A FIFE man who served 10 years behind bars after he was wrongly convicted of murder has vowed to pursue the police for compensation through the courts.
Steven Johnston and Billy Allison were found guilty of killing Andrew Forsyth in Dunfermline in 1995 but both men were released on appeal a decade later.
Former detective Richard Munro was jailed for five years last July for withholding vital evidence from prosecutors which could have helped the defence.
Steven Johnston is due to meet lawyers today to discuss his legal action against Fife Constabulary.
His solicitor has already written to the force and a spokesman confirmed last year that the matter “is in the hands of our lawyers”.
Mr Johnston (49) said: “Since Munro was convicted we’ve only received one letter from Fife Constabulary’s lawyers. I want to know what’s going on. Am I to wait another 10 years? No, it’s not happening.
“If they’re not willing to play ball, lets go to court. I want to take them the full way. “It’s them that are responsible for this.
“It’ll be a civil case and I’ve already paid thousands of pounds to my lawyers up front for it. We’re meeting on Tuesday to talk about how to take it further.”
Retired detective chief superintendent Richard Munro was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice and jailed for five years at the High Court in Aberdeen on July 25 2012.
He hung the case against Mr Johnston and Mr Allison on the murder having been carried out on Friday November 3 1995, but Mr Forsyth’s body was found six days later and witness statements confirming he was alive after November 3 were kept hidden from the Crown and the defence.
Munro’s conviction followed a two-year investigation by Lothian and Borders Police codenamed Operation Carnegie.
Passing sentence, Judge Lord Doherty said: “The course of conduct you engaged in was a shocking affront to the principles which underlie the criminal justice process.
“Your offence was committed in a variety of ways over a considerable period. It was calculated and deceitful.
“You contributed substantially to the convictions of Johnston and Allison being miscarriages of justice.”
Mr Johnston, of Oakley, said “Munro got what he deserved but as far as paying out compensation, it’s the police that are responsible.”
A spokesman for Fife Constabulary said: “We can’t comment on actions that are ongoing.”
The Crown Office reopened the Andrew Forsyth murder case after Munro was jailed in July.
His body was found in the living room of his home in Dunfermline. He had been beaten and strangled.
There was no forensic evidence linking Mr Johnston to the killing.
The blood of two different people was found in the victim’s house neither type matched Mr Johnston, who had no history of violent crime.
A spokesman for the Crown Office said no one has been charged in connection with the murder since the fresh probe began.
He added: “The Crown has instructed a review of the evidence relating to the death in the light of the appeal, the Carnegie inquiry and the trial of Richard Munro.”
pswindon@thecourier.co.uk