EXCLUSIVE | WATCH: Prosecutor reviewing failed '97 inquiry into Wick Harbour death
Crown Office tasks Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division.
Last updated 6th Feb 2020
MFR News can exclusively reveal a review is underway into Northern Constabulary's initial investigation of Kevin Mcleod's Wick Harbour death.
The Crown Office Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division is looking into why the legacy force failed to launch a potential murder inquiry.
Uncle Allan says the family want to know why officers ignored an instruction to probe the 24-year-old's unexplained 1997 drowning.
He told MFR News: "This is a big step by the Lord Advocate in instructing an experienced prosecutor to review the case.
"We hope that these police officers who ignored that instruction will be held accountable for their actions."
The Mcleod family's 21-year-long campaign for answers took a huge leap forward after Scotland's top law officer wrote to Kevin's mum and dad.
'I have instructed that an experienced prosecutor in the Crown Office Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division review the case independently' - LORD ADVOCATE
In the letter shared exclusively with MFR News, James Woolfe QC wrote: 'Police Scotland accepts that an instruction was given by the then procurator fiscal to treat Kevin's death as a murder, and that Northern Constabulary failed to do that.
'I have instructed that an experienced prosecutor in the Crown Office Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division review the case independently, with a view to considering whether or not any further enquiries would be appropriate.
'That review will be a thorough one.
'Once the review which I have described above has been completed , you may find it useful to have a meeting with one of my senior officials.'
In December last year the man presently leading the country's single force flew from Edinburgh to Wick to meet the Mcleods to issue them with an official apology for past failings by the institution of policing.
Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone also promised to consider releasing further information contained in a report which was withheld from Kevin's loved ones for five years, before the Information Commissioner's intervention forced the legacy force to provide a heavily redacted copy.
The 2002 Cameron Report - authored by the man who lead Central Scotland Police - contains seven pages listing alleged police officer misconduct in the handling of the situation that followed Kevin's short disappearance before his body was recovered from the town's harbour.
But the family's censored copy is missing those same pages.
Major Crime detectives from Police Scotland's Specialist Crime Division are currently considering 'new information' from 15-'potential witnesses' to be questioned as part of a fresh police probe.
It was launched after an MFR News investigation revealed a new witness coming forward in January claiming he witnessed the final moments of Kevin's life.