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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mother haunted by day she asked killer son: 'Did you shoot that man?'
Moira Ross is still haunted, more than three decades later, by the moment she asked her schoolboy son if he had murdered a waiter. Six months earlier, on 2 June 1994, Shamsuddin Mahmood, 26, was killed by a single shot to the head as he served customers in an Indian restaurant in Orkney. Speaking for the first time, she relived the moment she confronted Michael in his bedroom after he was questioned by detectives. Prosecutors initially ruled there was not enough evidence to charge the army cadet with a crime committed when he was just 15 years old. Michael left the island the following summer and would go on to get married, have a family and become a decorated Black Watch sniper before he was finally brought to justice thanks to an anonymous letter. But in a new documentary, The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles, his parents maintain he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Recalling the day Michael, then 16, returned home hungry from the police station his mother said he was "just his normal self". She later went upstairs to his room and described what happened next. "I said: 'Did you shoot that man?' and he said 'no' and I just can't..." Ms Ross broke down then continued: "I just can't get over the look on his face when I asked him that." As well as the cloud of suspicion over her son, the investigation ended the police career of her husband, Eddy. He was jailed in 1997 after lying about the fact he owned bullets identical to the one used in the murder. The documentary includes moving testimony from a witness who was 13 at the time of the shooting. Journalists and a local photographer also reflect on the first homicide on the idyllic group of islands for 25 years and agree it continues to divide the community to this day. Ex-Daily Record reporter Bob Dow said: "To be honest this was more than just a murder. "This was a cold blooded public execution carried out on one of the most crime-free parts of the UK. "This was like Pulp Fiction meets Whisky Galore." Emma, who was 13 at the time, was in the Mumutaz restaurant in Kirkwall with her parents. But at 19:15 she witnessed something that left her traumatised. She recalled: "I was sitting in one of the window seats next to the door and the door opened." Emma thought it was someone coming to collect a takeaway. She added: "They were quite well built and they sort of had a purposeful march on them. "I could not see who it was because they had their face covered." Emma admitted her memory of what happened next was "fragmented". She said: "I remember it was a hand gun and there was a pop. "It did not make sense at the time what was happening. "Then this person turned round and just walked out." In an instant the restaurant had been transformed into a chaotic crime scene. Emma said: "I remember being so relieved to see the police but safe, happy Orkney was gone." Photographer Ken Amer said there was "absolute panic" when he arrived on the scene. His black and white images captured stunned staff leaving the restaurant and unfinished meals on the tables, including the one Emma was sitting at with her parents. Mr Amer later realised he had previously photographed the victim while covering a big cheque presentation for The Orcadian newspaper. Looking at the picture of Mr Mahmood, Emma said: "I remember he had a big smile in real life and he was really friendly and kind. "I have never been able to make sense of what happened that night." Angus Chisholm was a detective inspector for the then Northern Constabulary in Inverness when he was sent from the Highland capital to Orkney. The following morning he tasked local constable, ex-Black Watch soldier Eddy Ross, with the ballistic side of the investigation. Its focus became the 9mm bullet casing of the single shot which passed through Mr Mahmood's head and became embedded in the wall. Ross quickly identified the round as one previously used by the British Army. As the inquiry continued a reconstruction of the murder featured on the BBC's Crimewatch UK. But, unlike most TV appeals, detectives had no description of the gunman, who entered and left the restaurant without uttering a word. Mr Mahmood's brother, A.K.M Shafiuddin, remembered him as a "kind hearted person" and told the programme he planned to marry his girlfriend, who was a medical student. Locals wrestled with various theories but inquiries on the island and in the waiter's native Bangladesh drew a blank. Mr Chisholm said: "Nobody had a bad word to say about Shamsuddin." Two months after the murder police finally got a breakthrough. As he finished a night shift Ross informed Mr Chisholm that he had discovered a box of the