Silent vigil outside St Magnus Cathedral

Supporters of an Orkney man jailed for the murder of a waiter in a Kirkwall restaurant in 1994 held a silent vigil outside St Magnus Cathedral on Saturday.

The vigil follows a demonstration outside Kirkwall Sheriff Court in October to protest against Michael Ross’s murder conviction and the news that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) is going to review the case.

Michael Ross was sent to prison for a minimum of 25 years after being found guilty in 2008 — 14 years after the crime was committed. He was 15 when Shamsuddin Mahmood, 26, was shot in the head at the Mumataz Restaurant, in front of a room full of diners.

His bid to have his murder conviction overturned was rejected by the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh earlier this year. He was then refused permission to take his appeal against his conviction to the Supreme Court in May.