The angry family of Trainspotting actor Bradley Welsh have vowed to prosecute police over their failure to act prior to his killing.
Bradley, 48, was shot dead outside his Edinburgh home in a £10,000 contract hit after bungling officers failed to warn him he was being targeted. It emerged during the trial of gunman Sean Orman that a witness told police three times about a gangland plot to murder the ex-boxing champ.
Police Scotland admitted gross failures over his killing after a top-level review found officers were told about plans to murder him but didn't act on it.
His brother Sean Welsh demanded answers over why officers sat on the information instead of issuing a Threat to Life warning and last year the force upheld Sean’s complaint following an inquiry by its Professional Standards unit and offered “sincerest apologies”.
However, the family is still waiting for answers on a fatalities probe by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. A relative said they are pushing for criminal charges to be brought against Police Scotland.
One family member said: "Officers have blood on their hands. For all we know they are still working in their jobs. No sackings or disciplinary. We're not just going to roll over because we got a 'sorry'.
"There's no real consequences. Those involved didn't do their jobs and Bradley died. We were told those involved were 'retrained'. Bradley lost his life.
"Retrained just isn't good enough. We want to see criminal charges brought. It's not likely officers would be named but those responsible need to be held accountable."
Orman’s trial heard how witness Dean White twice called police on March 18, 2019, to tell them about an underworld scheme to kill Bradley. White was in a flat in Duddingston, Edinburgh, when Orman, 31, boasted of having a contract to execute the former Hibs casual and showed him the gun.
Quizzed by officers two days later, White repeated the details, naming the gangster who put out the contract and armed response officers swooped on the flat in the hunt for Orman. But despite the operation, no Threat To Life Warning – known as an Osman - was given.
Police admitted several unnamed high-ranking officers were aware of the threat but it was deemed “not real or credible”.
Now Bradley's family has issued a fresh call for charges to be brought over police handling of the case.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) sent a report to the Crown Office in 2019 - but since then Crown and Procurator Fiscal service has told the family an investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: "COPFS has received a report from the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) and it is under consideration by the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit.
"The investigation is ongoing and the family will continue to be kept updated in relation to any significant developments."
Chief superintendent Cat Henderson, head of Police Scotland's professional standards department, said: "Police Scotland received and responded to a complaint about the police from the family of Bradley Welsh.
"We upheld the complaints made and have apologised. Our thoughts remain with Mr Welsh's family."
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