same 9mm bullets used in the murder - in his own home. The father-of-three said he had been given the box - which was still sealed - by ex-marine Jim Spence. But when Mr Spence was questioned he said he handed over two boxes to PC Ross - one sealed and one half full. In a separate development, a mother and daughter reported they had seen a masked male acting suspiciously in Papdale Woods, a fortnight before the murder. They alerted officers when they spotted the same individual going into a baker's in Kirkwall. It was Michael Ross - the teenage son of PC Ross. Eddy told the documentary: "Basically from that point in time the finger was pointing towards us." When Michael was interviewed he initially said he did not know anything about the woods and was with two friends on the night of the murder. But when officers checked out his alibi it didn't stand up. Michael's mother Moira said: "I was very nervous when they thought Michael was a suspect. "He has never been in trouble with the police. "He's never been in the Indian restaurant. Ever." In a separate twist, Mr Spence told police he had not mentioned the missing box of bullets as PC Ross had visited him three times and asked him not to. Asked if he had told his friend to lie about the bullets, Ross said: "No. We had conversations on the street and has he mistaken what I said? "I had no reason to ask him that." Officers obtained a search warrant for the family home and discovered a notebook in Michael's room with swastikas scribbled on it. On 6 December 1994 the 16-year-old was taken from school and interviewed under caution without a lawyer. Ms Ross, who was at work at the time, said: "We were just in shock, I suppose, because I was sure he would never do anything like that." Mr Chisholm said the teenager was unfazed by the gravity of the allegations. He added: "He was cool, calm and collected." The senior officer filed a report to the Crown Office but prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to charge the teenager. Michael left school in 1995 and joined the Army before being assigned to his father's old regiment, the Black Watch. Meanwhile, PC Ross was suspended from Northern Constabulary after being charged with perverting the course of justice for asking Mr Spence to lie for him. On 20 May 1997, after a trial in Inverness, he was jailed for three years and his 23-year police career was in ruins. Eddy, who served two years in prison then became an undertaker, said: "With hindsight I should have dumped the box of ammunition and it is much my regret that I did not. "But for me ditching it would not have been right, from my way of thinking, so which way do you turn?" Meanwhile, his corporal son was mentioned in dispatches for showing bravery following two improvised explosive attacks in North Babi, Iraq. But in 2006, 12 years after the murder, the cold case took a fresh twist when an anonymous letter was handed in to Kirkwall police station. Its author, later identified as local man William Grant, claimed to have seen the killer coming out of a public toilet cubicle on the night of the murder. The new evidence was enough to finally arrest Ross and he went on trial at the High Court in Glasgow in May 2008. But Brian McConnachie KC, who led the prosecution, said he did not anticipate Mr Grant would be "such an unreliable witness". Under cross examination he admitted that he made up some of the things he originally told police. Leah Seator, editor of The Orcadian, said many people on the island thought Ross would walk free. But on 20 June the jury returned a guilty verdict - only for the moment to be overshadowed by an audacious escape attempt. As he was about to be led away Ross knocked over a security guard, and jumped out of the dock. He pulled open a side door but was eventually stopped in a court corridor. Mr McConnachie said: "I have been doing this for 40 years and I have never seen such a dramatic end to a trial." Back in Orkney, Mrs Ross took a devastating call from her husband. She said: "I did not believe that he would be sent to prison." When Ross returned to court four months later, amid heightened security, he was sentenced to 25 years plus a further five for his brazen bid to flee. Lord Hardie told the killer he had carried out a "premeditated assassination" motivated by "extreme racist prejudice". Since Ross' conviction his family have urged anyone with new evidence to come forward and in 2018 they appointed campaigning lawyer Aamer Anwar. Four years later the former corporal was convicted of his third prison escape attempt after he tried to climb a fence at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire. Eddy said: "It has not been easy but we have got to try and see if we can get him released a bit earlier." Mr McConnachie said the sad thing about the case was that it became more about the killer than Mr Mahmood, whose life was ended without warning. After the verdict, A.K.M Shafiuddin said: "Everybody loved him. "We won't get our brother back but at least we have a feeling that justice has been done." The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles will be available on Prime Video in the UK & Ireland on 8 June.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Orkney Assassin: Mother haunted by day she confronted killer son
