Murder of Brian McKandie is focus of new Sky Crime documentary

A new documentary detailing the 2016 murder of Rothienorman handyman Brian McKandie and how his killer was brought to justice will be aired on Sky Crime next month.

Handyman Mr McKandie, 67, was found dead in his cottage in Badenscoth, just outside Rothienorman, in March 2016.

What followed would be one of the largest investigations in the history of Police Scotland, which involved questioning almost 5,000 people, the taking of 700 DNA samples, and stopping more than 750 motorists.

The hard work and dedication of the police eventually resulted in the arrest of Steven Sidebottom, a local man who knew McKandie, who was charged with the brutal murder.

Steven Sidebottom, who murdered Brian McKandie — Steven Sidebottom convicted of the murder of Brian McKandie. Police handout.

He was found guilty of the crime in early 2019, and sentenced in March that year in the High Court in Edinburgh to a minimum of 21 years in jail.

What is the Brian McKandie documentary about, and who is in it?

However, despite the brutal manner of the killing, the death of Brian McKandie was not initially treated as suspicious, and was thought by officers at the time to be the result of an accident.

He was found dead on March 12, 2016, but it was not until a full post-mortem was carried out on March 17 that it was discovered the mild-mannered mechanic had suffered 15 injuries to the head, and a murder investigation was launched.

The Press and Journal front page shortly after Brian McKandie's body was found. The headline reads "Murder fears after man's body found"

And even after the murder inquiry was launched, it took police several weeks to find the £200,000 that the mechanic had stashed away around his cottage — a find which would prove crucial in building the case against Sidebottom.

Police tape and inquries at Brian McKandie's cottage soon after the murder investigation was launched. — Police tape and inquries at Mr McKandie’s cottage soon after the murder investigation was launched. Image: Kenny Elrick/ DC Thomson, March 21, 2016.

The Brian McKandie documentary airing on Sky Crime next month will look at how Police Scotland solved the mystery despite the bumpy start to their inquires, and finally brought closure to Mr McKandie’s family.

It features interviews with now-retired Detective Inspector Gary Winter, who has previously called it his “hardest case” in an interview with the P&J.

Gary Winter outside the property where Mr McKandie was found dead. Image: Woodcut Media.

Also appearing in the documentary is:

Moira Keegan, the niece of Brian McKandie
Criminologist Dr Jen Hough
And Jo Millington, a forensic scientist who specialises in crime scene examination and blood pattern analysis.

The Brian McKandie documentary will also include interviews with the Press and Journal’s Kieran Beattie, who was the first reporter on the scene after the murder, and extensively covered the investigation.

Brian McKandie documentary makers: ‘This was a crime that so very nearly slipped through the net unnoticed’

The documentary will be part of the series “How I Caught The Killer” for the television channel Sky Crime, and is created by Hampshire-based Woodcut Media.

The film crew spent time earlier this year filming around the north-east for the programme, including at the scene of the murder with Gary Winter.

The Woodcut Media team said: “Brian McKandie’s death rocked the community and devastated his family.

Brian McKandie and his great nieces. Image: Handout

“Unravelling what happened to him, and more importantly, who did it, was vital and was a challenge that saw one of the biggest investigations in Police Scotland’s history.

“This was a crime that so very nearly slipped through the net unnoticed, meaning that Mr McKandie’s murderer may never have been caught.

“Brian was a quiet, kind and generous man whose presence was so valued by those that knew him — he is so greatly missed.

“By telling this story, we aim to pay respect to Brian as well as to highlight the hard work of a police force who didn’t give up until they brought this killer to justice.”