Death inquiry hears attack claims Father tells of disgust at police

Mr McLeod's father, Hugh, yesterday rejected the Northern Constabulary's conclusion that his son had sustained serious abdominal injuries resulting from falling on a 35in ornamental bollard before ending up in the harbour, where he had drowned.

Mr McLeod said that in the week after his son's death people had told him and his wife, June, that he had been the victim of two assaults in a club called the Waterfront on the evening of May 7, receiving blows to his head.

He had also been given names of people who might have been involved.

Mr McLeod said he and his wife were left with no son - and no answers. He had never accepted that his son could have sustained injuries to his liver, spleen, pancreas and abdominal aorta in the way the police contended.

''I don't accept that a 35in bollard had anything to do with Kevin's death. It is not consistent with his injuries. Kevin suffered a blunt force trauma,'' he said.

Mr McLeod said that - with the benefit of his own reading on the subject and with a report from an independent pathologist from Glasgow University - he robustly challenged the official opinion.

In response to questioning by Procurator-fiscal Angus Perry, Mr McLeod said Kevin had been due to get married on May 30. He was a trained electrician but was working as a labourer, at the same pipelaying yard where he himself was a welder. Kevin had gone out with his friend, Mr Mark Fobsiter, at about 10pm.

''The following morning June told me that Mark's bed had not been slept in, which was very unusual.'' Mr McLeod said that he told his wife he might have stayed at Mr Fobister's house, but she just got the answering machine every time they called.

Mr McLeod said that he and his wife had searched all day for Kevin and at 5.50pm had spotted Mr Fobister's car and followed it. When he stopped they asked him if he had seen Kevin. ''He just said no. June said he didn't come home last night. Mark put his head in his hands and said 'Oh, no'.'' They then went straight to the police.

At 11am on Sunday February 9 he and his wife had a visit from two police officers to say that Kevin had been found drowned in the harbour. Police Constable Neil Reid had told him that there were no suspicious circumstances.

That week people had come to see them and had told them his son had been the victim of two assaults in the Waterfront on May 7. He had also been given names of people who might have been involved. He had given the names to the police: William Wood; Ian Ross; and Craig Stenhouse, although he was not exactly sure when he passed on the last name.

Mrs McLeod, meanwhile, had been approached by a taxi driver who said that he had seen Kevin around the harbour area on February 7 and that he had been covered in blood. Mr McLeod agreed that, after having been questioned by the police, the taxi driver had retracted his statement.

Mr McLeod said that, during the numerous police visits to their house, they had suggested a link between the events in the Waterfront and Kevin's death. He and Mrs McLeod had suggested that somebody could have followed him and assaulted him.

''The police never took anything that me or my wife said seriously. It was only the bollard that they were considering,'' he said.

They were told that the police inquiries had been concluded on April 23. But a second investigation by officers from Inverness was initiated in July/August. Two officers had come to their house. ''The told me that they were there because of the media interest and I said 'Is that what it takes for you to come and see us?'''

Later Mark Fobister told the inquiry that he and Kevin had gone out drinking that night. They had drunk quite a lot. In the Waterfront Mr Fobister had gone to the toilet.

When he returned, he saw Kevin excited and having to be restrained.

He was told that Kevin had been assaulted by Mr Wood. He then took Kevin away. He had no knowledge of any other assault.

The inquiry continues.