Murdered banker's family have 'lost confidence' in police

The household of murdered Nairn banker Alistair Wilson accidental they person "lost confidence" successful Police Scotland, labelling the unit "incompetent".

Mr Wilson, 30, was changeable extracurricular his location successful Nairn successful the Highlands successful 2004 successful what became known arsenic the "doorstep murder". His slayer has ne'er been caught.

His widow Veronica and lad Andrew told the Press and Journal paper that their narration with constabulary had "steadily deteriorated" successful the past 18 months owed to unresolved issues not being decently addressed.

Police Scotland said they remained committed to uncovering the slayer and getting justness for the Wilson family.

Earlier this week, Scotland's apical instrumentality officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, instructed a "complete reinvestigation" of the case, which the Wilson household said was "upsetting and a immense disappointment arsenic the announcement felt acold from the ‘good quality story’ that Police Scotland wanted it to be".

The reinvestigation of the lawsuit volition spot caller teams of prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and officers from Police Scotland enactment connected a afloat acold lawsuit investigation.

In a statement, the Wilson household said for astir 20 years, they had "fully supported each facet of the police’s investigation".

At the force's request, they had antecedently agreed to enactment retired of the spotlight and had declined galore interrogation requests different than authoritative constabulary appeals.

With the 20th day of Mr Wilson's unsolved execution approaching successful November, the household said they felt "distressed and disappointed astatine having nary different enactment than to talk retired publicly", aft exhausting each different avenue for resolution.

In December past year, Mr Wilson's household complained to the Police Investigation and Review Commissioner astir the handling of the force's investigation.

Police Scotland and COPFS said astatine the clip they had met the household to sermon the matters raised by them.

The household person present besides made complaints implicit the behaviour of caput of large crime, Det Ch Supt Paul Livingstone.

The household said: "As a family, we person welcomed immoderate of the conclusions by Police Scotland’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, with the erstwhile upholding 1 ailment against DCS Livingstone.

"Despite awaiting the result of upcoming disciplinary proceedings, DCS Livingstone remains successful his occupation and is not adjacent suspended.

"That helium continues to person oversight of each execution enquiry successful Scotland, including Alistair’s, is simply a wholly unacceptable concern - peculiarly fixed his integrity has been questioned."

The household connection added: "The mediocre judgement and deficiency of accountability astatine the highest levels of Police Scotland has regrettably eroded immoderate spot we person successful their quality to unafraid justness for Alistair.

"Our loyalty to and practice with Police Scotland has agelong been taken for granted during a sometimes turbulent narration that the actions of elder enactment has damaged beyond repair."

The household besides said that their petition to conscionable with Chief Constable Jo Farrell had been refused.

Police Scotland said successful a connection to BBC Scotland News that a caller strategical elder investigating serviceman had been appointed to oversee the probe into Mr Wilson's execution successful spot of Det Ch Supt Livingstone.

It added that it was successful the process of identifying the squad for the reinvestigation of Mr Wilson's execution which would beryllium overseen by a elder serviceman who would behaviour a thorough re-investigation.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “Unresolved execution cases are ne'er closed successful Scotland and determination is nary clip barroom to providing the constabulary with information.

“We would entreaty to anyone who whitethorn person accusation not yet shared with the constabulary to come guardant and report.”

Mr Wilson's oldest son, Andrew, 24, said: “I cannot recognize wherefore Paul Livingstone hasn’t been sacked and if Jo Farrell won’t rethink our petition for a meeting, past it brings into question her presumption too.

“What we person suffered is thing abbreviated of incompetent constabulary enactment and, if it continues, it risks getting successful the mode of catching my dad’s slayer and getting the justness we arsenic a household deserve.”

Mrs Wilson added: “It pains maine that my sons person been robbed of having a father, but for them and my hubby to beryllium denied justness 2 decades connected from that calamity is adjacent much traumatic for the family.

"We person mislaid assurance successful Police Scotland.”

On the nighttime of his murder, the father-of-two had been helping get his sons acceptable for furniture erstwhile the slayer came to the door.

A stocky antheral aged 20 to 40 years old and wearing a shot headdress spoke to Mrs Wilson, asking for her hubby by name.

When helium came downstairs, the antheral handed him a bluish envelope with the connection "Paul" connected it.

Mr Wilson went wrong concisely and erstwhile helium returned the antheral opened occurrence with a handgun.

The weapon progressive was recovered weeks aboriginal successful a adjacent drain by assembly workers carrying retired gully cleaning.

Forensic investigation identified it arsenic the execution weapon.

The lawsuit was covered by the BBC podcast The Doorstep Murder podcast successful 2018.