MP demands ‘urgent clarification’ from police over launch of murder probe

Pete Wishart has written to Police Scotland after the force took six days to launch a murder investigation into the death of Brian Low.

MP Pete Wishart is demanding ‘urgent clarification’ from Police Scotland following the killing of Brian Low (House of Commons/PA Archive)

An MP is calling on Police Scotland to provide “urgent clarification” on why officers took days to launch a murder investigation following the death of a man.

Brian Low, 65, was found dead beside his dog on a path the outskirts of Aberfeldy, in Perthshire on Saturday February 17.

But a murder investigation was not launched until Friday February 23, after a post-mortem examination confirmed that Mr Low, from Aberfeldy, had been shot.

Police Scotland has already said that officers initially treated his death as “medical or non-suspicious”.

But Detective Chief Inspector Martin Macdougall said `while “criminality” was only established on February 23, there were “concerns around the injury” which were raised two days earlier.

Speaking on Thursday, the police said the “initial assessment was that of a non-suspicious and medical death” but it had “now been established to be a murder”.

He stated: “The professional standards department of Police Scotland will be informed and given any further information.”

However, with the public not informed that Mr Low had been shot until Tuesday February 27, Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart said locals had contacted him with “concerns” about how the “shocking incident” had been handled.

The local community in Aberfeldy are now understandably fearful for their safety, and, more than anything, Brian Low’s family are still without answers

Pete Wishart MP

He has written to Police Scotland in a bid to discover why their murder investigation was not launched sooner.

The SNP MP said: “A number of my constituents have contacted me about the tragic shooting of Brian Low, and the various concerns they have about how this has been handled.

“In light of this shocking incident, the local community in Aberfeldy are now understandably fearful for their safety, and, more than anything, Brian Low’s family are still without answers.

“I have therefore written to Police Scotland, calling for urgent clarification on what is known to have happened thus far, and why the investigation was not launched sooner.”

He added: “Going forward, it is vital that Police Scotland ensure full transparency as this situation develops.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.