Statement from the McKie family

[Iain McKie]

In 1997 an informal briefing was given to reporters by a senior police officer involved in the Marion Ross murder investigation. At this time he stated that Shirley’s fingerprint had been placed in the murder house while she was having sex with her married police lover. The descriptions given were graphic and cannot be repeated here. No witnesses were identified or evidence offered and it appeared clear to the journalists that this was an attempt to blacken the reputation of Shirley who was soon to be a witness in the trial of David Asbury for murdering Marion Ross.

No action was taken at the time because the perpetrator could not be identified. Recently however Iain McKie has been offered a signed statement from a journalist who attended this briefing.

Over the past two weeks a number of media representatives have contacted Iain repeating the above stories and have stated that there has been a further determined attempt to smear the reputations of Shirley and her family in the wake of her ‘out of court’ settlement.

This weekend journalists received further calls from a named source repeating these lies and claiming to represent the ‘A Search for Justice’ organisation in Scotland. This caller has been identified to Iain who is referring the matter to his legal advisors.

Iain has been in touch with the founder member of ‘A Search for Justice’ who states that he has been concerned at recent press reports that his organisation was supporting experts at the SCRO and wishes it to be made clear that the above caller has no authority to speak for the organisation. He has asked for the following statement to be posted on this site:

“ ‘A Search for Justice’ totally disassociates itself from the malicious information being spread about Shirley McKie and her family. Along with the McKie family it fully supports the right of the SCRO experts to be given a voice but believes that the proper vehicle for this is a judicial enquiry into every aspect of the Shirley McKie affair.”

Further co-operation is planned in the coming weeks to campaign for such an enquiry.

Iain and the whole McKie family find these smear tactics disgusting and extremely offensive and call on anyone with any information about the perpetrators to contact Iain immediately. Confidentiality will be totally respected.

01292 290449 or by e-mail to: iain.mckie2@btinternet.com

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[Pat A. Wertheim]

In 2000, a reporter in Scotland told me this story over coffee to get my reaction. He said that a police officer had told him a few days earlier. He said several other reporters had been told the same thing by different police officers in an attempt to get somebody to print the story, but all of the reporters had found it to be such a disgusting lie none of them would print it. In an earlier post, "flying monkey" attempted to enter this lie into a thread on this chat board. Is there no honor at all in the Strathclyde Police or the SCRO? Is slandering their accusers the only way they can defend their errors? Is there any doubt whatsoever that a judicial inquiry is needed to get to the bottom of this?