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The Man In The Mask: An Orkney Murder (BBC2) 

It’s tough being a writer of detective shows. No matter how hard they try to create suspense, real life always seems to be more surprising and dramatic. Just look at what actually happens – it’s proof!

In June 1994, Shamsuddin Mahmood, a waiter, was working at a restaurant in Kirkwall, the biggest town in the Orkney Islands. This is the story of a murder that occurred that evening.

The restaurant had a moderate number of customers. Around 7:15 PM, while the waiter was taking an order, a man wearing a ski mask entered and immediately shot Shamsuddin at close range in the head.

‘It was like a scene out of an American gangster movie,’ said one witness.

From the beginning, the police faced challenges with the case, as there seemed to be no clear reason why this crime happened. The victim, a 26-year-old man, had come to the UK from Bangladesh in 1991 and was well-liked, with no known conflicts or enemies.

The investigation then took a surprising turn, and it continues to be a controversial topic in Orkney even now.

Investigators began to suspect Michael Ross, a 15-year-old student, after he was seen in the woods a couple of weeks before the incident. He had been wearing a ski mask, which he later got rid of.

Adding another layer of complexity, his father was a police officer in Kirkwall who worked on the case – and was later imprisoned for concealing evidence.

  

Investigators found no forensic evidence connecting Ross to the murder. The murder weapon wasn’t discovered, and there was no clear relationship between Ross and the victim.

Over ten years after the crime occurred, a witness came forward and said they saw him near the scene, in a public restroom, carrying a gun and wearing a mask.

‘It’s a story full of twists and turns,’ said journalist Hazel

Martin is sharing a detailed three-part report. He says fellow journalists at the newsroom considered it one of the most unusual stories they’d ever covered.

She’s been allowed to review statements from witnesses and interviews with Ross, and she’s talked to both his parents and some of the police working on the case. Despite all of that, the mystery remains unsolved.

In 2008, Ross was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison, despite continuing to claim he didn’t commit the crime. Before his conviction, he served in the Army and reached the rank of sergeant while stationed in Iraq.

One person expressed disbelief to Martin, saying, “It’s hard to believe a fifteen-year-old could do this—that kind of crime just doesn’t happen with kids that age in Orkney.”

To highlight how young he was, we learned that officers had to pull him from gym class just to be able to talk to him.

However, young Ross had a strong interest in firearms. Authorities discovered a deactivated submachine gun in his bedroom – a gift from his father.

The house was filled with images of weapons like guns and tanks. Police also discovered a collection of firearms inside, including five pistols, two revolvers, three rifles, and a shotgun.

Whatever your view on the verdict, he certainly wasn’t your average teenager.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS is away 

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2025-11-28 03:20