Moira Ross is still haunted, more than three decades later, by the moment she asked her schoolboy son if he had murdered a months earlier, on 2 June 1994, Shamsuddin Mahmood, 26, was killed by a single shot to the head as he served customers in an Indian restaurant in for the first time, she relived the moment she confronted Michael in his bedroom after he was questioned by initially ruled there was not enough evidence to charge the army cadet with a crime committed when he was just 15 years old. Michael left the island the following summer and would go on to get married, have a family and become a decorated Black Watch sniper before he was finally brought to justice thanks to an anonymous in a new documentary, The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles, his parents maintain he is the victim of a miscarriage of the day Michael, then 16, returned home hungry from the police station his mother said he was "just his normal self".She later went upstairs to his room and described what happened next."I said: 'Did you shoot that man?' and he said 'no' and I just can't..."Ms Ross broke down then continued: "I just can't get over the look on his face when I asked him that." As well as the cloud of suspicion over her son, the investigation ended the police career of her husband, was jailed in 1997 after lying about the fact he owned bullets identical to the one used in the murder. The documentary includes moving testimony from a witness who was 13 at the time of the and a local photographer also reflect on the first homicide on the idyllic group of islands for 25 years and agree it continues to divide the community to this day. Ex-Daily Record reporter Bob Dow said: "To be honest this was more than just a murder."This was a cold blooded public execution carried out on one of the most crime-free parts of the UK."This was like Pulp Fiction meets Whisky Galore." The night of the shooting Emma, who was 13 at the time, was in the Mumutaz restaurant in Kirkwall with her at 19:15 she witnessed something that left her recalled: "I was sitting in one of the window seats next to the door and the door opened."Emma thought it was someone coming to collect a added: "They were quite well built and they sort of had a purposeful march on them."I could not see who it was because they had their face covered."Emma admitted her memory of what happened next was "fragmented".She said: "I remember it was a hand gun and there was a pop."It did not make sense at the time what was happening."Then this person turned round and just walked out."In an instant the restaurant had been transformed into a chaotic crime said: "I remember being so relieved to see the police but safe, happy Orkney was gone." Photographer Ken Amer said there was "absolute panic" when he arrived on the black and white images captured stunned staff leaving the restaurant and unfinished meals on the tables, including the one Emma was sitting at with her Amer later realised he had previously photographed the victim while covering a big cheque presentation for The Orcadian at the picture of Mr Mahmood, Emma said: "I remember he had a big smile in real life and he was really friendly and kind."I have never been able to make sense of what happened that night." The investigation Angus Chisholm was a detective inspector for the then Northern Constabulary in Inverness when he was sent from the Highland capital to following morning he tasked local constable, ex-Black Watch soldier Eddy Ross, with the ballistic side of the focus became the 9mm bullet casing of the single shot which passed through Mr Mahmood's head and became embedded in the quickly identified the round as one previously used by the British the inquiry continued a reconstruction of the murder featured on the BBC's Crimewatch unlike most TV appeals, detectives had no description of the gunman, who entered and left the restaurant without uttering a Mahmood's brother, A.K.M Shafiuddin, remembered him as a "kind hearted person" and told the programme he planned to marry his girlfriend, who was a medical wrestled with various theories but inquiries on the island and in the waiter's native Bangladesh drew a Chisholm said: "Nobody had a bad word to say about Shamsuddin." Two months after the murder police finally got a he finished a night shift Ross informed Mr Chisholm that he had discovered a box of the same 9mm bullets used