Danny Leech: Family put up Dundee billboards over 1989 crash
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The family of a Dundee schoolboy killed in a lorry crash in 1989 have put up billboards in the city as their search for answers over the incident continues.
Danny Leech, 7, was killed after being struck by the HGV while crossing Arbroath Road, near its junction with Albert Street.
In recent months, Danny’s brother, John, and mum Linda, have been appealing for witnesses from that fateful day to come forward.
The family believe the investigation into the crash was “corrupt” and “botched” – with no one ever held responsible for it.
They are now seeking a judicial review into the case – where a judge would look at the decisions made.
It comes after the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) found officers had handled complaints over the initial police investigation to an appropriate standard.
Danny Leech in a school photo. Image: Leech family
The family have paid for an advert on an electronic billboard near Rosefield Motors in Lochee for the next two months, urging witnesses to come forward, along with a mobile advertising trailer – currently parked near Malmaison hotel.
John also says specialist firm Forensic Collision Investigation and Reconstruction (FCIR) is recreating the crash scene digitally, to support the case.
A Facebook group, Danny Leech 1989[1], was launched late last year in an attempt to gain support for a “proper investigation” into the death.
Claims ‘fake’ statement appeared years after death
Among the claims from the family are that a “fake” statement was taken by police and attributed to Linda’s neice, Karen Martin, who witnessed the tragedy at the age of 13.
The statement said Danny suddenly ran off the pavement and into the side of the lorry.
It is claimed the account mysteriously appeared in police files four years after Danny’s death[2] and led to a civil court case against the driver and the lorry company being dropped in 1994.
Karen has always maintained Danny was nearly on the pavement on the south side of the road when he was hit and pulled under the offside wheels of the lorry’s trailer, which was on the wrong side of the road while manoeuvring round the tight junction.
John and Linda say they won’t stop their quest for justice. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson
John says his “hands have been forced” as he continues to seek the truth about what happened.
He said: “There are so many failings.
“The fake statement attributed to Karen claimed Danny suddenly ran off the pavement and into the side of the lorry.
“This statement appeared in police files years after Danny’s death and led to a civil court case against the driver and the lorry company being dropped.
“My mother’s lawyer had a QC report compiled in 1992 on full and clear evidence – that fake statement was not present.
‘You can understand why we’re angry’
“You can understand why we’re angry and the lengths we’re going to in order to show the cover-up into this.
“We’re getting more angry by the day but we’ve been getting so many people coming forward who were in and around the crash site.
“I’ve been speaking to key witnesses, and I shouldn’t be having to hear these accounts, but the police have forced my hand.
“Danny’s time of death was 5.20pm that night and 10 minutes later the HGV was on its way.
“It’s a complete whitewash what’s gone on here. We won’t stop in our quest to get justice.”
The lorry being inspected at the time of the crash. Image: Leech family
A spokesman for PIRC confirmed its investigation into complaints about the original police probe has concluded.
He said: “We have concluded our complaint-handling review in this case.
“Our report, setting out our findings and conclusions, has been shared with the applicant and the police.
“We are unable to provide any further information.”
Complaints ‘handled to a reasonable standard’ by police
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland’s professional standards department investigated a complaint relating to dissatisfaction as to how Tayside Police conducted an investigation in 1989 into the death of Daniel Leech.
“In September 2022, the complainant was updated as to the outcome of the complaints investigation upon its conclusion.
“In January 2023, police were notified by PIRC that they were conducting a complaint handling review.
“PIRC published its case handling review of the complaint in March 2023 and found that Police Scotland handled the applicants’ complaints to a reasonable standard.”
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References
- ^ Danny Leech 1989 (www.facebook.com)
- ^ mysteriously appeared in police files four years after Danny’s death (www.thecourier.co.uk)
- ^ Sign in (www.thecourier.co.uk)