Last of five fingerprint experts in McKie case is sacked

Published on Thursday 3 May 2007 00:12

THE last of the fingerprint experts at the heart of the Shirley McKie scandal has been sacked, it emerged today.

Fiona McBride was told to leave her post on Tuesday after 22 years with the Scottish Criminal Record Office.

Ms McBride, 42, is reported to have refused to accept a move to a different post for less than half her salary.

Last month four of her colleagues accepted a confidential redundancy deal which prevented them from talking about the case.

They had been told they would lose their jobs when the new Scottish Police Services Authority took over the fingerprint service on April 1.

The long-running saga began 10 years ago when a print found at the Kilmarnock home of murder victim Marion Ross was falsely identified as belonging to then Detective Constable McKie.

She was later cleared of perjury after challenging the evidence of fingerprint experts working for the Scottish Criminal Record Office.

And in February last year she received a 750,000 out-of-court settlement from the Scottish Executive.

But a parliamentary inquiry last year could not get to the bottom of the case and the experts have stood by their identification.

Ms McBride is now taking legal advice about a possible compensation claim for unfair dismissal.

In a newspaper interview Ms McBride said: "My colleagues and I were threatened and frightened out of their jobs even though they had no reason nor right to get rid of us.

"We had been exonerated by the Justice 1 Committee report and have been working since the McKie case, yet they decided to get rid of us for political reasons."