The Edinburgh Reporter August 2024

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LifeCare Edinburgh

to host free Wills

Information Event

Abuse claims

investigated

Crime podcast premiere

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

AUTHORITIES continue to
investigate allegations of
“disgraceful” verbal and
physical abuse against
cricketers in Roseburn Park
forcing them to abandon their
recent match.
Claims have been made by
Murrayfield DAFS that football
fans hurled homophobic, sexist
and racist abuse to cricketers
from their team and their
opponents, Stewart’s Melville,
while cutting through Roseburn
Park on their way to the
Rangers v Manchester United
match at Scottish Gas

Murrayfield. The cricket club

also criticised Police Scotland

for lack of action or assistance.

Murrayfield DAFS President

Philip Yelland said: “There was

no indication in advance that

playing would be an issue, but

some of the so-called fans at the

Rangers v Manchester United

game at Murrayfield behaved in

a totally unacceptable way in

Roseburn Park.”

Council Leader Cammy Day

said: “As with all major events

which take place in and around

the city a detailed debrief

meeting will take place. We

can’t comment further on this

specific incident while a police

investigation is ongoing.”

A Police Scotland

spokesperson said: “Officers are

carrying out enquiries after

reports of abuse being directed

towards players during a

cricket match at Roseburn Park,

20 July 2024.”

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

A FORMER EDINBURGH POLICE CHIEF’S
thrilling account of the “first modern murder”
has premiered on a hugely popular crime
podcast produced by Emmy Award winning
actress Yeardley Smith.
The podcast examines the horrific murder
and dismemberment of two women at the
hands of Dr Buck Ruxton and is based on the
book Beyond Recognition: The Ruxton
Murders, by former Deputy Chief Constable
of Lothian & Borders Police Tom Wood.
 Yeardley Smith, the actress, novelist,
playwright and the voice of Lisa Simpson
on the hit television show The Simpsons
since 1987, snapped up the story for her
award-winning true crime podcast Small
Town Dicks.
The series delves into the 1935
disappearance of a glamorous young mother
Isabella Buxton and her dutiful Leith-born
maid, Mary Rogerson, whose deaths resulted
in one of the most important investigations
the world had ever seen at that time.
Ruxton used his medical knowledge to
dismember his victims and later discarded the
body parts 100 miles away from the crime
scene in a tranquil part of the Scottish Borders.
Only the brilliance of Scottish scientists and
determined police officers brought Ruxton to
trial and led him to the gallows in a case
which established many ground-breaking

forensic techniques which are still in common

use today in criminal investigations.

Yeardley Smith said: “I’m fascinated by

people who take a leap of faith and do

something in a new and different way. For me,

that’s the crux of the Ruxton case.

“The team of investigators tasked with

solving the murders decides to save all the bits

and pieces from the body dump. We take this

for granted now, but this kind of collection

and preservation was brand new back then.

“One of my favorite ah-ha moments in the

case is when one of the detectives decides to

track down the origin of a special newspaper

insert that was used to wrap up one of the

body parts. That inquiry leads to a short list of

people who had the special insert delivered to

them at home, and that list includes the name

of the murderer. Though this case happened

90 years ago, I think it’s just as gripping and

relevant today.

“Tom Wood is a master storyteller and with

Ruxton he’s deftly made the history of modern

forensics read like a true-crime thriller. I can’t

wait for audiences to hear the podcast.”

ï “Beyond Recognition: The Ruxton

Murders” will unfold over six episodes,

releasing weekly on Fridays and is available on

the Small Town Dicks podcast feed and other

podcast channels.

IF YOU ARE WORRIED about writing or

updating your Will and not sure where to

begin then Edinburgh-based charity,

LifeCare, may have the answer.

Join LifeCare Edinburgh along with

Lindsays Solicitors at their free

information event to find out about the

practicalities of the process of writing

your will, including when you should

make a will, what is involved, and what

you may need to think about in advance.

Making a will is a simple thing which

you do for your own peace of mind and

also for your family and loved ones. It is

also possible to remember friends and

favourite charities. 

The September event will help answer

any concerns you may have, so that you

can ensure that your affairs are put in

order.

Everyone is encouraged to go to the

event with any questions they may have

when the family law experts from

Lindsays will take time to speak to those

attending on a 1-2-1 basis after the

presentations.

This event will take place on Wednesday 18

September between 2pm and 4pm at the

fully accessible LifeCare Centre, 2 Cheyne

Street, EH4 1JB, in the heart of Stockbridge.

Arrive from 1.45pm to have refreshments

and be seated for a 2pm start for the

presentations.

Free tea and coffee will be served.

To register, please visit https://tinyurl.

com/yaubaarb or call LifeCareon 0131 343

0940.

DAFS play in Roseburn Park

LifeCare work with older people

Yeardley Smith