UK UK - Alistair Wilson, 30, murdered at home, Nairn, Scotland, 28 Nov 2004

[ZeroAlpha]

Indeed, and in turn virtually everything VW knows comes from whatever AW told her. She didn't witness much first hand.

I suspect that AW knew more than he was letting on.

 

[davidt]

I suspect that AW knew more than he was letting on.

I've often wondered about that. In particular the business with the envelope and returning outside to see if the caller might still be there and for some reason he was, strains credibility. Makes much more sense if he was always going back out and the caller expected him.

 

[Eastend Eagle]

There was a Ch4 documentary last night about the Nazis taking over the Channel Islands in the Second World War.
AB'S business partner was from Guernsey.
Could it be that the gun in this murder was sourced from there?

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I'm sorry, but I don't follow. Do you mean AW's business partner? If not, who is AB? (AW was a bank employee, so didn't have a business partner.) Who was the person from Guernsey?

 

[Eastend Eagle]

I'm sorry, but I don't follow. Do you mean AW's business partner? If not, who is AB? (AW was a bank employee, so didn't have a business partner.) Who was the person from Guernsey?

AW's friend AB ran the Havelock Hotel across the road from AW's house.
AB's business partner was apparently from Guernsey.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

AW's friend AB ran the Havelock Hotel across the road from AW's house.
AB's business partner was apparently from Guernsey.

Thanks. I see now.

 

[Eastend Eagle]

Thanks. I see now.

I wonder if the business partner's name could have been Paul

 

[ZeroAlpha]

I've often wondered about that. In particular the business with the envelope and returning outside to see if the caller might still be there and for some reason he was, strains credibility. Makes much more sense if he was always going back out and the caller expected him.

I feel that the gunman was awaiting AW to return with his "answer" that would explain why he didn't shoot AW when he went to the door the first time. When the gunman didn't get what was expected, he shot AW. Or the gunman did get what was wanted and shot AW anyway.

 

[davidt]

I feel that the gunman was awaiting AW to return with his "answer" that would explain why he didn't shoot AW when he went to the door the first time. When the gunman didn't get what was expected, he shot AW. Or the gunman did get what was wanted and shot AW anyway.

It has that feel about it and makes much more sense than Alastair randomly deciding to go back out and the killer randomly hanging around. The gun used still bothers me though. I'm no expert but from what I've read it's far from the sort of gun anyone would use as a weapon of choice for a preplanned murder. More something to be carried for self defence.

 

[Konstantin]

It has that feel about it and makes much more sense than Alastair randomly deciding to go back out and the killer randomly hanging around. The gun used still bothers me though. I'm no expert but from what I've read it's far from the sort of gun anyone would use as a weapon of choice for a preplanned murder. More something to be carried for self defence.

AW was shot in the face which does suggest that this was personal as well.

 

[dotr]

Nov 23, 2024 #murdernews #police #murdermystery
Twenty years ago, banker Alistair Wilson was shot dead at his front door while his wife and two children read a story in bed. It is one of Scotland's longest unsolved murders - and despite multiple investigations, police are no closer to catching the killer. Now, another witness has come forward claiming he saw the gunman on a bus that night. Could it prove to be a crucial breakthrough in the case?

Dec 3, 2024 #uknews #scotland #crime
Andrew Wilson was four when he witnessed his father dying in the doorway of their family home after he was shot repeatedly by an unknown stranger.No one has ever been arrested over the murder and the family is now demanding Scotland’s most senior officer resigns for “incompetence”. Alistair’s son spoke exclusively with Sky's Connor Gillies in his first broadcast interview since the falling out with detectives.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

AW was shot in the face which does suggest that this was personal as well.

The gun was of small calibre. James Bond originally had a small calibre gun and small calibre guns have often been used by Mossad for assassinations. The Alistair Wilson assassin probably did not have a "choice" of guns, but this gun was available, as a war souvenir, and it had the advantage of being easily concealed and quiet. (Quiet because of the small calibre.)

A small calibre means that the assassin needs to shoot the victim in the head (a "head shot") to kill. Multiple shots might also be used to ensure that the victim is killed.

 

[davidt]

New interview with Peter Bleksley

Be aware he has a tour to promote.

 

[dm799]

When doesn't he have something to promote?!

