Two men have been convicted following the death of a 59-year-old man in Leith.
The body of Garry O’Neill was found in a flat on Primrose Street on Tuesday, 6 June, 2023.
At the High Court in Edinburgh today – Monday, 9 September, 2024 – Jamie Boulton, aged 55, was found guilty of murder following the death of Mr O’Neill.
Nathan Boulton (above), aged 49, was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
They will be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait, senior investigating officer, said: “Our thoughts are with Mr O’Neill’s family and friends and we hope that the result in court brings them a degree of closure.
“This was a deliberate act that ended in a death and Jamie Boulton will now face the consequences of his actions that day.
“His brother Nathan Boulton, now faces justice after he tried to conceal what happened.
“We would like to thank the public for their assistance and support during our investigation.
“Violence is not acceptable in our society and Police Scotland will use all the tools it has to investigate and bring those intent on committing crime and harm in our communities to justice.”
Film fans are invited to revisit a galaxy far, far away this September as every main Star Wars film brings some of cinema’s most iconic heroes and villains back to the big screen.
Spanning over 46 years of epic moments and ground-breaking action launched from the mind of George Lucas, every episode of the iconic science fiction franchise will be screening at Vue sites in Edinburgh this Autumn as part of the Back on the Big Screen offering, telling the tale of the rises and falls of the mystical Jedi across ten films.
Blasting off with the original trilogy of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (September 7), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (September 14) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (September 21), heroes such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and the two loveable droids R2-D2 & C3PO must protect the universe from the nefarious Empire – led by legendary big screen villain Darth Vadar and Sith mastermind Emperor Palpatine.
Marking its 25th anniversary since its release, Star Wars Episode I : The Phantom Menace kicks off the prequel trilogy on September 28, which retells the story behind Darth Vader and how the big bad got their origin from humble beginnings learning about the Force as a young boy. Alongside Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, revisit fantastical sci-fi worlds and take part in epic battles on September 28.
The third and final ‘sequel’ trilogy will bring the most recent Star Wars films to the big screen with Episode VII: The Force Awakens (October 1), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (October 5) & Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (October 5) retuning to Vue as well. Following the events of the original films, a new threat emerges in the galaxy and it’s up to characters such as Ray, Finn and BB-8 to take on this new threat – led by the shadowy Kylo Ren.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER.
Alongside these mainline films, Vue will also be bringing the prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to the big screen again on September 29.
This gripping crowd-pleaser tells the story behind the ragtag group of heroes who helped kickstart the original adventures by claiming top secret information for the Rebels about the Empire’s ultimate weapon – The Death Star.
Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh Ocean, said: ‘Generations of film fans have fallen in love with the Star Wars story on the big screen over the years, so we’re hugely excited to bring this sci-fi saga back to Vue – offering a way for families and fans to enjoy their favourite Jedi and Sith moments on the big screen.
“Whether you’re a fan of the originals, the prequels or the newer titles, we welcome fans to enjoy these films as they’re meant to be seen on the big screen so they can enjoy every lightsaber duel, every spaceship battle and every loveable character at home at Vue.’
Tickets for the Star Wars Back on the Big Screen releases start from £6.99 when booked online. To find out more visit www.myvue.com
A masterplan to transform Seafield in north-east Edinburgh into a new environmentally friendly neighbourhood, was published yesterday by the Council.
The masterplan will also connect its coastline to the surrounding communities in Leith, Portobello and Craigentinny.
Currently, the area is primarily made up of car showrooms, trades, light industry as well as Lothian Buses’ Marine Depot and the Council’s Seafield Household Waste Recycling Centre. The draft ‘Seafield Place Brief’ and ‘Draft Seafield Masterplan’ have been produced to add detail to the allocation in the Council’s local development plan, City Plan 2030, as one of 44 pieces of land across Edinburgh allocated as an ‘Opportunity Site’ for development.
Planning Convener, Councillor James Dalgleish said: “Our draft plan focuses on the creation of a new environmentally friendly neighbourhood at Seafield to help address the city’s housing emergency.
“Options for higher density flats, with the clear aim of 35% of homes on site being affordable, are being explored with stunning views across the Firth of Forth alongside excellent community facilities.
“We’re estimating the site could potentially deliver as many as 2,700 homes with a range of other styles of housing such as colonies and townhouses. We’ll also make sure there are opportunities for employment and community uses.
“Our bold vision to transform this area would open up the Seafield section of Edinburgh’s coastline creating an attractive and seamless promenade linking to the waterfront communities that already exist on either side.
“I’d like to thank the local people and businesses whose views have helped get us to this stage and I look forward to receiving further feedback from the upcoming consultation to help us finalise our plans.”
A new primary school, GP surgery and plenty of green space are also proposed for Seafield as well as a Waterfront Park. Improved public transport, walking, cycling and wheeling routes linking to the wider area are also included. The provision of a heat network to help the city with its net zero target is planned. This would also help to keep utility bills down for future residents.
The area under consideration stretches from Seafield Street in the north to King’s Road in the south. The eastern boundary of the site is the Forth Estuary, while the western boundary is defined by a railway line and by Seafield Recreation Area. Seafield Road East, part of the A199, runs through much of the site. As Seafield is a coastal area, work is also ongoing with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to make sure we mitigate against any future flood risk.
If approved for consultation by the Planning Committee next week, residents, businesses and other organisations interested in the area will be asked to give their views on the ‘Draft Seafield Place Brief’ and ‘Draft Seafield Masterplan’, developed following extensive consultation with local people and businesses.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses following a robbery which occurred in the Leith area on Monday night (12 August, 2024).
