Follow the money to find Nairn murderer, says ex-detective

Forensic teams examine the front garden of the home of bank manager Alistair Wilson in Nairn in 2004 after he was gunned down on his doostep. Picture: Andrew Milligan

Alistair Wilson, a father-of-two who worked for the Bank of Scotland, was shot on his own doorstep in Nairn in November 2004, but despite a high-profile police investigation, his killer has never been found.

Peter Bleksley, a former police officer who is writing a book on the case, said Wilson’s work in the bank was an “obvious starting point”.

Last week an anonymous dossier on the case – which has been passed to police – suggested Wilson had been carrying out “off-the-books banking services, possibly money laundering”.

Peter Bleksley says an obvious starting point for a police investigation is the business deals of Alistair Wilson.

Wilson was shot three times at close range by a man wearing a baseball cap and later died in hospital.

His wife Veronica had answered the door to the gunman before going to get her husband.

Police Scotland has refused to be drawn on the case which it inherited from Northern Constabulary in 2013 following the merger of the country’s eight legacy forces.

“There have been many suggestions around Alistair and his involvement in business dealings,” Bleksley said. “It’s the obvious starting point for an investigation.

“He worked as a business banking manager, and of course that must be a major potential factor in trying to establish a motive for murder.”

Last week former community councillor Tommy Hogg, who believes he saw the gunman before the shooting, said he had developed a photofit with police but it was never released.

Bleksley said: “I think it’s very strange an e-fit was never released. Had such an e-fit been produced, 13 years on it should have the ageing process applied to it to give some kind of indication as to how the man in the baseball cap may have aged.

“Veronica’s interaction with [the murderer] at the front doorstep wasn’t very long perhaps, but there are other witnesses around who spoke of seeing a man matching the description.”

David Wilson, a professor of criminology at Birmingham City University who has studied the case, said: “I would like to know why the e-fit was never circulated, especially in light of the fact that an independent witness said it was a good likeness.”

Police Scotland said an e-fit of a potential suspect was drawn up but officers were able to trace the man concerned and rule him out of their inquiries.

Detective Superintendent Gary Cunningham said: “The investigation into the murder of Alistair Wilson remains open and ongoing and we urge anyone with new information or anyone who hasn’t spoken to police to speak to us so we can investigate all opportunities.

“As the investigation is live, we are limited in what we can discuss, however we can confirm that investigations into Alistair’s personal and professional life have been a focus on the inquiry into his death.”

A spokesman for Bank of Scotland said: “We assisted the police with their investigation at the time and, if new enquiries are raised by the police, then we will of course assist them further.”