EXCLUSIVE: Murder, mystery, and Michael Ross

The man convicted for a 30-year-old Kirkwall murder case will, in this week’s edition of The Orcadian, tell his side of the story in full, for the first time.

Having now served almost 17 years of his life sentence in prison, Michael Ross has agreed to speak to the public via the newspaper, sharing a detailed account of his version of events.

The former soldier was convicted in 2008 for the cold-blooded killing of Shamsuddin Mahmood, who was shot as he worked at an Indian restaurant in Kirkwall in 1994.

Ross maintains his innocence for the crime — but he has never spoken to the public or press in detail, to let them know why.

He did not give evidence at his trial at the High Court in Glasgow, and has stayed silent on many of his views, until now.

This week, in the first of a two-part feature, Ross speaks openly from the confines of prison, about his memories of the early investigation; family life and life as a soldier.

In part two, he explains the masterplan behind his jailbreak attempts, and will share his take on the trial that convicted him, answering the key questions of the prosecution for the first time.

The newspaper does not endorse Ross’s views, nor do we publish his story as any statement of fact.

We do believe however that as his version of events has never been heard publicly in detail, the Orkney community will want to hear what he has to say.

Do not miss this story for never before seen photographs, and Ross’s full account of the events surrounding the case.