AN Iraq war hero dramatically tried to flee court today after he was convicted of the "savage, merciless and pointless" murder of a Bangladeshi waiter 14 years ago.
Soldier Michael Ross, 29, was just 15 when he burst into a restaurant in Orkney and shot Shamsuddin Mahmood in front of horrified customers.
After being found guilty of the murder, the Black Watch sergeant leapt across the dock at the High Court i
n Glasgow.
There were gasps from the public gallery as the soldier veered towards the jury before exiting via a side-door, pursued by police officers and court officials.
He was wrestled to the ground in the corridor and handcuffed as he sat on the floor, before being taken from the court to prison.
The soldier had earlier remained impassive as Judge Lord Hardie ordered that he be remanded in custody, and deferred sentence.
But as he was being led from the dock, he appeared to take a deep breath before turning and trying to make his escape.
Ross, a first offender, will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on July 11.
The murder was the first on Orkney for 25 years and today's verdict brought a 14-year mystery to an end.
Ross burst into the Mumutaz restaurant on Orkney just after 7pm on the evening of June 2 1994 and executed the 26-year-old waiter in front of shocked diners.
The jury of five men and 10 women found Ross guilty of murder by a majority verdict after four hours of deliberation.
He was also found guilty by majority of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the murder weapon and changing his clothing.
Prosecutors claimed that Ross, at the age of 15, was a racist, and these extreme views drove him to hunt down and murder one of the island's few Asian residents.
Advocate-depute Brian McConnachie, who described the murder as "savage, merciless and pointless", told the jury: "When that mask is removed, you're staring at Michael Ross."
He later added: "It has taken a long time, but for Shamsuddin Mahmood and his family and the people of Orkney to see justice done is better late than never."
Donald Findlay QC, defending, roundly criticised the prosecution's case, claiming that it was unthinkable for a 15-year-old boy to commit such a crime.
There were also major gaps in the prosecution case, he said, and key evidence was lacking.
Mr Findlay argued that Ross, far from being a killer, was a "war hero".
The defence brought forward several black soldiers Ross had served alongside in Iraq, who spoke of his brave actions on the frontline.
Judge Lord Hardie told Ross: "In view of the verdict of the jury and also in view of the fact you have no previous convictions, I require to obtain a social inquiry report before sentencing you."
The full article contains 490 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
