It was an incident that shocked a city. But there are many questions that remain unanswered following the death of a 74-year-old man and discovery of the victim’s severed head in Edinburgh.
Police Scotland confirmed on Thursday that Michael Leneghen, 74, was killed in a traffic incident in the bustling Cowgate area of the Scottish city. Police quickly urged people not to share deeply distressing material relating to the incident on social media. The identification of Mr Leneghen came after horrific images shared online revealed a severed head laying in the road of the area, known for its pubs and bars, during the Halloween weekend.
Sergeant Paul Ewing, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: “Our thoughts remain with Michael’s family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage. We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024.”
(Image: PA)
The police force said Mr Leneghen died after being struck by a single-decker bus in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, and added officers were called to the incident around 7.25pm on Saturday, November 2. However, with a lack of detail surrounding the tragic incident, questions still remain – in particular why the victim’s head was found separate from the rest of the body.
But there remain more unanswered questions around the death…
1. Where was the victim’s body?
While we now know the severed head was discovered outside Bannerman’s Bar on the corner of Niddry Street in Edinburgh, just opposite Cowgate, the public still remains unsure of where Mr Leneghen’s body was found and recovered following the bus crash.
Police have only detailed that they were called to the Cowgate area on November 2 at 7.25pm after the victim was struck by a single-decker bus. The Cowgate area is where the head was found, which begs the question – if the crash also happened there, why was the head not recovered with the body?
(Image: daily record)
2. Why was the victim’s head found separate from the body?
Another question the public wants answering is why the victim’s head was found separate from the body. As seen in video footage posted to social media, which cops have urged people not to share, the head was found by a group of Halloween revellers with no emergency services on the scene – leading to questions as to whether the crash occurred where the head was found. There is video footage of police arriving on Niddry Street in the Cowgate area to recover the head after the footage was shared online.
3. What happened to the bus driver?
It must have been incredibly unsettling for the bus driver involved in the incident. Police have not yet confirmed if they have managed to track down the driver and instead detailed that officers had spoken to “a number of people who were in the area at the time” and that “work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage”. They said they still needed to hear from “anyone who has not yet spoken to police”, adding: “If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch.”
(Image: handout)
4. Is the bus crash site different to where the head was found?
As mentioned earlier on, with footage revealing that police arrived on Niddry Street in the Cowgate area to recover the head after the footage was shared online, many are wondering whether the crash occurred in that same area as – if it did – police would seemingly also have noticed the man’s head and recovered it along with the body.
5. Have Halloween revellers been tracked down and spoken to?
Some of the key witnesses in this incident are the group of Halloween revellers who were walking down Cowgate and the corner of Niddry Street when they found the head. While police have confirmed they have spoken to a number of people in relation to the incident, they did not detail whether this included the group seen on CCTV. In fact, they have not officially linked the video circulating to the death.
(Image: PA)
6. Has Police Scotland referred itself for investigation?
In Scotland, the Police Investigation & Review Commissioner (PIRC) can review the way policing bodies handle complaints made about them by members of the public, while in England and Wales the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is the complaints watchdog that investigates the most serious complaints and conduct matters involving the police.
Police Scotland chose not to respond to the Daily Star’s request for comment and instead referred us to its latest official statement, which is detailed below. The force did, however, confirm that there is no involvement by the Police Investigation & Review Commissioner (PIRC).
Sergeant Paul Ewing, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: “Our thoughts remain with Michael’s family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident. Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage.
“We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024.”
Mr Leneghen’s family has also spoken out following the identification, saying: “We wish to thank all the members of the public and emergency services involved. We would now ask for privacy at this time.”
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