in the murder - in his own father-of-three said he had been given the box - which was still sealed - by ex-marine Jim when Mr Spence was questioned he said he handed over two boxes to PC Ross - one sealed and one half a separate development, a mother and daughter reported they had seen a masked male acting suspiciously in Papdale Woods, a fortnight before the alerted officers when they spotted the same individual going into a baker's in was Michael Ross - the teenage son of PC told the documentary: "Basically from that point in time the finger was pointing towards us."When Michael was interviewed he initially said he did not know anything about the woods and was with two friends on the night of the when officers checked out his alibi it didn't stand up. Michael's mother Moira said: "I was very nervous when they thought Michael was a suspect."He has never been in trouble with the police."He's never been in the Indian restaurant. Ever."In a separate twist, Mr Spence told police he had not mentioned the missing box of bullets as PC Ross had visited him three times and asked him not if he had told his friend to lie about the bullets, Ross said: "No. We had conversations on the street and has he mistaken what I said?"I had no reason to ask him that."Officers obtained a search warrant for the family home and discovered a notebook in Michael's room with swastikas scribbled on 6 December 1994 the 16-year-old was taken from school and interviewed under caution without a Ross, who was at work at the time, said: "We were just in shock, I suppose, because I was sure he would never do anything like that." Mr Chisholm said the teenager was unfazed by the gravity of the added: "He was cool, calm and collected."The senior officer filed a report to the Crown Office but prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to charge the teenager. Long wait for justice Michael left school in 1995 and joined the Army before being assigned to his father's old regiment, the Black PC Ross was suspended from Northern Constabulary after being charged with perverting the course of justice for asking Mr Spence to lie for 20 May 1997, after a trial in Inverness, he was jailed for three years and his 23-year police career was in who served two years in prison then became an undertaker, said: "With hindsight I should have dumped the box of ammunition and it is much my regret that I did not."But for me ditching it would not have been right, from my way of thinking, so which way do you turn?" Meanwhile, his corporal son was mentioned in dispatches for showing bravery following two improvised explosive attacks in North Babi, in 2006, 12 years after the murder, the cold case took a fresh twist when an anonymous letter was handed in to Kirkwall police author, later identified as local man William Grant, claimed to have seen the killer coming out of a public toilet cubicle on the night of the new evidence was enough to finally arrest Ross and he went on trial at the High Court in Glasgow in May Brian McConnachie KC, who led the prosecution, said he did not anticipate Mr Grant would be "such an unreliable witness". Under cross examination he admitted that he made up some of the things he originally told police. Escape from the dock Leah Seator, editor of The Orcadian, said many people on the island thought Ross would walk on 20 June the jury returned a guilty verdict - only for the moment to be overshadowed by an audacious escape he was about to be led away Ross knocked over a security guard, and jumped out of the pulled open a side door but was eventually stopped in a court McConnachie said: "I have been doing this for 40 years and I have never seen such a dramatic end to a trial."Back in Orkney, Mrs Ross took a devastating call from her said: "I did not believe that he would be sent to prison."When Ross returned to court four months later, amid heightened security, he was sentenced to 25 years plus a further five for his brazen bid to Hardie told the killer he had carried out a "premeditated assassination" motivated by "extreme racist prejudice". Since Ross' conviction his family have urged anyone with new evidence to come forward and in 2018 they appointed campaigning lawyer Aamer years later the former corporal was convicted of his third prison escape attempt after he tried to climb a fence at HMP Shotts in said: "It has not been easy but we have got to try and see if we can get him released a bit earlier."Mr McConnachie said the sad thing about the case was that it became more about the killer than Mr Mahmood, whose life was ended without the verdict, A.K.M Shafiuddin said: "Everybody loved him."We won't get our brother back but at least we have a feeling that justice has been done." The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles will be available on Prime Video in the UK & Ireland on 8 June.
