Ferry Road attack victim has died

LEITH MURDER: POLICE RENEW CALL FOR WITNESSES

A 65-year-old man has died in hospital after being seriously assaulted in Edinburgh on the evening of Sunday, 10 March, 2024.

Nashir Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.

Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The 48-year-old victim was discharged after receiving treatment for serious leg and facial injuries however Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024. His family are aware.

Detectives are treating his death as murder and are renewing their appeal for any information which could assist their investigation.

From enquiries carried out so far, the suspect is described as black, around 30-years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Ahmed’s family and the other victim and specialist officers are supporting them during this extremely difficult time.

“This was a completely random and unprovoked assault on Mr Ahmed and his friend and it is absolutely vital that we trace the individual responsible for this despicable and senseless crime.

“Ferry Road would have been busy around the time and we would continue to urge anyone who witnessed this attack as well as anyone with dash-cam or private CCVV footage of the area which could be of significance, to please get in touch.

“Incidents of this nature can understandably cause concern to the local community however we are following a number of positive lines of enquiry and there will continue to be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.

“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Anchor Inn shooting: Fourth person arrested and charged

A fourth person has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in Granton.

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road.

Two men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital. The 38-year-old man, Marc Webley, was pronounced dead a short time later.

A 20-year-old man has now been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow -Friday, 2 February, 2024.

A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have previously been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Both appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 8 January, 2024.

A 33-year-old woman was also arrested and charged in connection with the incident. She was released pending further enquiries.

Anchor shootings: Another woman arrested and charged

A third person has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 38-year-old local man in Granton on Hogmanay.

The 33-year-old woman was arrested yesterday (Monday, 8 January) and has now been charged. She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Wednesday, 10 January).

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged outside the Anchor Inn in West Granton Road.

Two men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital . The 38-year-old man, Marc Webley, was pronounced dead a short time later. The other man remains in hospital.

A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have already been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Both appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (Monday, 8 January). Grant Hunter and Emma McVie made no plea and have been remanded in custody.

Granton shootings: Two Arrested

Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in West Granton. A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road, seriously injuring two men.

Both men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital, where the 38-year-old man was pronounced dead a short time later. The dead man has been named locally as Marc Webley.

Enquiries are ongoing and police continue to appeal for information.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant, Major Investigation Team, said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their support and patience while enquiries are ongoing.

“There will continue to be an increased police presence in the area and anyone with further concerns should speak to officers, call 101, or in the case of an emergency, 999.”

HOGMANAY MURDER IN GRANTON

Detectives are treating the death of a man as murder following a firearms incident which occurred in the Granton area last night (Sunday, 31 December).

Around 11.50pm police were called to reports of two men being seriously injured after a firearm was discharged in Granton Crescent.

Emergency services attended and the two men were taken to hospital.

A 38-year-old man was pronounced dead a short time later and a 39-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Road closures remain in place on Granton Road and Granton Crescent while police enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant said: “This is believed to have been a targeted incident and our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of both men involved.

“Enquiries are at a very early stage to establish the full circumstances surrounding what happened, and while officers have already gathered CCTV and spoken to various people who were in the area at the time, I’d urge anyone with information who hasn’t yet spoken to us to come forward.

“In particular if anyone has private CCTV, doorbell footage or dashcam of the Granton Crescent/Road area around the time of the incident, please bring it to our attention.

“This incident will undoubtedly have caused concern in the local community and officers will be carrying out extra patrols of the area and I’d like to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to trace whoever is responsible.”

The murdered man has been named locally as Marc Webley.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference 3819 of 31 December. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Omni Centre death: Murder inquiry launched

A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of a 30-year-old man in Edinburgh.

Around 7.45pm on Friday, 2 June, 2023, officers were called to a report of a disturbance on Leith Street near to the junction with Greenside Row.

Edinburgh man Peter Mullen, 30, suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he died a short time later.

Following a post mortem examination, his death is being treated as murder. His relatives are aware and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Enquiries have so far revealed a number of people were involved in the disturbance and a 41-year-old man was also taken to hospital for treatment.

A 46-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a minor assault. She is expected to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Chief Inspector John Morrison said: “Our thoughts are very much with Peter’s family and friends at this very difficult time.

“We have a dedicated team of officers working on this investigation and I would like to reassure the local community that everything is being done to trace the person responsible.

“Extensive enquiries are ongoing and officers are continuing to gather CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

“We are aware that the area was busy at the time of the incident and we are again encouraging anyone who may have seen or heard a disturbance, to please get in touch.

“We have set up a website that gives members of the public access to a form to send information directly to us.

“Anyone with any CCTV, dashcam or any other footage that they think would assist the enquiry can also send this via this link.

“You can select to remain anonymous when submitting information.

“I’d like to thank the public for their assistance so far and ask anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken with officers to please call 101 quoting incident number 4094 of 2 June, 2023.

“Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given completely anonymously.

“We have set up a link to our Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) that allows members of the public to send information directly to the public.”

The MIPP can be accessed here: 

https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT23S24-PO1

Murder on Arthur’s Seat: Twenty years minimum for wife killer

A 29-year-old man from Yorkshire has been found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife in Edinburgh in September, 2021.

