Sandy Mcclelland

Sandy Mcclelland was found in the boot of a pale-green coloured Ford Cortina in a car park on Bethel Street, Brighouse on 7 October 1985.

He had been stabbed to death. When he was found he was wearing clothes that were not his own which were too big for him. He had also been wearing a green army balaclava.

He had lived in a flat in Leeds and had vanished on 12 September 1985. The police said that the car was first reported as having been seen in the carpark on 15 September 1985.

The police searched the canal by the car park for a weapon, but it was reported that the search had been hampered by mud and was thought would take about two weeks to carry out.

The police appealed for any local taxi drivers that might have collected a fare from Brighouse and taken them to the Whinmoor area of Leeds around the time to come forward.

The police also found a small ticket near his body that had been attached to a bed spread found in the boot, which they thought might be able to help identify the murderer.

He was also known as Alexander Mcclelland and had lived in Willow Garth Avenue in Whinmoor.

His car had been a light green Ford Cortina with registration TNH 979W.

He was known to have been a regular at the Pendas Arms where he would go every Friday. It was noted that he rarely socialised with anyone else other than the people he played dominos with at the Pandas Arms and as such, his friends were surprised when he told them that he was having a visitor staying at his flat on the night of Thursday 5 September 1985, a week before he went missing. It was thought that the name of the man that was staying was called Stuart. The man was actually seen at Sandy Mcclelland's flat on the Thursday night by Sandy Mcclelland's step-son and his wife who called round at about 10.45pm. They described the man as aged about 30, 5ft 6in to 5ft 8in, with sandy coloured or light brown hair and smooth skin. They said that the man told them that he was separated and had two children.

Whilst they were there Sandy Mcclelland told his relatives that Stuart had come down to Leeds about a driving job in the Leeds area and was possibly connected with the mining industry. As such, the police called on firms that might have interviewed anyone for a driving job around 5 and 6 September 1985.

An artist impression of the man was created and the police appealed for the man to come forward, but nothing more is known about who he was.

Sandy Mcclelland was last known to have gone to the Asda Supermarket at Crossgates with his step-son and his wife, a week after his visitor came, on 12 September 1985 in Sandy Mcclelland's old light-green Ford Cortina car. They were also accompanied by a 16-year-old granddaughter who they dropped off on route. The step-son said that Sandy Mcclelland had seemed quite cheerful whilst they did their shopping and after that Sandy Mcclelland drove them back to their home in White Lane Approach at about 8.10pm where Sandy Mcclelland dropped them off. After that it was thought that Sandy Mcclelland drove home, however he came back to his step-son's home about 10 minutes later with a packet of cigarettes that they had left in his car. However, although he left the house straightaway, at 8.20pm, it wasn't known whether he had driven back to their house or walked, and nothing more is known about what happened to him until he was found dead in the boot of his car in Brighouse.

The next that was known of Sandy Mcclelland's car was on 7 October 1985 at 11.30am when it was found in the Bethel Street car park, adjacent to the Calder and Hebble canal and the Wheelers Working Men’s Club.

It was noted that Wheelers had been busy on the night of 12 September 1985 as they had several charity acts and the police appealed for anyone that had seen Sandy Mcclelland's car that night, or any other night, to come forward.

The police also found a bedspread in the boot of the car which when examined, had a trademark with the details JCS, 1961, .7210-99. 043-8142, indicating that it was made for the British Army by a firm in Lancashire in 1961. The ticket was attached to the bed spread and it was thought to have been either a laundry ticket or a dry cleaning ticket and the police appealed for anyone that could identify it to come forward.

It was noted that the clothes that Sandy Mcclelland was found wearing were not his. They were a pair of blue jeans that were 4in too long for him, a black jumper and a green army issue balaclava.

The police were also able to find a mark on the balaclava, 1952, WHW & S LTD indicating the company that made it, as well as the word Kellett in red ink when looked at under a green laser and they appealed for a Mr Kellett that might have owned it before to come forward.  The company that made the balaclava said that they made over 300,000 between 1952 and 1956.

It was also thought that Sandy Mcclelland might have been involved in some homosexual activity and the police appealed for anyone in that community that might know anything to come forward.