An internal police investigation into the death of a Perth father during a drugs raid has still not concluded a full year after it was launched, The Courier can reveal.
Days after the death of convicted drug dealer Stewart Sandeman, Tayside Police called in a neighbouring force to carry out the review.
Mr Sandeman died during a struggle with officers who entered his Letham flat to execute a search warrant. Neighbours described hearing loud screams during the incident before Mr Sandeman collapsed.
Despite the attention of paramedics at the Struan Road flat, the 37-year-old was declared dead at the scene. His death was described as ”unexplained” at the time and has remained so.
His friends and family have consistently refused to talk about the incident, but now one has broken the silence to question why there have been no answers from Tayside Police after a full 12 months.
Mr Sandeman’s former girlfriend, Kelly Maguire, contacted The Courier by email to state: ”Police officers have to be held accountable, he was in their care. I am left with a 13-year-old without a father who was my daughter’s world.
”There is a big hole left in her heart now. Everyone has a past, do not judge until you know the truth.”
Police professional standards officers confirmed their investigation is not complete and will not be for some time.
A neighbour of Mr Sandeman’s at the time said loud ”shouts and screams” were heard from his flat during the raid.
She said: ”There was a lot of noise, a lot of loud shouting and screaming. We could hear Stewart shouting out. It’s a scandal what happened and it should be looked into.”
Mr Sandeman was well known in the local drugs scene and had almost £50,000 of profits from his dealing seized by the courts in 2003.
His lavish lifestyle was exposed in court documents when the Crown went after his illegally-gained profits, including his house, cars, jewellery and cash.
The move came after he had been jailed for dealing cocaine at T in the Park in 2001 to undercover police.
The authorities tried to seize Mr Sandeman’s six cars and his Viewlands Road house.
The court heard he had five bank accounts, from which he paid for Caribbean holidays and items such as his gold Rolex watch.
In total, they froze £121,000 of assets after he was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
Mr Sandeman insisted during the proceedings he was dealing in cars and jewellery and did not record or declare his income to avoid paying tax and losing out on state benefits.
He claimed his income was higher than disclosed and his outlays far lower than the prosecutors claimed.
Photo by Phil Hannah