Andrew Forsyth

Andrew Forsyth was killed at his home at 38 Milton Green in Dunfermline on 9 November 1995.

He  was found dead at his home at 38 Milton Green in Dunfermline on 9 November 1995, having been the victim of a violent attack. He had been punched and kicked and repeatedly struck on the head with pieces of wood.

Steven Johnston and Billy Allison were convicted of his murder on 20 March 1996. It was noted that Billy Allison was also later convicted of aassaulting a woman at 47B Pittencrieff Street on 31 July 1995, along with two other people in what was described as a humiliating and tortuous attack that was carried out over some hours and which resulted in the women jumping through a pane of glass to escape. Billy Allison was convcited for 3 years for that offence, to run concurrently with his murder sentence, and the judge said:

However they were acquitted on appeal in 2006 after it was found that the police withheld evidence, and the detective inspector that led the investigation, Richard Munro, was sentenced to 5 years for attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Steven Johnston and Billy Allison admitted having had a fight with Andrew Forsyth on Friday 3 November 1995, but said that when they left him, he was alive.

Andrew Forsyth was found dead six days later, and they were arrested and charged. However, it was heard that there was evidence to show that Andrew Forsyth had been seen alive after 3 Novemver 1995, but that the police had withheld it, resultng in Steven Johnston and Billy Allison being convicted.

The two men said they had gone to Andrew Forsyth's home on 3 November 1995 for a drink and that Andrew Forsyth gave Billy Allison two Valium tablets, which he had never taken before, and a fight started. Steven Johnstonsaid that he then separated the two men and pulled Billy Allison out of the house, and that Andrew Forsyth was alive when they left him.

At the appeal it was heard that the police had withheld statements showing that Andrew Forsyth had been seen alive after 3 November 1995, stating that not all statements from their door to door enquiries were retained. The police were also found to have discredited information given by the witnesses in question as unreliable.

The court of appeal heard that the detective inspector had just been promoted and that it was his first murder case and that he had made up his own mind over and had rejected information from witnesses that went against his own belief and had instructed police officers not to follow up the statements of those that had said they had seen Andrew Forsyth after 3 November 1995.

It was also heard that a doctor had made a statement to the police stating that he had spoken o Andrew Forsyth on the day he was said to have died, and that he had told him that he was worried about being shot by two people from Glasgow, however, his statement was subsequently deleted by the police.

Andrew Forsyth had been unemployed and his partner had died sometime earlier. He was said to have lived an irregular life and to have rcieved visitors at all hours. His dark unkempt council property was said to have been used by a large circle of friends as a drop-in by a large circle of young friends and acquantances. 

Neibhours said that there were sometimes disturbances around his home in the early hours of the morning, but that that was the ony eroom for complaint agastin him, he being described as an otherwise quiet man. It was also tated tha he was otherwise a mystery to his close neighbours.

A neighbour that lived in Forth Steret said: