George McPhee

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George McPhee was convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Sutherland during a house break in. McPhee had been brought up in Culbokie. He had later moved away but had returned on several housebreaking raids. He was arrested almost a year after Mrs Sutherland’s death but blamed an associate for the murder.. The evidence against him consistend of evidence from that associate, evidence of a prisoner he had shared a cell with who said McPhee had confessed, and evidence of footprints found outside and inside Ms. Sutherland’s house that were said to be linked to McPhee. On appeal, it was heard that the footprint evidence had been discredited by scientists and the key witnesses had serious problems of credibility (this included the associate and the prison cell-mate). The Court relied primarily on the discrediting of the footprint evidence in allowing the appeal and quashing the conviction.

View Press (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)

View Press (www.scotsman.com)

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