A former soldier serving a life sentence for the murder of a waiter in Orkney in 1994 is to have his conviction re-examined.
Shamsuddin Mahmood, 26, was shot in the head at point-blank range as he served customers in an Indian restaurant in Kirkwall.
Michael Ross – who was just 15 at the time – was convicted in 2008 after he joined the Army and became a sniper. He has always maintained his innocence.
A previous bid by Ross to have the case reviewed by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) was rejected in 2014.
The case will be looked at again and could ultimately be referred back to the courts.
The SCCRC said it was restricted by law in terms of the information it could disclose about the cases it reviews.
However, it confirmed to BBC Scotland News that the commission had received an application from Ross which had now been accepted for a review.


