Campaigner announces murder book plans

Fifteen years after Michael Ross was convicted of murder, the woman at the centre of a campaign to prove his innocence says she has “never lost hope.”

Now, Karen Tulloch plans to write a book about the killing, described by a judge as “premeditated assassination”, that took place when Ross was a 15-year-old schoolboy.

After 11 years of research, Ms Tulloch remains convinced that crucial information about this “colossal human tragedy” is held by individuals who have not yet come forward with what they know.

The victim, 26-year-old Shamsuddin Mahmood, was waiting tables at the Mumutaz Restaurant in Kirkwall on June 2, 1994, when he was shot in a head by a masked gunman who then fled the scene.

At Glasgow High Court in June 2008, Ross — by then a decorated Black Watch soldier — was found guilty of murdering the Bangladeshi waiter.

In the years since, the Justice For Michael Ross campaign group has been fighting to free him by having his case heard in the Court of Appeal.

It was in 2012 that Ms Tulloch joined the group, partly out of frustration about what she described as the “misinformation” that surrounds the case.

Now, she is set to write the next chapter in the Ross case — a book telling the story of the investigation, the conviction and the campaign, as well as the people who have been affected by these events.

“Nobody wants the wrong conclusion to go down in history as having been the right conclusion,” Ms Tulloch told The Orcadian.

She is now appealing for anyone with pertinent information about the case to contact her — not just those with direct knowledge of the investigation, but also people with memories of the inquiries.

Anyone with information about the case can contact Ms Tulloch on: tullochkarenelaine@gmail.com

She emphasised that the confidentiality of anyone wanting to discuss the case will be respected, and that nothing will be included in the book if that wish is expressed.

For the full story, pick up this week’s edition of The Orcadian.