Scotland’s top police officer is under mounting pressure to welcome talks with murdered Alistair Wilson’s family after the first minister opened his door to hear their grave concerns about the unsolved case.
John Swinney held a meeting with the slain Nairn banker’s widow Veronica and his son Andrew at the Scottish Parliament earlier this week.
They told him of how they were informed that a potential suspect in Mr Wilson’s 2004 gunshot murder was due to be arrested on May 15 2023 – but then it was suddenly aborted.
A police misconduct investigation later found the force’s Major Crime boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, made false claims to them about the event.
The 11th-hour U-turn sent relations between the Wilsons and the constabulary into meltdown, with Chief Constable Jo Farrell refusing to meet the distressed relatives.
However, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC – the country’s chief prosecutor – was forthcoming and today the Wilsons also thanked the FM for “engaging” with them.
The high-level meeting at Holyrood to discuss shortcomings in the controversial case came after Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross urged Mr Swinney to intervene.
Mrs Wilson, 53, said: “I was extremely grateful to John Swinney for meeting with myself and Andrew and engaging with us over the ongoing investigation.
“It is welcome that he agreed to look into issues that we brought to his attention and come back to us in due course.
“That is in sharp contrast to the chief constable, who continues to refuse to meet with myself and our family.
“We find that deeply insulting and hope that she will urgently reconsider.
“We will not stop demanding answers and it was pleasing to have the opportunity to raise them with the first minister.”
‘We have found ourselves frustrated at trying to get answers’
Andrew, 24, added: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to join my mum and meet with John Swinney to highlight issues surrounding the investigation into my father’s murder.”
Aged just four at the time, he saw his father lying in a pool of blood after being shot.
He said: “I have had to grow up knowing that this case is unsolved and all too often we have found ourselves frustrated at trying to get answers from the police.
“I share my mother’s anger at Jo Farrell continuing to stonewall us over meeting her, when we just want to hear directly from her.”
In a letter sent to Douglas Ross, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson maintained it is “not appropriate” for Ms Farrell to meet the Wilson family as it is important for the new senior investigating officers to build a relationship with them.
Stressing the focus is on “completing the reinvestigation”, Mr Johnson added: “It remains my and the inquiry team’s commitment to complete a thorough and conclusive investigation.”
Mr Ross described the first minister’s meeting with the Wilsons as a “positive step in the right direction” but accused the chief constable of a “total dereliction of duty”.
MSP accuses police chief of ‘total dereliction of duty’
Adding that the family are “desperate for answers”, the Conservative MSP said: “I hope that having now met with John Swinney that this will help move the case forward at pace.
“What might be a continued stumbling block on any hope for the Wilson family is the continued disgraceful refusal of Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell to meet with them.
“That is a total dereliction of duty from her and an insult to the family. She didn’t even have the decency to respond personally to my letter asking her again to meet with them.
“I believe that having seen John Swinney meet with Veronica and Andrew, which follows a meeting they had with Scotland’s Lord Advocate, it is surely time for Scotland’s chief constable to rethink this decision and meet them as soon as possible.”
‘I cannot get involved in a live police investigation,’ FM says
First Minister John Swinney thanked the Wilsons for meeting him, offering his “deepest sympathies” for their plight.
Mr Swinney recognised how their “unimaginable loss” and “agony” is “compounded” by knowing the killer has not yet been brought to justice.
He added: “While I cannot get involved in a live police investigation, I am thankful to Mrs Wilson and her son Andrew for giving me the opportunity to listen to some of their concerns and I sincerely hope the family get the justice they deserve.”
Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow is the case’s current Strategic Senior Investigating Officer (SSIO).
‘Relationship and trust with Alistair’s family is a priority,’ police claim
Responding to the criticisms, she said: “The chief constable has been very clear that we are determined to bring those involved in Alistair’s murder to justice and has underlined our support for his family.
“This is a live criminal investigation and the relationship and trust with Alistair’s family is a priority and must be built through myself, the SIO (Senior Investigating Officer) and the family liaison officers.
“We have met Mrs Wilson and members of the wider family and will keep them updated on the reinvestigation.
“They have suffered 20 years of not knowing who killed Alistair or why and I am absolutely determined that we will do everything we can to get them those answers and the justice they deserve.”
No one has ever been arrested – even just for questioning to rule them out of the inquiry.
Following the cancelled arrest of a potential suspect almost two years ago, the Lord Advocate ordered a “complete reinvestigation” of the case in September last year.
In the aftermath of his fatal shooting, it emerged that Mr Wilson had lodged a formal objection to decking installed outside the Havelock Hotel and pub opposite his home, complaining about noise, broken glass and a lack of privacy.
The document was sent to Highland Council’s planning department, which publicly identified him, the week that he was brutally killed outside his property.
Some details about the potential suspect are known
Detectives preparing to arrest a man in May 2023 were treating the planning application row as a motive for the murder.
The hotel owner at the time of the killing, Andy Burnet previously assisted police officers as a key witness but was not being treated as a suspect.
This newspaper previously revealed the man who came close to being arrested was in prison at the time for an unrelated crime.
He had lived in Nairn when the shooting unfolded and was a frequent visitor to the Havelock.
The former emergency service worker went on to live elsewhere in Scotland, but during his Nairn days, he was thought by his neighbours to keep guns.
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