UK UK - Alistair Wilson, 30, murdered at home, Nairn, Scotland, 28 Nov 2004

[davidt]

For me, this is not how people talk to cold callers on a doorstep. You would ask 'who are you?' and 'what do you want him for?'. VW's account does not stack up if accurately reported.

As for middle name, was AW ever known as Paul or used Paul Wilson for any purpose?

I agree it feels very odd. Did VW not even say "I'll go and get him" or something?

Same applies to AW just deciding to go back outside. Why would he think the caller would still be there and why did the caller hang around? Obvious answer is he expected Alastair to return but that doesn't stack up with VWs account of what AW did either.

 

[SteveH]

I think this is a great example of the problems in this case. You have a really plausible scenario which makes a lot of sense. But as you acknowledge in order for it to work you have to assume significant parts of VWs account as has been presented so far is simply wrong. That applies to all the scenarios that have been suggested to date. They just don't fit the sequence of events we've been given and you can't just ignore the bits that don't fit. You have to deal with those as well.

Was AW really confused and did he really have no idea what it was all about? It's possible if the caller was speaking total gibberish or was drunk, high or mentally ill. Alternatively I guess he could have been genuinely talking about something AW had no idea about. If either apply then surely it rules the decking theory out as Alastair would have realised what it was about.

What are the alternatives if AW wasn't really confused at all? AW may have been hiding something from Veronica, perhaps to protect her or because he didn't want her to know something. And to cover all bases you could also ask if Veronica has given an accurate account of how Alastair was.

That's all before you get on to what the envelope was all about. As you say the envelope bit does have the potential to be a giant distraction and a total red herring. I'm still a bit cynical why after so many years had passed the police made a fresh appeal about it. It seems unlikely in the extreme anyone can possibly have any information on it. I mean who's going to remember seeing an envelope? I have a suspicion the appeal was a cover for something else. Perhaps aimed specifically at certain individuals.

I think the cops know who did it but they don't have sufficient evidence. Their suspect had a mother with an unusual name which refers to the place where Jacob wrestled with the angel El.

If the killer was the police's suspect - and he was only 20 at the time - then he was apparently an oddball who went completely off the rails after his father died in 2010. Maybe the envelope had his mother's name on it and not "Paul" and for reasons unknown he handed it to Alistair so that he could put something in it. Alistair didn't tell Veronica all the details but might well have been confused as to what it was all about and returned to confront the man. The killer then overreacted and shot Alistair.

The police never recovered the envelope and Veronica only saw it briefly. So did it actually have "Paul" written on it or something else? The police suspect's father had a collection of firearms which his son could have accessed. One witness reported seeing a man in distress who when asked if he was okay said something like "How could my son have done something like that?" The suspect was a drinker at the Havelock. He knew Andy Burnet, the manager. He might have been high on drugs - he was later convicted of a drugs offence. He was also managing director of a company (nondestructive technical testing and analysis), which is now dissolved, in Aberdeen. It didn't abide (wink, wink).

The big question here is how he got away with it if he was the killer. He moved from Nairn around 2011 but he could have bumped into Veronica at any time before that. Might he have been disguised on the fateful night and so he looked older? But if he was responsible he was extremely reckless, especially if the envelope had his mother's name on it. Peter Bleksley on the other hand says he had an uncle named Paul. Same problem though. He was obviously a total dipstick if the police and Bleksley have the right man. And yet he has so far got away with it!

 

[SteveH]

"Detective Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow, the strategic senior investigating officer now in charge, admitted she is currently "not in a position" to arrest anyone but is confident her team will carry out a thorough inquiry...

When asked what the hold-up was in regards to making an arrest in connection with the case, DCS Chow brushed off the past 20 years and said the reinvestigation was in its "early stages"...

When questioned over the potential suspect, DCS Chow said: "We are starting at the very beginning again and we will review all the information and the evidence that we have in our systems and we'll look at new opportunities."

When pressed again on why a complete reinvestigation was needed if a potential suspect was identified, DCS Chow said: "Well, there are a number of lines of inquiry which are still open, and until we are content that there is sufficient evidence, we will continue to investigate."

When asked if she knows who indeed killed Mr Wilson, DCS Chow replied: "We're still looking at all lines of inquiry. There are 20 years of evidence for me to look through. As I've said, this is the very, very early stages for us."

When asked to be clearer, she added: "Until we are content that we have fully reviewed the information, I'm not in a position that we could arrest anyone.""

