Fiancée at crime scene of murdered Edinburgh man

Ann-Marie Little, 32, was part of a crowd that gathered who were expecting to see the body of a local drug dealer removed from a Calder Park tower block after news of the bloody incident spread last week.

However, the local rumour mill had identified the dead man incorrectly and the childcare worker was soon to discover that her partner of 16 years had been the man killed.

Michael Gardner, 33, who had two young children with Ms Little, was stabbed repeatedly by his attackers in the tower block stairway last Tuesday night.

Police removed many local residents from the building after the incident and forensic teams were brought in to inspect the scene at Medwin House North.

Anxious locals gathered outside and discussed the various rumours circulating the estate. The crowd believed the man killed in the incident to be a drug dealer who was a resident within the building.

Miss Little was one of the 20-strong crowd and even took shelter with some friends in her partner's mini-van, which she found outside the building.

The couple had many friends within the building as they had previously lived there together.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “Ann-Marie was standing outside with the rest of us waiting to see what was going on.

“We had all heard the same rumour about who had been killed and it didn’t even cross our minds we might be wrong, until he turned up alive and well.

When the man who was thought to be the victim turned up to watch the police work being carried out, the news quickly filtered through the crowd and made it to Ms Little by the late morning.

She began to panic and became extremely distraught as the awful truth sank in.

Police took her from the scene before telling her about her partner's death.

The van was then removed by police, but any potential evidence inside may well have been unknowingly ruined by Mrs Gardner and her friends earlier that morning.

Ms Little is studying an SVQ in Childcare with North Edinburgh Childcare and has also been working part-time in the industry. She and Mr Gardner had recently become engaged.

The family are too upset to talk about their loss but Ms Little has thanked all those who have given her support.

A MAN today appeared in court in connection with Michael Gardner's death.

Craig Bathgate, 43, made no plea or declaration to a murder charge during a brief appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

He also faces a minor road traffic offence. The accused made no application for bail and was remanded in custody for further examination.

Three other men have also been charged with perverting the course of justice in the same police investigation.

Kevin Parry, 30, Ross Reid, 41, and Mark Bald, 31, were all given bail following a private hearing.