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Tiny UK island ‘feels like a sci-fi novel' with dolphins & 12m-long sharks – and it's only open for the next five months
THE Calf of Man is now open to visitors for the summer season - but for a limited time. The remote island sits south of the 5 The Calf of Man is south of the Isle of Man and only 600 acres long Credit: Alamy 5 The island is completely uninhabited apart from a few volunteers Credit: Alamy Uninhabited outside of the season, it is owned by Manx National Heritage who manage the island that is primarily used as a nature reserve and bird observatory. And the Boat trips are available daily during the summer months with weather and tides permitting. All trips depend on the weather, and the island can be cut off for weeks when it's bad because the journey can be dangerous - which is why there are shipwrecks surrounding it. Read More on Tiny UK Islands Because of this, reaching the shores of the Calf of Man can take between 15 and 40 minutes. On the island, you'll find two ruined lighthouses, but barely any people. The 600 acres island is home to hundreds of birds, seals, dolphins, moths, butterflies and insects that you can spot on your visit. Another popular animal you can find there during the summer is the basking shark. Most read in News Travel Basking sharks can grow up to 12 metres long and swim close to the shore of the island. In the summer, they can be seen feeding on plankton near the surface. While most visitors opt for a day trip, it is possible to stay overnight on the island - in the one accommodation available. Exploring UK Islands: A Journey Through Beautiful Isles (1) 5 Basking sharks are regularly spotted during the summer months Credit: Alamy The Bird Observatory is a self-catered hostel, and on the It also adds that 'a stay on the Calf is only suitable for those who are fit enough to cope with the terrain and conditions'. Bookings run from June 2, 2025 until the end of August and the hostel can sleep up to eight people. One visitor wrote on 5 Seals like to make an appearance on the shores too Credit: Alamy "Upon seeing it in the distance, every one of those stories will spring forth, and you will find your mouth forming an automatic 'wow.'" One woman, Chloe, recently gave up her regular 9-5 for a chance to work as a She snapped up one of the most remote jobs in the British Isles and became an assistant estate warden. Chloe enjoyed the experience so much she even returned to work as a paid estate warden for a nine months and likened it to being on the TV series I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Here are the And 5 The Calf of Man is open until the end of September Credit: Alamy
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
2025 NHL Draft odds: Who is favored to go first overall to the Islanders?
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. For the first time in a while, we have a genuine debate about who should go No. 1 overall at the NHL Entry Draft. And it's not just because there isn't a runaway No. 1 prospect in this year's class, but also because of which team owns the top pick at the draft, which is set to take place on June 27 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The New York Islanders jumped 10 spots in the 2025 Draft Lottery, cashing in on their 3.5 percent odds to land the No. 1 overall pick after finishing 23rd out of 32 teams during the 2024-25 season. It was a massive windfall for the Islanders, but the timing couldn't have been funkier. The Isles are still searching for a new general manager after the club let go of Lou Lamoriello following his seven-year stint on the Island. And then there's the James Hagens connection. James Hagens was born on Long Island and grew up an Islanders fan. Getty Images Considered the No. 1 overall prospect coming into the 2024-25 season, Hagens was passed by defenseman Matthew Schaefer on just about every ranking by the time December rolled around. Hagens is still regarded as a top-three pick in this class by just about every prospect pundit, but his stock fell during a good-but-not-great freshman season at Boston College. Despite being passed by Schaefer and Michael Misa in most mock drafts, there is still a chance that Hagens goes No. 1 overall to the Islanders. That's because Hagens, 18, is a native Long Islander and grew up an Islanders fan. Betting on the NHL? So while it would make sense for just about every other team in the NHL to just go with Schaefer, the consensus top prospect, with the No. 1 overall pick, the Isles have a decision to make. The bookmakers believe that the Isles, who do have a big need for a top-end defenseman in their system, will likely go with Schaefer. The 17-year-old rearguard is -210 to go No. 1 overall, ahead of Hagens (+250) and Misa (+300). If you convert those odds to implied probability, you get Schaefer at 67.7 percent, Hagens at 28.6 percent, and Misa at 25 percent. NHL Draft odds: Who will go No. 1 overall? Player Odds Matthew Schaefer -210 James Hagens +250 Michael Misa +300 Anton Frondell 50/1 Porter Martone 50/1 Caleb Desnoyers 50/1 Odds via BetMGM Schaefer was limited to just 17 games this season, but he was so impressive during that span and during international tournaments that he shot up the rankings and landed at the head of the table in Central Scouting's rankings. But the gap between Schaefer and Hagens (and Misa, for that matter) is perceived