Alistair Wilson: 20th anniversary of banker's doorstep murder as police reject 'callous' handling of unsolved shooting

The 2004 murder of Alistair Wilson, 30, in the Scottish Highlands remains unsolved. A new team of Crown Office prosecutors and Police Scotland officers are working on the reinvestigation.

news.sky.com

STV News 'New investigation into murder of Alistair Wilson after 20 years':

3.8K views · 18 reactions | New investigation into murder of Alistair Wilson ordered 20 years later https://i.stv.tv/4er33uQ | STV News

New investigation into murder of Alistair Wilson ordered 20 years later https://i.stv.tv/4er33uQ.

www.facebook.com

Highland MSP Douglas Ross used his last First Minister’s Questions as Tory leader to raise the case of murdered Nairn man Alistair Wilson with John Swinney, accusing the SNP of “stretching Police Scotland to breaking point”:

'Veronica Wilson said she was “extremely grateful” to John Swinney for speaking to her and son Andrew about the ongoing investigation into the murder of her husband Alistair in November 2004.'

"Mrs Wilson said: “I was extremely grateful to John Swinney for meeting with myself and Andrew and engaging with us over the ongoing investigation. It is welcome that he agreed to look into issues that we brought to his attention and come back to us in due course.

“That is in sharp contrast to the chief constable, who continues to refuse to meet with myself and our family. We find that deeply insulting and hope that she will urgently reconsider. We will not stop demanding answers and it was pleasing to have the opportunity to raise them with the First Minister.”

Family of murdered banker Alistair Wilson meet John Swinney 20 years on

Veronica Wilson said she was “extremely grateful” to John Swinney for speaking to her and son Andrew about the ongoing investigation into the murder of her husband Alistair in November 2004.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

"Twenty years on, Andrew has told how he feels let down by police, who made an 11th-hour decision to stop the planned arrest of a potential suspect on May 15, 2023.

Speaking to the Press and Journal, he said: “I feel betrayed by the establishment that’s there to uphold justice. I have zero faith in Police Scotland. How can we trust anyone if we can’t even trust the police?"...

The fresh probe, named Operation Sabine, will see around 14,000 actions carried out by cops re-examined since the death. The team of 14 officers has been drawn from a range of specialists, including complex investigations, homicide and murder inquiries and forensics and intelligence gathering.

Andrew said: “I feel the force are just trying to hide behind the ‘live investigation line’ to silence us and kick the can down the road while a murder suspect walks free.""

Son of Nairn banker still has 'nightmares' about dad being shot on doorstep

Andrew Wilson saw his father lying in a pool of blood after he was shot on the doorstep of the family home in the Highland town.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

BBC 'Chief Constable Jo Farrell said Police Scotland was determined to get justice for Alistair Wilson's family'

Police Scotland 'absolutely committed' to solving doorstep murder

The family of Alistair Wilson have been critical of Police Scotland's investigation into the 2004 murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

"COPS probing the gun murder of banker Alistair Wilson are focusing on a beer garden photo taken before the 2004 killing.

The grainy image shows punters drinking at a hotel across from Alistair’s home where he had objected to planning permission for a large area of decking....

It is believed detectives are hoping the snap at the Havelock Hotel in Nairn, Inverness-shire, could yield clues to help finally solve the 21-year mystery.

A source said: “It is thought they are trying to identify people in the picture as some of them could be regulars and might know something.”

Another insider added: “It’s thought it was taken about six months before Alistair was killed."

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/14701527/fresh-clue-in-probe-into-gun-murder-of-scots-banker-as-cops-study-photograph/

Police appeal:

Public Portal

 

[dotr]

Sep 16 2025 rbbm.

'Significant' work done on Nairn banker murder cold case

Police are carrying out a complete reinvestigation into the unsolved killing of Alistair Wilson 20 years ago.

www.bbc.com

'Police say a "significant amount" of work has been done as part of a complete reinvestigation of the unsolved murder of a Scots banker more than 20 years ago'.

''Detectives are examining all evidence gathered over the last 20 years.
They are also investigating "new opportunities" for fresh lines of inquiry, such as advances in technology and forensic testing.
About 10,000 documents, including approximately 6,000 statements, will be re-examined, along with almost 14,000 other actions carried out by police since the shooting.
Police Scotland has asked people to contact the force on 101, or via a Major Investigation Public Portal (MIPP).''

 

[SteveH]

Another "top ex-cop" has been mouthing off about this case.

This time it's Reform UK's adviser on police and crime Colin Sutton.

"Colin Sutton, who led the investigation into serial killer Levi Bellfield, is to help Nigel Farage’s party develop its pledge to halve crime in five years...

Mr Sutton told the paper [Mail On Sunday] he would give all frontline officers tasers, reopen 300 closed police stations, and stop investigations into online arguments as part of Reform’s policing offer."