 

[CSIAngus]

New interview with Peter Bleksley

Be aware he has a tour to promote.

i'll pass.

 

[Konstantin]

i'll pass.

Why do people feel so strongly about him? Genuinely curious -- I don't know much about him. I did read his book on this case and wasn't impressed.

 

[ZeroAlpha]

He is best ignored. Nothing worse than an ex detective talking rubbish. He did the same with the Nicola Bulley case.

 

[SteveH]

New interview with Peter Bleksley

Be aware he has a tour to promote.

Have to agree with others that PB is a PITA. But there is a little more info on the Havelock Hotel decking theory and the suspect he won't name in the video.

The owner of the Havelock, Andy Burnet - NOT the suspect - was in another bar, The Shambles, at the time of the shooting. He ran to the scene because of the commotion and spoke to AW's wife Veronica who was in a state of shock.

From BBC Online 30 September 2022:

"A year after the murder he (AB) gave a detailed account of what happened to Sunday Times journalist David James Smith.

"He said that he went up the steps, and saw that Alistair was lying on the ground," said the reporter."

The conflict over the decking, which the police now believe is the likely motive for the murder, was known about at the time of the shooting.

"Det Insp Gary Winter, the officer leading the murder inquiry, said: "We believe the most likely motive, based on what was a current grievance in Alistair's life at the time of his murder, was the fact that he had objected in writing about a large decking area that had been built in the pub car park directly opposite where he stayed."

This decking had been built at the Havelock without planning permission. When Andy Burnet eventually applied for permission in November 2004, there was a call for any objections from neighbours.

Alistair wrote a letter in which he complained that food and drink was served on the decking whenever the pub was open, leading to noise and disturbance at night....

Alistair's letter of objection was sent to the local council on the week of his murder. It was copied by the planning department and sent to the Havelock two days before the shooting.

Police say Alistair's objection was the subject of discussion in the bar that Friday and Saturday night. He was killed on the Sunday...

Andy Burnet brought up the dispute in his Sunday Times interview, back in 2005. David James Smith kept notes of their conversation.

He said Mr Burnet had told him it had been "a big issue for the police and everybody else in Nairn" that he had received the letter of complaint the day before the shooting.

Mr Burnet told the reporter he had been "interrogated and investigated" and that police had even travelled to Guernsey to speak to his golfing partner....

Guernsey was occupied by Germany during WWII and some Nazi officers were known to have carried the brand of pocket pistol used to shoot Alistair."

But Burnet DID know the man who Bleksley mentioned as the police suspect.

"Det Insp Winter has emphasised that the former Havelock landlord is not a suspect....

"Andy Burnet is absolutely a key witness in this investigation, and not a suspect."

So what is new about the decking dispute? We know from the police that it was the subject of discussion in the Havelock in the days before Alistair's death. And we know that police are now interested in a specific person, someone we have not heard about before.

We have decided not to name the man at this stage in case it affects the police investigation.

What we can say is that he lived in Nairn at the time of the murder, and worked for the emergency services. He's linked to Andy Burnet on social media.

Neighbours have said he was a regular drinker at the Havelock.

Two of them also said he kept guns in the house, in a locked gun safe, as he would be required to do under a licence.

When Alistair was murdered, police said the gunman was 30-40 years old. They recently changed that age description; it's now 20-40. At the time of the murder, this man was 20.

Someone who knew him told the BBC he was a decent guy, and certainly wasn't stocky, which was also a key part of the description of the killer."

Doorstep murder: Police have new man in sights over banker shooting

The development comes after a flurry of activity in the hunt for the killer of banker Alistair Wilson.

www.bbc.co.uk

See also: Doorstep murder: Possible suspect jailed on drugs charge

From the Scottish Sun 15 April 2022:

"Andy [Burnet] [the police] told how they wanted to revisit his statement given just after Alistair was executed in 2004.

But they also talked about an individual who may have been in his circle of friends back in Nairn.

He said: “They had a discussion with me about something which I don’t really want to talk to you about.

“It had no relation to me other than somebody they thought I might have known. I didn’t particularly know them. I think they got the information they were looking for.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/8716073/alistair-wilson-murder-nairn-witness-canada-police/

Bleksley said the man police were going to arrest had a relative named Paul.

Pure speculation here. Maybe Paul (and his emergency worker relative?) were involved in the construction of the decking. They would stand to lose money if they had to take it down.* They found out about AW's letter of objection which had been passed on to the pub. They decided that one of them should go round and demand compensation from AW at his home. With menace - therefore the gun in case AW got lairy. The gunman, who was the relative suspected by the police, handed AW an empty envelope and told him to put some cash in it for Paul. AW had a talk with him for a few minutes and then said he would go and get the money and spoke briefly to his wife, but didn't want to alarm her so didn't tell her what was going on. For some reason he did show her the envelope. Then he went back to tell the caller that he wouldn't give him anything so he was shot, possibly in a moment of panic. Or some variant of this. Alright, I ain't Columbo, but give me a break!

* From the 30 Sep 2022 BBC Online article quoted above:

"Det Insp Winter said that the objection could have led to the decking being removed "at great expense to whoever built it, or inconvenience to those that were involved in building it, or using it"".

One objection to such a scenario is that the killer was seen by witnesses talking to AW and then walking "calmly" down the street after the shooting. If he was a well known figure at the pub/in the community it is surprising nobody recognised him. Obviously Veronica didn't.

I think I know a bit more about the suspect, including his initials, from a sneaky look at some comments on a popular "American proprietary social news aggregation and forum social media platform". It seems that many locals know who he is. A sad case is all I'll say.

Bleksley had previously submitted evidence about "a troubled loner" living in Nairn in 2020 - he vanished soon after the killing:

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

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www.pressreader.com

Can't be the same guy as the one Bleksley talked about in the video as that was a more recent lead.

There has been a further development in recent days:

"Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell is facing a misconduct complaint from the family of murdered Nairn banker Alistair Wilson, who claim she misled them over the reinvestigation into his killing."

Top cop accused of ‘misleading’ family of murdered banker Alistair Wilson

Alistair Wilson's family say they are “outraged” by claims the officer who was found guilty of misconduct is being lined up for the vacant Assistant Chief Constable role.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

In the video Bleksley was foaming at the mouth about the lying cop "Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, who was found guilty of misconduct after misleading the [Wilson] family about a potential arrest date last year". Livingstone is in line for promotion despite telling porkies to the Wilsons. Farrell approves this promotion. We await the results of the family's complaint with somewhat less than bated breath.

 

[SteveH]

After some more digging.

This is the guy I believe Bleksley is talking about:

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial.

www.pressreader.com

Who knows who shot AW though? Was it to do with a drug deal?

 

[SteveH]

The bloke in the article I linked above was 39 in 2023. In 2009 a man by the same name was jailed for assaulting his partner. He was 25. And the police suspect in the AW killing was 20 at the time (2004). Do the math as our American friends might say. In 2023 he was living in Aberdeen but had moved there from Moray according to the article. But in 2009 he was living in Ayr (if it IS the same fellow). Remember where AW came from. Yes that's right - Ayrshire (Beith though, not Ayr). Just saying.

"The 25-year-old also has previous assault and robbery convictions."

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/ayr-🤬🤬🤬🤬-jailed-battering-partner-2435197

Ayr man jailed after assaulting partner

A SICK 🤬🤬🤬🤬 who has clocked up a string of domestic abuse convictions has been jailed for 10 months.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

And leading the new investigation:

"Leading the team was Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow - now Ayrshire's Divisional Commander - who said: “The team reinvestigating Alistair’s murder are absolutely committed to doing everything they can to get justice for his family."

Ayrshire's Unsolved Murders: The Beith banker gunned down on his doorstep

Ayrshire Unsolved: Beith man Alistair Wilson was gunned down on his doorstep in the Highlands more than 20 years ago.

www.ayradvertiser.com

Lord Advocate orders complete re-investigation into 2004 murder of Beith banker

Scotland's top law officer has ordered a complete re-investigation into the murder of a Beith banker who was shot dead on the doorstep of his…

www.ayrshire-today.co.uk

"Ms Chow has had previous experience of handling unsolved murders as a senior member of the forces’ Homicide Governance and Review team.

She will replace Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone, whose role in the 20 year investigation was publicly criticised by the Wilson family at the weekend."

Detective who has cracked notorious cold-case murders to probe shooting of young Scots banker twenty years ago

A cold case expert has been picked to head a fresh investigation into the controversial unsolved murder of banker Alistair

londonmail.co.uk