Around 11pm a 38-year-old woman was walking through Leith Links, close to Duncan Place, when she was approached by a man who grabbed her rucksack, causing her to fall to the ground.
The suspect made off towards Restalrig Road and Link Gardens.
The suspect is described as a white male, 30 to 40 years-old, 5ft6 and of thin build. He was wearing a long sleeved top, trousers, a dark baseball cap and spoke with a Scottish accent.
He was also in possession of a black and green mountaineering style rucksack which contained clothing and a number of high value items.
Detective Sergeant Ashley Rea said: “Thankfully the victim was not injured during the robbery however it was still a very distressing experience.
“We are appealing for anyone who was in the surrounding area around 11pm on Monday night who saw a man matching the suspect’s description, or who may have private CCTV or dash-cam footage of significance, to please get in touch.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2616 of Monday, 12 August, 2024. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
A planning application for the proposed refurbishment of the Calton Square office building, currently home to Baillie Gifford, has been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council by Ardstone Capital on behalf of the building owners.
The vision for Calton Square is to create a best-in-class office building, comparable to the best in Europe, with the best possible Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) standards and lowest carbon footprint.
Located at the top of Leith Walk, the scheme provides almost 200,000 sq ft of office accommodation, with a number of roof terraces, co-working areas and a striking internal atrium that has the potential to act as an auditorium.
Fronting onto Leith Street the building, which dates from the 1990s, needs updating and to refurbish it will require significant remodelling and intervention. This includes replacing many elements of the existing asset including windows, façade, lifts and entrances.
However, much of the existing structure will be retained, with materials re-used on site or recycled.
Sustainability and net zero objectives have been established as a key consideration, delivering first class energy and environmental performance standards, with best-in-class ESG ratings. The current green roofscape and gardens will be enhanced, with a courtyard or atrium space provided in the centre of the building.
Commenting on this, Craig McDonald, Principal and Managing Director of Ardstone Capital UK, acting as development manager on behalf of the owner and its advisory team, said:“We are delighted to be submitting the planning application for Calton Square to City of Edinburgh Council.
“The dialogue with the Council and other stakeholders has been very productive, and the application seeks to deliver an office building comparable to the best in Europe, which will serve Edinburgh well into the future.
“With the highest environmental performance standards, and the lowest possible carbon footprint, this refurbished building will seek to deliver improved ground floor activity and accessibility.
“Calton Square will address the recognised demand for top quality office space in the capital, while making an important contribution to the city, and we look to continue engaging with the Council and local community as the application progresses through the planning process.”
A group of 26 tenants living in Leith have walked the distance from John o’Groat’s to Land’s End on paths around north Edinburgh. The group challenge recreated all the steps of the famous route over six weeks.
The walk was inspired by the success of the group’s virtual NC500 walk during lockdown in 2020. Harbour Homes’ sheltered housing coordinators recognised the benefits of a group challenge to promote movement for mental health.
The group exceeded the target distance by travelling over 1,280 miles on foot. This equates to over three million steps in six weeks.
Ellen who joined the walk said: “The virtual walking group was a great incentive to get up every morning and walk instead of sitting watching TV.
“I started to feel better about myself.”
Craig enjoyed the challenge and said: “It showed how much effort everyone put into the challenge.
“It was very worthwhile.”
Michael added: “I liked the challenge, it was really good for the body and mind.
“I really enjoy the walking group and catching up with everyone.”
Maureen Combe, Sheltered Housing Manager at Harbour Homes said:“There would be no challenge without our tenants, and we are very proud of the dedication shown by the walking group this summer.
“It is well known that one of the best things we can do to look after our mental health is to move regularly, and the benefits increase when we move as part of a group.
“I’m eager to see what our tenants accomplish next!”
Harbour Homes’ sheltered housing coordinators plan to keep the momentum going with more walking activities and challenges throughout the year.
POLICE are appealing for the assistance of the public in tracing 20 year old Rory Dowling-Clarke, who has been reported missing from Granton, Edinburgh.
Rory was last seen at 2pm on Monday 29th July, 2024 in the Granton area and is thought to have since been in Leith and the City centre.
If you have any information please contact 101 and quote police incident 2038 31/07/24.
Five star attraction commits to long-term future as part of reconfigured destination on Leith’s waterfront
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OT (Ocean Terminal) and The Royal Yacht Britannia have agreed a new 25 year lease which will cement OT’s position as the leading tourist destination on Leith’s waterfront.
The five-star attraction voted Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction 2023 – 2024 has committed to a long-term future with OT as part of the redevelopment project and multi-million pound redevelopment of the site.
Chris Richardson, Managing Director of Ambassador Investment Management, the Scottish owners of Ocean Terminal, said:“This is a significant development for the reconfiguration of the site, and we are absolutely thrilled that The Royal Yacht Britannia, one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, has agreed a 25 year lease with OT.
“I am in no doubt this will be a formidable partnership, cementing our position as a leading tourist destination on Leith’s waterfront, furthering our ambitions for the wider regeneration of Leith, and the local community around the site.”
A spokesperson for The Royal Yacht Britannia added: “We are delighted to have secured the long-term future for The Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith as part of the exciting redevelopment of Ocean Terminal, and we look forward to moving into our state-of-the-art visitor centre and fantastic new gift shop in early 2025.”
Britannia is one of the most famous ships in the world, travelling more than a million nautical miles, serving the Royal Family for over 44 years.
Today, she is a five-star visitor attraction and exclusive evening events venue.