to be small enough that you can make a coherent argument that it makes sense for the Isles to go with the local product and hope that the fanbase rallies around one of their own. Matthew Schaefer is the No. 1 prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft according to NHL Central Scouting. Getty Images And the oddsmakers are not counting out that scenario. Hagens would likely be a relative long shot to go No. 1 overall if any other team landed in this spot, but he's the second-favorite since the Isles are the current owners of the pick. And, since the Isles are without a general manager, nobody has any idea what they're thinking. Another interesting wrinkle to this whole song and dance is the fact that Hagens is a 15/1 outsider to go No. 2 overall, which tells us that the San Jose Sharks have little to no interest in picking the Hauppauge native. 2025 NHL Draft odds: Who will be picked No. 2 overall? Player Odds Michael Misa -165 Matthew Schaefer +130 Porter Martone 12/1 James Hagens 15/1 Caleb Desnoyers 25/1 Anton Frondell 30/1 The most feasible scenario where Hagens would go No. 2 overall would be if the Islanders and Sharks worked out a trade that saw San Jose jump to the front of the line to take Schaefer, allowing the Islanders to collect more assets and then pick Hagens. That is unlikely to happen, which is why Hagens is sitting at 15/1 to go second. Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Islanders Winning The Draft Lottery Makes Their Next GM's Path To Success Much Clearer
J.G. Pageau, Noah Dobson and Anders Lee (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images) After not renewing the contract of GM Lou Lamoriello late last month, the New York Islanders entered a period of transition. But after winning the NHL's draft lottery Monday night and capturing the first overall pick in this summer's NHL draft, the Islanders likely won't have to suffer for as long as some less-fortunate franchises will. And consequently, whoever replaces Lamoriello in the GM role will get a very attractive position. The Islanders' GM job always has a higher profile than many GM jobs around the league. Being in the greater New York City area puts the Isles in the spotlight. The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner also mentioned it's an appealing position for former GMs to get back in the role or a stepping stone for people who haven't been GM before. A report in the Athletic has identified a couple of candidates who could be front-runners for the role – former Montreal Canadiens GM and current L.A. Kings executive Marc Bergevin is one of them, as is former Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland. But make no mistake – the Islanders winning the draft lottery puts more shine on the team's bumper than picking ninth or 10th overall. It makes the future much clearer for the Islanders. Many hockey observers – including The Hockey News draft experts Ryan Kennedy and Tony Ferrari – project the Islanders to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer this summer. Bringing in a foundational blueliner gives the Isles exactly what they need – a bedrock asset with star potential the organization hasn't had much of since they made center John Tavares the first-overall selection in 2009. New York Islanders Win NHL Draft Lottery: Who Should They Pick First Overall? New York Islanders Win NHL Draft Lottery: Who Should They Pick First Overall? The NHL draft lottery was broadcast live for all to see, and the balls fell in the New York Islanders' favor. With Schaefer in tow, the Islanders can press fast-forward on their retool, and what GM candidate wouldn't want to be part of that process? They can select a new prospect who should lead the 'D' corps with or without No. 1 D-man Noah Dobson for the next decade-and-a-half, and they'll have the financial resources to add to the group in free agency and trades this summer. The Islanders have $28.3 million in cap space this summer, with about 14 players on their active roster under contract and seven RFAs to re-sign, including Dobson. With the opportunity to select Schaefer on the table, and with center Mat Barzal being at the beginning of his prime years, the Islanders can build a younger core that learns from their aging veterans, gets competitive experience and takes over once those veterans move on. While the Islanders needed lottery luck to have this positive spin put on their team-building situation, who cares how they got it? All that matters is that they got it and didn't have to tank in the process. Matthew Schaefer Should Be No. 1, But Will He Be In The NHL Next Season? Matthew Schaefer Should Be No. 1, But Will He Be In The NHL Next Season? The New York Islanders earned the right to select Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the popular front-runner to go No. 1 in the draft when they won the NHL draft lottery Monday night. In many ways, NHL GMs are no different than the rest of us – we've all got relatively short patience spans. If we have to suffer standing in a long lineup outside a chic club, we'll suffer to try to get in. But if there's a way that we can jump the line and get into that club right away, we'd be fools not to take it. That's the situation the Islanders are in. They just had the hockey gods smile upon them, and they can go about their business knowing a valuable asset fell into their lap. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
