Murder police target drugs counsellor aid

POLICE investigating the murder of a former heroin addict in the city have approached GPs and drugs counsellors to report any information from patients about the killing.

The body of Lee Duncan was discovered at his flat in Lauriston Place by his girlfriend on February 25, sparking a major probe.

Four months on, Mr Duncan's killer remains at large and the case is now the only active murder case in the Lothians from the last year.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, who is leading the investigation, said police were reaching out to drug treatment professionals in the hope patients may have disclosed information about the murder during treatment.

"What we are looking at is the possibility that someone perhaps alluded to the murder or has some knowledge of the murder and has disclosed this while they are being counselled.

"There are some data protection issues but we are trying to give reassurance that it would not be any sort of offence around the Act and information could be given anonymously and treated confidentially."

He added: "It's equally important that we keep an open mind about what happened which was perhaps totally unrelated to Lee's former drug taking."

DCI Hardie also stressed that the murder probe would remain open until arrests were made.

He said: "We are not looking at drawing a line under this and we will keep at it until we get to the bottom of it.

"We have increased our resource level in this matter and this is now one of the top priorities in the force.

"It's quite apparent that whatever I require by way of resources I will get and that's coming from force executive."

Police have not revealed how Lee was killed or whether a weapon was used.

DCI Hardie added: "Despite having a close group of friends, there have been a number of people that have had access to Lee's flat.

"We are at the stage where we have interviewed more than 500 witnesses and are preparing to re-interview our significant witnesses now we have built up knowledge about what was going on around the time of Lee's murder.

"We are following three or four positive lines of inquiry. It's now about gathering evidence which will be sufficient to report the case to procurator fiscal."

Born in Hamilton, Mr Duncan and his family moved to Colchester and Berlin before eventually settling in Wester Hailes when he was aged around eight.

His sister, Melanie Purdie, said he began using heroin when he was around 20 years old after falling in with the "wrong crowd" but had been on a methadone programme for the last six years.