Latest news with #ex-BlackWatch
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Chilling true crime documentary about 'Scotland's most controversial murder' leaves viewers baffled
The Amazon Prime Video documentary delves into the brutal 1994 murder of Shamsuddin Mahmood on a small Scottish island that was a cold case for years before an arrest was finally made. Amazon Prime Video has a number of gripping true crime docuseries on its streaming platform with one recently uploaded programme about one of Scotland's most controversial murder cases leaving viewers hooked. The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles was uploaded to Amazon Prime earlier this summer and recounts the chilling 1994 murder of Shamsuddin Mahmood, a waiter at the Indian restaurant Mumtaz in Kirkwall, in a 90-minute documentary. The 26-year-old Bangladeshi national was brutally gunned down by a masked man in front of horrified diners, including families with children. Before his murder, Mahmood had been planning to return to Bangladesh and marry his girlfriend after working on the island the year before he was killed. After the shocking crime, the assassin vanished, leaving a long lasting impact on the island that still resonates today. The unusual case is now under scrutiny once more after the Orkney Assassin landed on the streaming platform in June. At the time of the crime, 15-year-old Michael Ross was the main suspect and was questioned but was never charged. The case gained notoriety due to Ross' young age and the fact he was an army cadet but he was ultimately released. However, after a lengthy 14-year investigation, a breakthrough in the case occurred when a witness came forward and said they had seen Ross on the night of the murder. Ross was finally convicted of Mahmood's murder in 2008 at the High Court in Glasgow. Upon hearing his guilty verdict, the ex-Black Watch soldier attempted to flee court before he was arrested. Ross' car was later found in a nearby supermarket car park, filled with weapons and camping gear, which he had been planning to use whilst on the run before his escape plan failed. Despite all this, Michael Ross has always insisted he is innocent. He is currently serving a 25-year sentence at HMP Shotts in Lanarkshire, one of Scotland's highest security prisons. Since his imprisonment, he has attempted to escape three times, which he claims are efforts to bring his case back into the public eye. His family, including father and former policeman Eddy Ross, mother Moira, and other members of the Orkney community are campaigning for his release as part of the J4MR - Justice 4 Michael Ross group. Viewers have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the documentary as one wrote on Letterboxd: "Worth a watch but be ready to shout at the TV." Another wrote on X: "Put on the Orkney Assassin documentary. It's such a surprising case. I would have been about 7 when it started and I was on Lewis - which tends to have a lot of connection with Orkney - but I don't remember this case at ALL." A third remarked: "Watching The Orkney Assassin, and it shows the difference between the islands and the mainland. Stuff like this simply doesn't happen on the islands. Hell, they don't even lock their doors!" The 1994 murder continues to divide the Orkney community to this day with local newspaper reporter Ethan Fleet explaining "There are a lot of inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding the case and the investigations that preceded the trial, dubious witnesses whose evidence seems to be rather important in the case, changing positions. Things like that got my interest in that." Prosecutor Brian McConnachie KC added: "I think there's always going to be two sides." He described the Orkney murder as a "challenging" case and his most high-profile one, saying: "The number of times I have been asked about the case is incredible by comparison to any other case I've ever been involved in."
Scottish Sun
09-08-2025
- Scottish Sun
I won more than £1m on the lottery – here's everything I spent it on
The ex-Black Watch sergeant and police detective said: 'It's been life-changing' LOTTO FUN I won more than £1m on the lottery – here's everything I spent it on Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GRANDAD has told how he's been on a spending spree since landing a £1million lotto fortune. Davie Crowder, 63, paid to get a new home built, bought a Mercedes and gave gifts to loved ones and friends. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Davie Crowder bought a flashy Mercedes with his winnings 3 The ex-Black Watch sergeant was over the moon at the big win He even helped his golf club get a tractor after his record win on the People's Postcode Lottery in April last year. The ex-Black Watch sergeant and police detective, of Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, said: 'It's been life-changing. 'The big thing is the security, not just for me but my family too. 'I went to the car showroom and paid cash for a new Merc GLE 300. And I decided to get a bungalow built closer to Dunkeld golf club, where I play. I also made a good donation to the club. 'They were after a new tractor, so I helped them out.' Davie bought motors for son Dale, 33, and daughter Amie, 38, plus a works van for his daughter-in-law. He enjoyed a family hol on the Greek island of Crete and treated pals to golf trips. The retired cop landed his windfall with 10 neighbours after PH2 9FG won Postcode Lottery's biggest-ever pot in Scotland of £10.2million. Each ticket was worth £340,000 but Davie had paid for three of them. This week he visited Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance, which receives £300,000 a year from the lottery. SCAA's Criona Knight said: 'Without the players, there would not be this pot of funding.' It comes after a man claimed that he won millions of pounds on the lottery, but refused to give his family any cash. The anonymous lottery winner, 24, explained that every month, he and his wife, also 24, get a lottery ticket.
