Witness appeal, North Edinburgh

Police Scotland is appealing for witnesses following a suspicious incident in North Edinburgh.

Two 16-year-old girls were walking north along Telford Drive towards Granton at around 7.20pm on Friday (5 July) when a male approached them as they reached the bridge crossing Crewe Road North. The male engaged the girls in conversation before claiming they owed him money.

Both girls attempted to walk away from the suspect, who continued to follow them demanding money. The victims sought assistance from a young couple pushing a buggy and the male walked off along the walkway.

The suspect is described as white, between 20 and 40-years-old, tall and very skinny with a gaunt face. He was wearing a baseball cap, dark zip up, dark tracksuit bottoms and spoke with a local, but slurred accent.

A male has currently been detained and is assisting officers with their enquiries, but anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to come forward.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Neither girl knew this male and they were very distressed when he began following them, demanding money. We are keen to speak with anyone who was in or around Crewe Road North on Friday evening and remembers seeing anything suspicious. In particular, we would like to trace the young couple the victims spoke to and would ask them to contact police immediately.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Breakthrough: Corstorphine Hill victim identified

Police Scotland have confirmed that they have established the identity of the woman whose body was discovered on Corstorphine Hill on 6 June, but will not be in a position to name her until next of kin have been informed.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team said: “Identifying the victim was the first priority of this murder investigation and I would like to thank the public and the media for their help in achieving that aim. While this is positive news, it also means that a loved one has been lost. We are progressing our inquiries into the circumstances of this woman’s death and to finding those responsible for it.”

Crewe Road South fatality: man charged

Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with a fatal road collision that happened at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh last year.

Mary Dawson (81) died as a result of injuries she sustained in a collision with a Skoda Superb car outside the Anne Ferguson Building, around 4pm on December 4.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged, and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Corstorphine Hill body: facial reconstruction released

Police Scotland detectives investigating the discovery of the dismembered body of a woman found in a shallow grave in Edinburgh have released a visual reconstruction of the woman’s face.

A member of the public came across the body within a wooded area of Corstorphine Hill on Thursday 6 June and a major police investigation has been launched to establish her identity, but despite an excellent response from the public to various appeals for information, the woman’s identity has yet to be established.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie from Police Scotland’s Major Investigations Team said:

“It is now 25 days since this woman’s body was discovered. In that time we have worked with a range of experts and agencies to help us get more information on who she might be and how she came to be in Edinburgh.

“Today, thanks to the work of facial reconstruction experts at Dundee University, we have released an image of the woman’s face. We are confident that this is a very accurate representation of how the woman looked and so I’m asking the public – does the image resemble someone you know but perhaps haven’t seen or heard from for some time? As I’ve said from the outset, this is someone’s daughter, she could be someone’s mother. Somebody knows who she is and when we’ve established her identity, we’ll have gone a long way to establishing who was responsible for her murder.”

The woman was believed to have been aged between 32 and 60 and had had extensive cosmetic work, in the form of veneers and implants, carried out on her teeth. She was white, slim, of medium build and about 5 feet 2 inches tall.

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Fresh appeal for missing student

Police Scotland Edinburgh Division is appealing for information in tracing a Russian student who has been missing from her address in the capital for over a week.

Yulia Solodyankina, (22), who has been studying Physics at Edinburgh University, was last seen at the Wee Red Bar in Lady Lawson Street on June 7 and was first reported missing last Wednesday (12 June).

Since her disappearance police have been carrying out extensive enquiries in order to trace her whereabouts, and continue to urge anyone with information to contact them. Her friends have also organised a social media campaign to track her down.

Yulia speaks fluent English with a strong Russian accent, and is described as being of medium build, with long dark brown hair. She is about 5ft 6ins tall, and has a small mole on her left cheek. Her ears are pierced and she wears a number of rings on her fingers, in particular a distinctive thumb ring, which is shaped like a small spoon.

When last seen Yulia was wearing a dark jacket, dark trousers, white trainers and carrying a large dark coloured rucksack which appeared to be full.

Chief Inspector Mark Patterson, of Police Scotland Edinburgh Division, said: “It has been a week since Yulia was first reported missing, and despite our enquiries and appeals for information from the public, we still have no information as to her current whereabouts.

“Yulia’s father had travelled to Edinburgh to visit his daughter and help plan her graduation celebrations, but instead he is distraught by her disappearance, and has left the Capital without ever making contact with her.

“We have been heartened by the level of interest in her disappearance, helped by her friends organising their own appeals through social media, and we remain keen for any information that can help us trace her whereabouts.

