Detective tells murder trial of moment he discovered body of retired teacher
A detective has told a murder trial about the moment he discovered the body of a former Fettes College teacher at a roadside.
Steven McLean, 42, described on Wednesday how the remains of Peter Coshan, from Edinburgh, were found next to the A696 in Northumberland after being “well hidden” in undergrowth.
Paul Black, 65, is accused of the August 2022 murder of the former biology teacher, who worked at the elite private school for decades before he retired in 2005.
He is alleged to have been part of a plot to lure Dr Coshan, who was 75, to a Leith flat using a fake profile on a gay dating app, before killing him with the intention of stealing thousands of pounds from him.
Black denies murder but his former flatmate, 29-year-old Paul McNaughton, who was described in court as a “sex worker” who was paid by Dr Coshan for “sexual favours”, has already admitted to his part in the killing.
McNaughton has told jurors that Black suffocated Dr Coshan with a plastic bag, which he denies.
Giving evidence via video link, Mr McLean said he had been searching for Dr Coshan on a stretch of the road between the villages of Belsay and Otterburn in September 2022.
He said officers noticed a “strong smell” which indicated “decomposition”.
As it was too dark to begin the search, they returned the following day with a “victim detection and recovery dog” which helped find the body.
The policeman said the dog had given “an indication” of a body near a hawthorn tree and a drystone wall.
Mr McLean said: “When the dog made an indication, I could see black socks and feet concealed in the undergrowth. It was very well concealed. I could only see the socks. It was covered by vegetation.”
He said officers later began to recover Dr Coshan’s remains.
Mr McLean added: “When the layer of vegetation was peeled back, there was a number of rocks and large stones which had been placed on the body.”
McNaughton has said he and Black wanted to kill Dr Coshan to get their hands on his savings of £102,000.
The court heard they crammed Dr Coshan’s body in a suitcase and drove to the area in Northumberland where police later conducted their search.
Black denies murder and a series of other charges, including fraud and theft.
The trial continues.