Kashif Anwar (below) was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday (Thursday, 6 April, 2023) of murdering 31-year-old Fawziyah Javed at Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park on Thursday, 2 September, 2021.

He will serve a minimum of 20 years.

Image shows Kashif Anwar who was found guilty of murdering Fawziyah Javed

Detective Inspector Bob Williamson, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult and traumatic time for Fawziyah’s family who are understandably devastated by her death.

“Fawziyah was much loved and had her life ahead of her with a new baby on the way. This was all cruelly taken from her and her unborn child at the hands of her own husband – someone who should have loved and protected her. Anwar’s actions were incomprehensible and as an investigation team, we welcome today’s verdict.

“I sincerely hope that the fact that he has now been found guilty will afford Fawziyah’s family and friends some sense of justice.”

Renee MacRae: Justice At Last

An 80-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of Renee and Andrew MacRae in the Highlands in 1976. William MacDowell was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Inverness on Thursday.

Renee and Andrew MacRae

Renee, 36, and her three-year-old son Andrew left their home in Inverness on November 12, 1976, heading south on the A9.

Their BMW car was discovered on fire in a lay-by near Dalmagarry later that evening. Neither Renee nor Andrew have been seen since and their bodies have never been found.

MacDowell was arrested in September 2019 after an extensive review and re-investigation carried out by detectives from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team and local officers, building on decades of work carried out since 1976.

On behalf of the family, Morag Govans, Renee’s sister and Andrew’s aunt, said: “Almost 46 years on, the pain of losing Renee and Andrew in such a cruel and brutal fashion never fades.

“Today there is finally justice for them. It’s a day we feared would never come.

“They were both so precious to us and a day never passes without them both in our thoughts.

“Renee was a compassionate and caring mother. Both Andrew and his elder brother Gordon were her life. She adored them and was so proud of her boys.

“Andrew would be 48 today, he was never given the chance to build his own life.

“The passage of time has not eased the anguish we feel, we have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss.

“Not knowing where their remains lie only compounds the pain.

“Thinking of the terror they both must have felt before they died continues to haunt us.

“We will never comprehend why their lives had to be taken in such a calculated and callous manner by William MacDowell (below).

“If he has a shred of decency in his body, he will now reveal where they both lie.”

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes said: “Renee and Andrew’s family, and friends, have waited decades for justice and I hope that the outcome in court today can provide some form of closure for them.

“They have carried themselves with absolute dignity throughout and they are very much in my thoughts today.

“The murders of Renee and Andrew MacRae have had a significant impact on people in Inverness, and beyond for decades.

“It is fitting to know that despite the passage of time, justice has finally been served.”

He added: “Although justice has now been done, Renee and Andrew’s bodies have not been found and I would urge anyone who may have information about where they are to come forward so they can be provided with the dignity they deserve.

“In particular I would appeal directly to William McDowell to speak to us and allow to bring closure to their family.”

The investigation into the disappearances of Renee and Andrew MacRae has been one of Scotland’s longest running and enduring cases and has been subject to an ongoing police investigation since the events of November 1976.

Latterly it was subject to an extensive review led by detectives from Police Scotland’s Major Investigations Team, which initially commenced in 2017, and a re-investigation started in 2018.

This review and re-investigation involved assessing all the available material gathered over more than four decades, reviewing previous witness statements and where possible re-interviewing people who had given information about the case. All modern investigative techniques were considered and applied where appropriate.

The enquiry also involved a major operation in 2019 to drain and forensically search Leanach Quarry near Inverness for evidence. This involved removing more than 100,000 tonnes of material, with more than 5,000 tonnes subject to a thorough search by specialist officers over a five month period. Even though no evidence was found at Leanach Quarry, this was a significant line of enquiry which had to be exhausted.

William McDowell was ultimately arrested in Cumbria in September 2019 as a result of the extensive enquiries into the disappearances of Renee and Andrew MacRae.

Body confirmed as Dr. Peter Coshan

POLICE have confirmed the body which was discovered in Northumberland at the weekend has been identified as 75-year-old Peter Coshan.

The body was found on land close to the A696 near the village of Kirkwhelpington on Sunday, 4 September, 2022.

Dr Coshan’s family has been made aware and specialist officers are continuing to provide support to them.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with Peter’s family at this incredibly difficult time.

“I would again like to thank everyone who has come forward with information which has helped our investigation.”

Two men, aged 27 and 63, have previously been arrested and charged in connection with Dr Coshan’s disappearance and both have already appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Aimee Jane murder: man arrested

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Aimee Jane Cannon in West Calder.

Aimee Jane (26) was found with a number of serious injuries at a property on Learmonth Crescent, West Calder around 6.35pm on Saturday, 7 May, 2022. 

Enquiries remain ongoing following the arrest.

Members of the public can still submit information via an online portal.

The Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) is a website that gives the public access to a form so they can send information directly to the major incident teams based at the Scottish Crime Campus: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT22S14-PO1 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting reference 3181 of 7 May, 2022.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.