“I would urge anyone who has seen or heard from Yulia since she went missing, or who has any other information that can help us, to contact Police Scotland on 101, or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Corstorphine Hill murder: do you recognise these rings?

Police Scotland detectives investigating the discovery of a woman’s remains on Corstorphine Hill in Edinburgh today released images of four rings belonging to the victim.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie said: “Responses to previous appeals for information on this woman’s identity have been encouraging. And while we are following up calls and information from all over the UK, we have still to make a real breakthrough in identifying the victim.

“As I have previously said, distinctive rings found with the woman may provide a real clue to her identity. Today we are now in a position to release images of those rings. Two are particularly distinctive – one in the shape of a daisy and one in the shape of a heart. Both are gold and are set with precious stones. I would ask anyone who recognises these rings or, who has seen someone they know wearing rings like these, to add that detail to the other things we know about the woman.”

All of the rings are old but are not thought to have significant value.

One of the items belonging to the victim is a traditional Irish claddagh ring, which police said is also popular within the travelling community – but police are not drawing any conclusions from this. The heart of the claddagh ring was facing towards the body, which traditionally means the wearer has a partner.

DCI Hardie added: “We are committed to identifying this woman. We have followed up more than 80 calls and, while we are extremely grateful for the information provided, we still await that real gateway call. We are keeping an open mind on this woman’s background and history. But I am determined to uncover the information that will enable us to identify the victim and then identify those responsible for her murder.”

Police Scotland have cast their net far and wide in their attempts to identify the victim – they have contacted Europol and have also discussed the murder with colleagues in Ireland. Ten days on from the discovery of the dismembered body, however, the woman’s identity remains a mystery and police still hope that members of the public may yet be able to assist with the investigation.

Chief Inspector Murray Dykes, of Police Scotland Edinburgh Division, said: “High visibility patrols continue on Corstorphine Hill and the surrounding area and members of the public are encouraged to approach these officers if they have any information they want to bring to our attention.”

Corstorphine Hill murder inquiry update

Detectives investigating the murder of a middle-aged woman whose remains were found in an Edinburgh nature reserve are still looking for help to identify her, ten days after the woman’s dismembered body was discovered on Corstorphine Hill.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, who is leading the inquiry, said: “I am really pleased with the response from the public and we have received a lot of useful information. However I am still awaiting that one elusive phone call which will provide the vital clue which will assist us to put a name to this woman.

“We are receiving calls and information from across the UK and it is all being assessed and followed up. However, as yet, we have not been given the crucial piece of information which will tell us who she is. “

The woman was believed to have been aged between 32 and 60 and had had extensive cosmetic work, in the form of veneers, carried out on her teeth. She was white, slim and of medium build and about 5ft 2ins tall.

Forensic examination of four rings belonging to the woman continues. Two of the rings stand out – one in the shape of a daisy and one in the shape of a love heart. Both are made of gold and are set with precious stones. It’s hoped that pictures of the distinctive rings worn by the victim will be made available on Monday.

DCI Hardie added: “I hope that a combination of the description of the woman, her rings and an appeal for any woman who has not been seen anytime in the past six months will strike a chord with people.”

The inquiry team has also received a lot of useful information about people seen on Corstorphine Hill with big rucksacks and carriers in which the dismembered remains may have been transported and implements which could be used for digging.

Police seek help over Corstorphine Hill murder

Detectives investigating the discovery of human remains on Corstorphine Hill in Edinburgh are appealing for help from the public in identifying the female victim. A member of the public reported finding part of the body last Thursday when cycling on Corstorphine Hill.

Since then a detailed and careful excavation of the site has been undertaken by forensic experts and a post mortem was carried out on Tuesday (11 June).

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie of the Specialist Crime Division’s Major Investigation Team said: “The victim’s body had been dismembered before it was buried on Corstorphine Hill. We believed this may have been within a time frame of a matter of a few weeks but possibly as much as six months. This is a murder investigation and our immediate focus is on identifying this woman, and establishing the circumstances around her death. We need the public’s support to achieve this.

“This is someone’s daughter, it may be someone’s mother and I am appealing today to the public to consider if there is a mother, a daughter or a friend you have not seen or heard from for the past few weeks or months, and the person fits the following description I would urge you to contact us now.

“We know the lady was white, middle aged, slim and of medium build and short in height.. She has had significant cosmetic work on her teeth. We have also recovered a number of rings and two of these are distinctive, both are gold in appearance with one in the design of a daisy and the other is heart shaped. I feel confident that someone will recognise the description of the lady’s teeth and the rings, together with the general description of a slim middle aged lady who has disappeared.”

