New hunt for fugitive Scot after murder in Australia

Sunday Herald, The, Jul 18, 1999 by EXCLUSIVE

SCOTLAND'S most wanted man, William Brodie, has been sighted in Australia during investigations into a brutal murder in a secluded bush town.

A man matching Brodie's description was spotted prior to the murder of accountant David Redman in Mount Hutton. The father-of-two died from more than 20 stab wounds to his chest and back.

The apparent resurfacing of Brodie, one of Interpol's 10 most- wanted fugitives, in Australia adds new momentum to a hunt which has dragged on since the early 1990s. Until recently, British police believed Brodie had been executed by rival drug dealers.

Roman Mikiewicz, a 27-year-old Pole, has been charged in Australia with Redman's murder, but detectives in Sydney said: "We will follow up the sighting and look into the possibility that Brodie is in the country."

Brodie, 33, jumped bail in Scotland in 1993 while awaiting trial for the murder of 24-year-old Birmingham man Vincent Kelly, who was found fatally stabbed in the toilets of the Levern Water Hotel in Nitshill, Glasgow. The victim died hours later in the city's Southern General hospital.

Brodie, who has two children, was one of three men charged with murdering Kelly, who had been visiting friends in Scotland. The two co-accused, Daniel Scullion and Edward Boyd, walked free from court after the judge ruled they had no case to answer.

At the time of his disappearance, Brodie was said to have been one of Glasgow's biggest drug dealers. There were persistent rumours that he had been murdered after becoming embroiled in a Scottish drugs war. Other sources said Brodie owed #10,000 to a drugs baron who had put a contract out on his life.

Brodie was last seen alive at the Royal Oak pub near his home in Nitshill on September 9, 1994. Gangland sources claimed he was shot in the back of the head and that his body was burned to ashes which were then mixed with concrete used in the M77 extension across the south of the city.

The rumours of his death were said to have been believed by his ex-wife and family - but with no firm evidence of foul play, Scottish police did not launch a murder inquiry. Brodie was as still considered missing and a fugitive from justice.

The Scot now appears along with nine other international criminals on the world's '10 most wanted' list. The fugitives also include Igor Giorgadze, a Georgian terrorist who tried to assassinate Soviet politician Eduard Shevardnadze in a bomb attack in 1995; suspected serial killer Antonio Angles Martin, alleged to have raped and murdered three women in Spain; the American international drug trafficker Steve Woloksy; Kwok Leung Chan, a Chinese counterfeit baron, and Bassam Al-Taher, a serial bomber wanted for questioning in Austria.

Australian police investigating the killing of David Redman have already contacted their Scotland Yard counterparts in a bid to find links to the Brodie case.

Australian CID in Newcastle, located a few hours' drive along the east coast from Sydney, say a man spotted in the vicinity of the murder was very similar in appearance to Brodie.

It was the distribution of a new Interpol wanted poster which established the striking resemblance between the man seen near the Redman murder and Brodie.

A massive manhunt was triggered when Redman's body was found outside his home on May 24. He had been attacked as he was having coffee in his kitchen. Detective Inspector Ken Henderson confirmed: "We have information which we are having checked out by Interpol.''

The Australian Federal Police have also circulated a wanted poster for Brodie. Beneath a photograph of him and details of his description and date of birth, the poster says: "This person is considered to be violent."

Strathclyde Police said they could not comment on any co-operation or investigations between the force and police in Australia in case "operational matters were jeopardised". But a spokesperson added: "We are obviously extremely interested in any information which may lead to Brodie."

Until last year Interpol, the international police organisation which operates across 177 countries, secretly circulated details of its most-wanted criminals on lists known as 'red notices'. It now regularly publishes 'wanted' posters.

Another Briton on Interpol's most-wanted list is 24-year-old Lisa Marie Smith, currently on the run from Thai police for smuggling and the alleged illegal possession of narcotics.