Edinburgh decapitation victim is named by police

by · Mail Online

A pensioner who was decapitated after 'falling under the wheel of a bus' in Edinburgh has been named by police.

Michael Leneghen, 74, was killed in the horrifying accident in the Scottish capital's Cowgate area on Saturday night. 

Police have said the pensioner was on foot when he was hit by a single-decker bus at around 7.25pm, with graphic pictures and videos of the aftermath being shared online.

Mr Leneghen's family has released a statement which said: 'We wish to thank all the members of the public and emergency services involved. We would now ask for privacy at this time.'

Police close off the Cowgate in Edinburgh, Scotland, after the tragic incident on Saturday
Police and ambulance vehicles gather in Cowgate as a tent is erected following the death on Saturday night

Sergeant Paul Ewing, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: 'Our thoughts remain with Michael's family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident.

'Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage.

'We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch.

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Edinburgh decapitation tragedy victim 'fell under the wheels of a bus' at 7pm

'Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, November 2 2024.'

In the aftermath of the incident, police ordered nightclubs and bars in the area to close and students were evacuated from their accommodation.

One resident told the Mail: 'The Cowgate is usually mobbed on a Saturday night but the bars and pubs inside the police cordon were all closed by 8pm.

'When some people heard what had been found on the road they thought it was a Halloween prank.

'That all changed when they saw the large numbers of police and the forensic tents being put up.'

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, said: 'We are aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased's family and those viewing them inadvertently.

'We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation.

Forensics officers were pictured walking in the normally busy party street in the aftermath
Multiple police officers gather in Cowgate on Saturday night after reports the man had been hit by a bus
Police officers are seen guarding a cordon on the corner of Cowgate and Niddy Street on Saturday evening
Authorities sealed off a number of streets, with emergency services remaining on the scene for hours
Images captured by onlookers and shared across social media show Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Road closed off
An image captured by witnesses shows cops standing by the scene which was taped off

'There has been a lot of speculation, and I would like to reassure the local community that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public.

'This was a tragic incident. We are investigating a crash, and our road policing officers, assisted by local officers, are continuing to carry out enquiries.

'Anyone with concerns or any information which could assist the investigation should contact police.'

Another one of the evacuated bars was popular student haunt Bannerman's which had a live band playing at the time.

A member of staff said: 'The police asked us to close the pub on Saturday evening, as they did others, to allow them to carry out their investigation. All we were told was that someone was knocked down and killed.'

Another Cowgate venue – The Rowantree, owned by former Scotland rugby star Norrie Rowan – was hosting a wedding reception at the time of the accident though it's believed guests were allowed to remain. 

Meanwhile, a University of Edinburgh spokesman said: 'A number of student residences were impacted by the incident in Edinburgh's Cowgate area, with some students unable to exit or return to their accommodation.'