Reform recruits former senior detective as police and crime adviser

Colin Sutton, who led the investigation into serial killer Levi Bellfield, is to help Nigel Farage’s party develop its pledge to halve crime.

www.independent.co.uk

Like Peter Bleksley - another reactionary old git (actually both are slightly younger than me!) who says some absolutely vile and disgusting things on X - he is desperate to drum up support for his one man show.

"Colin is currently touring the UK with his one man show Makings of a Murderer 2 - and is due to appear at the Townhouse in Hamilton later this month."

Ex top cop claims murder of Alistair Wilson could be linked to work as bank boss

A former top cop believes Alistair Wilson's work as a business manager is key to solving his murder 21 years ago and has called on police to look at his business affairs and connections rather than a planning dispute with a neighbouring hotel.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Anyway he thinks the murder "seems quite an extreme reaction to someone objecting to your planning consent. I think it is more likely to be something around business and deals. There was a lot of money in things Alistair was involved in and of course he was a bank manager."

He adds "It (the murder) was obviously targeted against Alistair. If he had come to door first then probably he would have been shot there and then. Whoever is there had the confidence to wait for him to come to the door."

Unfortunately he doesn't explain why the killer allowed Alistair to go back inside when he did come to the door. Funny that. He waited for Veronica to tell Alistair he had a caller and then waited again while he went back to speak to his wife. Oh well.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I thought the police investigated every case AW was involved with in the bank. I am unaware of a precedent for a bank employee being assassinated because of something to do with banking. (Of course, that does not mean that there has not been such a case.)

I also read that AW's job was not a high powered one and he did preliminary work for things dealt with by more senior people.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I thought the police investigated every case AW was involved with in the bank. I am unaware of a precedent for a bank employee being assassinated because of something to do with banking. (Of course, that does not mean that there has not been such a case.)

I also read that AW's job was not a high powered one and he did preliminary work for things dealt with by more senior people.

It's quite normal for the police to review elements of an investigation when they pull cold case files of the shelf for periodic review. Fresh eyes, new intelligence, new technology can all identify new lines of enquiry that were not identified previously or offer opportunities for reinvestigation. The idea that a line of enquiry or whatever is definitively ruled out once and for all is incredibly short-sighted.

 

[rvlvr]

I thought the police investigated every case AW was involved with in the bank. I am unaware of a precedent for a bank employee being assassinated because of something to do with banking. (Of course, that does not mean that there has not been such a case.)

I also read that AW's job was not a high powered one and he did preliminary work for things dealt with by more senior people.

Pretty much, yeah. This is how David James Smith described his job in the Times back in 2005:

Though he had been described in the press as a bank manager, Alistair's job as a new-business manager had not apparently given him much power. In reality, he was merely processing business-loan applications for others, higher up the chain, to decide. Feeling undervalued by the bank and thwarted in his ambitions, he had begun looking for work elsewhere and found a new job with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which he would have started a fortnight later, had he lived.

Nothing wrong with police having another look of course but I just can’t see a middle manager at a retail bank in Inverness getting in over his head to such an extent that someone might want to kill him.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I agree.

It would be very time consuming to go through every transaction in which AW was involved. I don't know how you would find a transaction that could lead to assassination.

 

[SteveH]

I agree.

It would be very time consuming to go through every transaction in which AW was involved. I don't know how you would find a transaction that could lead to assassination.

I don't know why these ex-cops and TV criminologists are so convinced that Alistair was killed because of something to do with the bank. Similar speculation has been circulated about missing Trevor Deely in Dublin when in fact he was a junior employee for the Bank of Ireland.

I'm still wondering whether the envelope said "P****l" - the suspect's mother - rather than Paul. The cops never saw it and the Wilsons only had it for a few minutes. Or the police could be dissembling to trap the murderer.

 

[alb1on]

I don't know why these ex-cops and TV criminologists are so convinced that Alistair was killed because of something to do with the bank. Similar speculation has been circulated about missing Trevor Deely in Dublin when in fact he was a junior employee for the Bank of Ireland.

I'm still wondering whether the envelope said "P****l" - the suspect's mother - rather than Paul. The cops never saw it and the Wilsons only had it for a few minutes. Or the police could be dissembling to trap the murderer.

I agree that it is probable that the explanation lies somewhere other than his bank work but it is entirely reasonable not to discard this possibility. I have cited it before but will do so again. The scandal of the HBOS Reading branch shows what can happen at relatively low levels in a bank (and in the same decade as this murder). In that case local middle managers and their staff conspired to defraud numerous businesses without the knowledge of head office until it was uncovered after the Lloyds takeover. I doubt anything like that happened in this case but it would be far harder to identify a single case as opposed to the systematic abuse which took place in the HBOS case and which still went undetected for years.