Family reveal horror following death of retired private school teacher, as man is cleared of his murder

The family of a retired private school teacher whose body was found next to a wall in Northumberland have spoken of their "horror" after a man was today (Friday) cleared of being involved in his murder.

Paul Black, 65, was on trial at Edinburgh High Court accused of the murder of Peter Coshan, 75, at his flat in Leith on either August 11th or 12th, 2022.

This afternoon, the jury returned a not proven verdict on the murder charge, however, Black was found guilty of perverting the course of justice, after admitting this during the course of the trial.

The court heard Dr Coshan - a former biology teacher at the capital's Fettes College - had been lured to Black's Seafield Road address by his flatmate, 29-year-old Paul McNaughton, who pleaded guilty to his murder last year.

In a statement issued by the family following today's verdict, Dr Coshan's family said: "Firstly, we would like to thank Police Scotland, including our family liaison officers, for the support they have given us since Peter went missing in August 2022. 

"We would like thank everyone who took part in the search for Peter and the investigation that took place afterwards. 

"So many people have been involved in this process and too many to mention. 

"Our appreciation also to the court service for their support and ensuring we were kept in the picture about the progress of the case.

"We have been grateful for the constant support from our own family and friends, along with Peter’s friends from Fettes College and his university days, amongst others. 

"Their continued support has without doubt helped us through this nightmare and has been an amazing display of the best of human nature.

"This is in stark contrast to the worst of human nature, which was displayed by the individual who took Peter’s life.

"We remain horrified that anybody could have treated a vulnerable 75-year-old in such a despicable manner. 

"Our life will never be the same and we will always ask the question - 'What if?'.

"There is of course no answer to ‘What if’, as events have overtaken us and there is no going back in time. 

"However, we have happy memories of Peter and can reflect on the positive impact he had on so many people’s lives.

"We would ask that our privacy is respected at this time."

Dr Coshan's body was found on land close to the A696 near the village of Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland on Sunday, September 4th, 2022.

The huge police response - led by Police Scotland’s Major Investigations Teams - included searches of laybys along the A7 and A68.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick, senior investigating officer, said: "This was a horrendous crime which has left Dr Coshan's family absolutely devastated and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.

"Not only did McNaughton brutally take Dr Coshan's life, he then set out to get away with his crimes by callously disposing of his body at a layby almost 100 miles away from his home.

"His despicable actions showed no regard for his life, or for the suffering and anguish he caused his relatives and friends.

“This was a challenging and complex investigation involving a range of specialist officers working closely with Northumbria Police and our partners in forensic services.

"I would also like to thank the public for their support throughout the investigation."

Both Black and McNaughton will return to court for sentence on June 17th.

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