I saw Alistair Wilson’s ‘assassin’ moments before he gunned banker down – I’ve never forgotten him

A PENSIONER has recalled locking eyes with a “shifty” autobus rider helium believes changeable banker Alistair Wilson dormant connected his ain doorstep — arsenic cops proceed to anticipation for a breakthrough connected the execution riddle’s 20th anniversary. 

Tommy Hogg, 75, said helium rapidly became suspicious of the oddball who had the aerial of a worker and appeared to beryllium pretending to slumber successful a bid to fell his face from different travellers.

The erstwhile assemblage councillor watched arsenic the weirdo got disconnected the manager and headed towards Bank of Scotland idiosyncratic Alistair’s household location successful Nairn, Inverness-shire. 

Stunned Tommy went to constabulary the adjacent time aft learning the dada had been changeable 3 times astatine point-blank scope erstwhile woman Veronica answered the doorway to a hitman.

Tommy was quizzed respective times and helped nutrient an e-fit but it was ne'er released arsenic detectives — who person ne'er made an apprehension oregon unveiled a fishy or motive — appeared to regularisation retired his theory.

Days from the 20th day of the 2004 enigma successful the quiescent seaside town, helium maintained: “I’m inactive definite it was the guy. 

“I paid attraction to him due to the fact that of the mode helium was acting. He was conscionable truthful shifty. It’s stayed with maine each these years. 

“I’ve ne'er forgotten him oregon however helium looked.  He was conscionable pristine, arsenic if helium had stepped retired of the shower.

“And helium was hiding his face. 

“He made retired helium was sleeping to effort to marque definite nary 1 got a look astatine him. It’s an absolute  disgrace they’ve ne'er caught him — I truly consciousness for the family.”

It emerged Alistair had been acceptable to permission his occupation to instrumentality up a caller relation with a probe and consultancy concern erstwhile helium was murdered connected November 28, 2004. 

He had been putting his sons, aged 4 and two, to furniture erstwhile a shot cap-wearing alien knocked connected their beforehand door.

His woman Veronica initially spoke to the antheral who said lone 2 words: “Alistair Wilson”.

She went to get her hubby who came downstairs earlier the enigma assailant handed him an bare bluish envelope with the connection ‘Paul’ connected it.

The slayer past changeable the 30-year-old erstwhile successful the assemblage and doubly successful the look earlier disappearing.

Neighbours heard the shots earlier horrified Veronica recovered her hubby lying successful a excavation of blood.

The couple’s four-year-old heard her screams and came down to find his begetter dying successful the doorway. 

Veronica called 999 earlier making a frantic dash to the adjacent Havelock Hotel to question help.

Lynsey Gardner, who had been having a repast with a pal successful the hotel’s engaged bar, recalled:  “Mrs Wilson burst done the doorway saying, ‘Please help, my hubby has conscionable been shot.’ 

“My person and I looked astatine each other, astir successful disbelief. 

“We ran retired to effort and help. We were the archetypal ones to get astatine the doorway and spot Alistair lying successful the doorway.” 

An ambulance rushed Alistair to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness but helium couldn’t beryllium saved. 

Witnesses aboriginal told however they saw the shooter gaffe distant softly into the dark, ne'er to beryllium seen again.

Forensics experts probed the Wilsons’ location for clues but a adjacent CCTV camera was pointing successful the incorrect absorption truthful was nary help.

The murder limb was recovered by accidental during enactment to wide a drain fractional a mile away. 

Then-Provost Sandy Park, 79, recalled: “The drain had been choked for implicit a year.  

“Maybe this was idiosyncratic with a spot of section knowledge. They knew it had been blocked and the weapon wouldn’t beryllium found.”

Detectives person since spoken to much than 14,000 radical and flown astir the satellite successful a bid to uncover a motive and suspect.

A quality implicit decking astatine the adjacent boozer was ruled retired arsenic a motive successful 2004 earlier being reconsidered successful 2022. 

Last twelvemonth cold-case cops told Veronica, 53, they were yet closing connected a suspect.

But an apprehension swoop was scrapped astatine the 11th hr erstwhile crimefighters and prosecutors decided much inquiries were needed.

Alistair’s household blasted their “callous and insulting” attraction by Chief Constable Jo Farrell amid vexation implicit the case’s handling. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow is present heading what is believed to beryllium the 4th abstracted bid to drawback the killer.