The Crown Office has reopened a bungled murder investigation that ultimately led to the conviction of a corrupt detective.
Former police officer Richard Munro (53) will be sentenced today for withholding key evidence from prosecutors which could have helped the defence following the murder of Andrew Forsyth in Dunfermline 16 years ago.
Two men Steven Johnston and Billy Allison spent 10 years behind bars before appeal court judges quashed their convictions, ruling there had been ”grave misconduct” on the part of the police.
Mr Johnston’s troubles became even worse when he was targeted by vandals, who damaged his car and daubed ”killer” on his door.
The Courier has discovered that prosecutors have now ordered a review of evidence connected with the death of Mr Forsyth.
A Crown Office spokesman said: ”Now that the Munro trial has concluded the Crown has instructed a review of the evidence relating to the death in the light of the appeal, the Carnegie inquiry and the trial of Richard Munro.”
Steven Johnston (48), of Oakley, said: ”I’d welcome any sort of move to look into it. I know for a fact that there’s somebody out there who’s done it.
”It’s more for Drew’s mother too. I spoke to her during Munro’s trial and she’s not happy about a lot of things.”
The High Court ruled the police inquiry team had decided, ”mainly on the word of certain unsatisfactory witnesses”, that the murder of Forsyth had been committed on Friday November 3.
Lord Justice Clerk said the murder team had from that point ”obstinately rejected all evidence that did not fit their theory”.
He added that they did so despite a ”mounting body of evidence” from credible witnesses that the deceased had been alive after November 3.
”They suppressed and altered evidence casting doubt on their theory of the date of death,” the judge said.
The jury in the murder trial had heard from witnesses who cast doubt on the date of death. However, the appeal court said the jury had not heard from several witnesses who claimed to have spoken to the deceased on November 4, 7 or 8.
Lothian and Borders Police spent two years investigating Munro. The case was codenamed Operation Carnegie.
Retired detective chief superintendent Richard Munro was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 22.
Munro’s defence QC, Mark Stewart, said his client had accepted that he made mistakes during the probe. However, he said this was because he lacked training, managerial experience and had been misled by junior colleagues.
The former detective has been told to expect a jail term when he is sentenced today at the High Court in Aberdeen.
But Steven Johnston has revealed that he won’t be at the court to see Munro sent down.
He said. ”I’ve spoken to a few people who have helped me since my release and they think it’s better for me to stay away.”
A spokesman for Fife Constabulary said: ”The review is a matter for the Crown Office.”See Wednesday’s Courier for more on this story