jrobertson
10-02-09, 03:06 PM
news.scotsman.com - NEWS.scotsman.com - 09-Feb-09
Fury as scene of ritual killing is granted new hostel licence (http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Fury-as-scene-of-ritual.4959716.jp)
By MARK McLAUGHLIN
A HOMELESS hostel at the centre of a bizarre ritual killing has been granted a new licence to the anger of local residents.
Harrison House Hostel, on Harrison Road, Shandon, has been given a new six-month House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence by the council's licensing sub-committee.
However, the licence has only been granted subject to supervision by the council dADVERTISEMENT
ue to the high number of objections from neighbours complaining about noise and antisocial behaviour, as well as the ongoing unease caused by the murder of 39-year-old David Redpath in February last year.
Killer Leslie Moohan, now 26, throttled and slashed the former oil worker before carrying out a mock religious ritual on his body.
Mr Redpath's mutilated body was found wrapped in bedclothes and plastic bags under a bed in Harrison House, where they were both living at the time.
When police caught up with Moohan he gave them an account of how he lay beside the dead body and administered "last rites" before going to his own father's grave to pray for forgiveness. Moohan was sentenced to serve at least 15 years for the killing.
Neighbour Rizia Robertson said: "They got new management in since the murder but things are still bad. The place appears to be regularly unattended, and residents are left waiting outside.
"There's a few times they've come banging on my door at all hours asking to walk through my house so they can get in the back door.
"The police are round every week or so for something or other, I'm regularly finding needles and drugs paraphernalia in my garden and other neighbours have noticed an increase in the number of car break-ins since the place opened."
Harrison Road resident William Grieve, who objected on the grounds that its owners were "incapable" of running such a hostel, said: "I'm surprised that they've granted this given the depth of feeling the hostel has generated."
Hostel co-owner Ameriah Akbar, whose family owns a string of HMOs throughout the city, declined to comment.
However, a spokeswoman for the hostel's new management, said neighbourhood relations had been better of late.
She added: "The previous management left after the murder because they said they were uneasy being around the place after what happened, plus they were quite elderly so they were probably due for retirement anyway.
"Since we took over we have received very few complaints from the neighbours. We are continually asking residents to keep their television and music volumes down out of consideration.
"We have two managers in the hostel, meaning one of us is on site at all times.
"We also have an 11pm curfew to stop people coming in and out in the early hours."
Fury as scene of ritual killing is granted new hostel licence (http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Fury-as-scene-of-ritual.4959716.jp)
By MARK McLAUGHLIN
A HOMELESS hostel at the centre of a bizarre ritual killing has been granted a new licence to the anger of local residents.
Harrison House Hostel, on Harrison Road, Shandon, has been given a new six-month House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence by the council's licensing sub-committee.
However, the licence has only been granted subject to supervision by the council dADVERTISEMENT
ue to the high number of objections from neighbours complaining about noise and antisocial behaviour, as well as the ongoing unease caused by the murder of 39-year-old David Redpath in February last year.
Killer Leslie Moohan, now 26, throttled and slashed the former oil worker before carrying out a mock religious ritual on his body.
Mr Redpath's mutilated body was found wrapped in bedclothes and plastic bags under a bed in Harrison House, where they were both living at the time.
When police caught up with Moohan he gave them an account of how he lay beside the dead body and administered "last rites" before going to his own father's grave to pray for forgiveness. Moohan was sentenced to serve at least 15 years for the killing.
Neighbour Rizia Robertson said: "They got new management in since the murder but things are still bad. The place appears to be regularly unattended, and residents are left waiting outside.
"There's a few times they've come banging on my door at all hours asking to walk through my house so they can get in the back door.
"The police are round every week or so for something or other, I'm regularly finding needles and drugs paraphernalia in my garden and other neighbours have noticed an increase in the number of car break-ins since the place opened."
Harrison Road resident William Grieve, who objected on the grounds that its owners were "incapable" of running such a hostel, said: "I'm surprised that they've granted this given the depth of feeling the hostel has generated."
Hostel co-owner Ameriah Akbar, whose family owns a string of HMOs throughout the city, declined to comment.
However, a spokeswoman for the hostel's new management, said neighbourhood relations had been better of late.
She added: "The previous management left after the murder because they said they were uneasy being around the place after what happened, plus they were quite elderly so they were probably due for retirement anyway.
"Since we took over we have received very few complaints from the neighbours. We are continually asking residents to keep their television and music volumes down out of consideration.
"We have two managers in the hostel, meaning one of us is on site at all times.
"We also have an 11pm curfew to stop people coming in and out in the early hours."