Crown Office disclosure challenged by Robert Black QC

Professor Robert Black QC has expressed concern about a “culture of unwillingness” at the Crown Office as David Gilroy’s murder conviction undergoes scrutiny by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC).

Mr Black, an architect of the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist, questioned whether the Crown Office was putting up obstacles to the disclosure of information to families and legal teams.

In 2012, the SCCRC found that the Crown failed to disclose seven key items of evidence in the Lockerbie trial.

However, the Crown Office insists it fulfilled its duties in Mr Gilroy’s trial.

Mr Black told The Herald: “A serious question that arises and needs to be investigated is whether there was, and whether there still is, within the Crown Office a culture of unwillingness to comply with their duty of disclosure to the defence.

“This is not a matter that should be left to be raised in individual cases but should be addressed more generally, perhaps in the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament.”

Mr Gilroy, who was convicted of the murder of 38-year old Suzanne Pilley in 2012 without her body having been discovered, is currently having his case examined by the SCCRC.

His family insist that his trial “was far from fair and full of gaps in evidence”.

The commission is likely to reach its conclusions in August.

A spokesperson for the Crown Office said: “David Gilroy was sentenced to life imprisonment having been found guilty by a jury after trial.

“The Crown has a duty of disclosure throughout proceedings, which was fulfilled.”