The Crown Office has been forced to apologise to the distraught family of a Dundee stabbing victim after a bizarre blunder led to his body having to be exhumed.
Alexander McLennan, who died after being attacked on the Kingsway in January, was buried without his brain after a ”deeply regrettable” mix-up resulted in the organ being left in a Glasgow laboratory, without his family’s knowledge, following a post-mortem.
Screens were erected around Mr McLennan’s grave in Barnhill Cemetery on Wednesday morning while the exhumation took place.
The Crown Office later issued a statement explaining the error, stating that ”normal procedures were not followed.”
The 56-year-old’s body is due to be reburied today after the organ was returned, his family have confirmed.
Mr McLennan’s family were informed two months ago in a letter from the procurator fiscal that the organ had been retained in error after the body was returned to them.
A Crown Office spokesman told the Courier: ”On January 10 2012, a post-mortem examination of Alexander McLennan took place under the authority of the procurator fiscal at Dundee.
”Forensic pathologists assessed that a further specialist examination of an organ was required and the organ was removed from the deceased’s body.
”The deceased’s body was returned to his family in order that the funeral could take place as quickly as possible.
”Following pleas of guilty to the criminal charges in July, the procurator fiscal was contacted by the mortuary to discuss the return of the organ.
”It would unfortunately appear that the normal procedures were not followed and the family were not advised of the retention of the organ.
”This is deeply regrettable and steps were taken to meet with the deceased’s family to apologise for the error and to discuss the return of the organ in accordance with the wishes of the family.
”The exhumation will now allow that process to take place and procedures have been reviewed in order to ensure that this situation does not arise again.”
Mr McLennan’s brother William said: ”They left the brain in Glasgow and sent a letter to my brother. They asked for a meeting and then asked if the brain should be given to the medical profession or put in the incinerator.
”Now the brain’s going back into the head. He will be buried again. We thought when he got buried that was closure. I’m raging. We have got to go through all this again.”
Ann Powrie (65), whose Abercrombie Street flat overlooks the cemetery, said the grim operation began at around 9am.
She said: ”There were black tarpaulin screens all the way around the surrounding graves. I saw about half a dozen people. There were two men in white suits and boots. The whole thing was blocked off in a large square and they were here for a couple of hours.”
Another local woman used the Tayside Police Facebook page to ask what was happening, and was told: “We are aware of the activity in Barnhill Cemetery however this is not a police matter and certainly nothing for members of the public to be concerned or worried about.”
Following the exhumation, the grave was covered by workers wearing protective suits. Eight large planks of wood and a tarpaulin were placed over the grave.
Council employees were seen cleaning headstones around the area where they had been working following the operation.Stabbed in ‘concerted’ attackMr McLennan died after being stabbed twice in a “concerted” attack outside the Cutty Sark on Kingsway East on January 7.
The 56-year-old, of Longtown Place, was taken to Ninewells Hospital but died from his injuries.
His death sparked a major police operation, with the surrounding area cordoned off as officers carried out door-to-door inquiries.
Three men were arrested over the killing.
John Cassidy (31) pleaded guilty to culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh and was jailed for seven years, while Ross Ramsay and Steven Batchelor’s guilty pleas to the lesser charge of assault were also accepted.
His brother William hit out at the decision to accept reduced pleas from the three men, saying they should “die in jail.”