Mr Hardie is also convinced that the body was dismembered elsewhere and later taken to Corstorphine Hill. He is asking people who use this popular nature reserve to consider if they may have seen anyone who, on reflection, could have been involved in depositing the body in the area.

“Can you recall, anytime since the end of last year, seeing a person or individuals on the hill with particularly large rucksacks/backpacks or carrying tools, If so, please get in touch with us.”

Chief Inspector Murray Dykes, of Police Scotland Edinburgh Division, said: “This is a distressing case but I want to reassure people that it is also a very unusual one. Corstorphine Hill is very popular, well used and a safe place to walk, cycle and enjoy some leisure time. While there are very few reports of crime relating to that area, I have had high visibility patrols in place since Thursday to provide reassurance and these will continue for the time being. These officers will be engaging with members of the public and people can pass on information through them if they wish or at the Police Command vehicle which is currently situated on Balgreen Road.”

Crime units crack down on city housebreakers

May was far from being a merry month for Edinburgh’s criminals, as Police Sotland report …

Several people have been arrested and charged in connection with a number of alleged housebreakings and attempted housebreakings across Edinburgh last month. Officers from the city’s Community Investigation Units (CIUs) conducted enquiries following various reports of break-ins and thefts from addresses throughout the city during May.

The CIUs were formed following the launch of Police Scotland to investigate a range of offences, which impact upon our communities and as a result of their enquiries several incidents have now been solved.

On Wednesday 8 May officers responded to an address in Drylaw Crescent, where various goods had been stolen from inside. A 16-year-old youth was subsequently identified and charged in connection with this crime.

Officers were next alerted to two attempted break-ins at newsagents in Great Junction Street and Newkirkgate, which happened on Thursday 9 May. Forensic investigation was carried out at each premises and a 34-year-old man was charged in connection with both incidents.

A Citroen C1 car was then stolen along with a laptop from a property in Wemyss Place Mews on Tuesday 28 May and the North and Central CIU carried out local enquiries to identify those responsible. As a result, two males aged 18 and 33 were arrested and charged before pleading guilty in court.

A 26-year-old man has also been charged following a break-in at a property in Lorne Street on Thursday 30th when jewellery and electronic items worth a four-figure sum were taken. All goods have since been recovered and returned to the rightful owner.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Cunningham said: “Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and recognises that crimes such as housebreakings, antisocial behaviour and drug offences have a serious impact on our communities. As such, our Community Investigation Units were formed to provide a focused and targeted approach to addressing these issues and bringing those responsible for offences of this nature to justice.

“The recent results of the unit have been good – however, we cannot be complacent and will continue to robustly investigate whenever a crime is reported. Similarly, we will maintain our commitment to community engagement and crime prevention through sustained dialogue with Edinburgh’s residents and businesses – offering advice and guidance on appropriate security measures wherever they are required.”

June blitz on drink or drug drivers

DON’T RISK IT!

Tomorrow (1 June) sees the launch of a summer campaign to keep Scotland’s roads safer. Police Scotland’s four-week initiative aims to reduce the number of road traffic collisions and associated injuries on Scotland’s roads by reducing the number of drink or drug drivers.

The majority of road users are aware of the hazards relating to driving whilst unfit, yet a minority of people are still driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Latest figures from Reported Road Casualties in Scotland 2011 shows there were an estimated 750 casualties on Scotland road in a single year as a result of a collision whereby one of the drivers was over the drink drive limit.

Inspector Ian Martin, Trunk Road Patrol Group, Road Policing, said: ‘‘Our commitment to dealing with drink and drug drivers lasts throughout the year. This four-week initiative provides us with the opportunity to remind the public of the dangers of driving under the influence or drink or drugs.

“During the summer months there are many social events such as barbecues for family and friends or larger organised events such as town shows or village galas. All are perfect opportunities to socialise in relaxed surroundings and many people will take the opportunity to have an alcoholic drink.

‘‘However it is important to remember that the measures of alcoholic drinks consumed at social events can be significantly more than pub measures. Unfortunately, people can get caught up in the moment and unintentionally or otherwise over-indulge in alcohol.

‘‘If you are planning to drive, then you have an individual responsibility to ensure that you do not over-indulge. The best advice is to abstain completely – DON’T RISK IT.’’

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “The message is clear – if you choose to drink or take drugs and drive, you choose to lose your licence. Scotland takes a tough stance on drink and drug driving, if you risk it you will get a driving ban, a large fine and a criminal record, and you could face a prison sentence and lose your vehicle for good.”