Bob Dow – Daily Record.co.uk June 27, 2008
The father of Orkney killer Michael Ross yesterday blamed a masonic plot for his son's conviction.
Disgraced ex-policeman Eddy Ross claimed the 29-year-old racist murderer was the victim of a conspiracy.
He has also accused police chiefs of being involved in the set-up.
Ex-Army sniper Michael Ross was last week convicted of gunning down waiter Shamsuddin Mahmood 14 years ago.
Ross was just 15 when he opened fire in a busy restaurant in Kirkwall.
Minutes after the verdict at the end of a six-week trial, the dad-of-two tried to escape and was caught just yards from freedom.
Eddy, 57, was jailed for four years in 1997 for trying to cover up the crime and has always maintained both he and his son were innocent.
That conviction cost him his 23-year police career and a £100,000 pension. He now works as an undertaker on Orkney.
Yesterday, he said: "I have been aware that, from the beginning of this case, there has been an undeniable and abhorrent stench emanating from it.
"That stench was one of collusion, a conspiracy to concoct evidence in order to convict my son of the crime of murder.
"This collusion was formulated and perpetrated by individuals within the Northern Constabulary and certain persons within the Kirkwall Masonic Lodge.
"We could only have reached the present situation by that collusion being condoned and supported by senior officers of the Northern Constabulary.
"The collusion is complete and successful. My son has been convicted and awaits a sentence of life imprisonment. The end justified the means."
Detective Constable Bob Petrie, who was involved in the original murder investigation, is the Grand Master of the Kirkwall Kilwinning Masonic Lodge. He was unavailable for comment last night.
Afghanistan war hero Michael Ross was exposed as a teenage racist killer during the trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The hooded gunman shot the popular waiter dead through his left eye as he served customers.
The only lead police had was an empty bullet casing, which was identified by local firearms officer Eddy Ross as military issue from an arsenal in India.
But he didn't tell detectives that he had a sealed box and an opened box of the same bullets at home.
When he was convicted of hindering the inquiry, Michael Ross, by then in the Black Watch, was named a suspect.
He had been seen dressed in similar clothes, acting strangely in woods shortly before the shooting.
But with no murder weapon or DNA evidence, the inquiry came to a halt until two years ago when a new witness came forward.
First offender Michael Ross will be sentenced at the High Court next month.
Meanwhile, supporters of the family have set up pages on the Bebo and Facebook social networking websites, claiming the verdict was wrong and should be overturned.
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/06/27/masons-framed-my-son-for-orkney-waiter-murder-says-disgraced-dad-86908-20622306/
Last updated 01/07/2008
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