved through painstaking work and dogged determination by officers working on the investigation. Their efforts have ensured that McKinnon is no longer in a position where he can bring harm to the local people of South Edinburgh.”

If you have any information or concerns about drug misuse or wider criminality in your area, do not hesitate to contact Police Scotland via 101 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Campaign to urge reporting of sexual harassment on  Scotland’s railways

  • Crimestoppers Scotland, BTP Scotland, Network Rail and the Rail industry raise awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment, encouraging reporting and helping to make sure there is no unsafe space on Scotland’s railways
  • Research shows people don’t realise that behaviours like wolf whistling, leering/staring or deliberately invading personal space are forms of sexual harassment

Crimestoppers Scotland has joined with Network Rail, BTP Scotland and the rail industry to tackle sexual harassment by ensuring people understand what constitutes such behaviour.

The campaign will also inform people of the action they can take to report sexual harassment if they witness it and thereby help to combat it.

New research shows a lack of awareness about the seriousness of non-physical types of sexual harassment, which can be distressing and frightening for those who experience them.

The survey of over 2,500 people, carried out for the Rail Delivery Group by 2CV, reveals just a minority of rail passengers realise that wolf whistling (30%), inappropriate staring (37%) or someone sitting/standing too close on an otherwise quiet carriage (39%) is sexual harassment.

Government research shows that 84% of women and 60% of men in the UK population have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime.

To tackle this, the rail industry is raising awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment with a Scotland-wide social media campaign, information distributed at Scotland’s stations – including big screens – to report instances where they feel unsafe. This will make it clear to perpetrators that their behaviour is not tolerated on the railway.

The rail industry expects that promoting a shared understanding of what sexual harassment looks like will help people who see or experience it gain the confidence to speak. This will help ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their actions and BTP is encouraging reporting to give them a greater opportunity to detect and punish offenders.

Allan Brooking, Community Safety Manager at Network Rail Scotland said: “Any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable on our railway and in wider society.  We want all our customers to feel confident that they can use the railway without feeling unsafe, violated, or intimidated.

“This campaign will contribute to making Scotland’s Railway safer, ensuring people understand what constitutes sexual harassment and what actions they can take to report sexual harassment.

“We are working closely with Crimestoppers, BTP and the wider rail industry to demonstrate how we can all play our part in keeping each other safe and show that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated on our network”

BTP Detective Chief Inspector Arlene Wilson said: “Sexual harassment is anything that makes you or anybody else feel uncomfortable with a sexual element.

“This campaign is about educating people on what is not acceptable and how to report it, so we can work together to make the rail network a hostile environment for sexual harassment. Each report we receive provides us with valuable information which we can use to build an accurate picture of an offender and take action.

“We need to work together with the community to tackle this behaviour and create this hostile environment to discourage people from behaving in this manner. If you look at the root cause of some the behaviours around sexual assault it all stems from sexual harassment.

“We urge anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual harassment to text us on 61016, whether something is happening at the time or has happened recently. Save 61016 in your phone, so you have the number to hand should you ever need us.

“No report is too small or trivial, and we will always take you seriously.”

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Every form of sexual harassment is serious and actions like leering, sitting unnecessarily close or making sexual comments are unacceptable on our railway and in wider society.

“As an industry, we’re committed to ensuring there is no unsafe space on the railway by showing the small number of perpetrators that they are not welcome on trains and at stations. The British Transport Police will hold them to account to make train journeys safer for everyone.”

The campaign reminds passengers that they can contact BTP via text to report any cases of sexual harassment that they witness. By sending a short message with details of what they’ve seen to 61016, witnesses can help BTP to identify perpetrators and reduce potential harm for others in the future. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Angela Parker, National Manager of charity Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “Our charity believes that everyone has the right to feel safe, and that includes when travelling on public transport. Sexual harassment must be stamped out which is why we along with Network Rail Scotland and partners are playing our part in supporting this important campaign.

“If you are uncomfortable about reporting someone you know who is responsible for sexual harassment, remember that you can speak up completely anonymously by calling the railway’s sexual harassment line which is powered by Crimestoppers on 0800 783 0137.

“We guarantee no one will ever know you contacted us and you will be helping to protect others from the harm caused by this unacceptable criminal behaviour.”

Police appeal for witnesses after ten year old boy robbed in Trinity

Police are appealing for information after a 10-year-old boy was approached in the street and robbed next to a park in the Trinity area at around 5.30pm last night (Thursday, 31 March).

The boy was walking in Zetland Place near its junction with Stirling Road at Lomond Park, along with two friends when he was approached by an older male youth.

The youth was walking from the direction of Trinity Road with two others and asked the boy to hand over his bag and when he refused he was threatened. As a result he handed over some coins.

The suspect then ran off towards Trinity Road. He is described as aged 16 to 18-years old, around 5ft 9ins, of medium build with red hair. He was wearing a black puffer-style jacket with the hood up, black tracksuit bottoms, black shoes and was carrying a black bag.

Detective Constable Rich Paton said: “This was a nasty and horrible experience for a school child who was out with friends on the way to a park. He has been left extremely upset by the incident.

“I am asking anyone who saw what happened to get in touch, particularly if you have ring-bell or dash-cam footage. In addition if you know the suspect or anything else that could help with our enquiries then please contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2620 of Thursday, 31 March, or contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Market Street assault: Do you recognise this couple?

Police Scotland has released images of a male and female they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to a serious assault which occurred around 11.20pm on Sunday, 12 December, 2021, on Market Street, directly underneath North Bridge.

The male in the images is described as being white, in his mid-30s, around 5ft 9in tall and of medium build with short dark hair. He is wearing a grey/blue padded jacket and a two tone blue hooded jumper, blue jeans and was carrying a plastic orange carrier bag and a cream baseball cap.

The female in the images is described as white, in her mid-30s, around 5ft 5in and of small build. She was wearing a knee length black padded jacket with the hood up and had small-framed glasses.

Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe, from Edinburgh CID, said: “I would urge the male and female, or anyone who has information relating to the male and female, depicted in these images to make contact with the police.

“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 3829 of 12 December, 2021. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”

Police appeal following housebreaking in Oxgangs

Police are appealing for information following a housebreaking in the Oxgangs area. The incident happened between 1.30pm on Tuesday, 22 March, and 7.30pm on Wednesday, 23 March, at a property in Swan Spring Avenue.

Jewellery worth around £7,000, headphones and a black VW T30 highline van, registration number T5 KPE (pictured), were taken.

Detective Sergeant Steven Dick said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who saw anything suspicious at this property and who may have door-bell or dash-cam footage that could help with our enquiries.

“I am also appealing to anyone who may have seen the car being driven to get in touch to help with our investigation to recover it and the rest of the items that have been stolen.”

Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3049 of Wednesday, 23 march, 2022.