The policeman who led the hunt for the Lockerbie bombers has died at the age of 90.
John Boyd was Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary on the night a bomb downed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988.
Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport when a bomb exploded in the hold.
The explosion killed all 259 people on the plane, many of whom were Americans heading home for Christmas, as well as 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie.
Former Libyan intelligence officer, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is so far the only man convicted in relation to the bombing, after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges, sitting at a special court in the Hague in 2001.
READ MORE: The devastating horrors that shattered but united a town in mourning
He was sent to prison in Scotland, but was controversially granted compassionate release in 2009 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, returning home to Libya where he died in 2012.
Another man, Abu Agila Mas’ud, who is alleged to have helped make the bomb, is set to face trial in America in May of 2025.
Libyan-born Mas’ud faces three charges, including two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death, and a further count of destruction of a vehicle resulting in death.
Mr Boyd, who served as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary from 1993 to 1996, took the lead on emergency response as head of Scotland’s smallest police force that night.
In an interview with Journalist Frank Ryan in 1990, Mr Boyd recalled the moment he found out about the disaster in his house in Dumfries and the aftermath that followed.
He said: “The relatives' grief manifested itself in various ways from shock and horror to frustration and anger and mounting pressure for the early release of bodies.
“I knew the inquiry would be colossal.”
Boyd said he laid down five principles - accuracy, coordination between the various agencies, meticulous gathering of evidence with no short cuts, proper timing of information released to the media, and the establishment of well-controlled diplomatic channels for inquiries overseas.
In 1989, Mr Boyd was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his handling of the criminal investigation into what remains the worst terrorist attack in the UK.
He was also a former Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police. He joined HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in 1989 and became Chief Inspector of Constabulary four years later.
READ MORE: Lockerbie bombing arrest adds more questions to tangled web of 34 years
The Current HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Craig Naylor, paid tribute to his predecessor.
He said: “John Boyd, CBE QPM, exemplified the epitome of leadership, dedication, and service throughout his career.
“He devoted himself to upholding the highest standards of law enforcement and community safety at a time of immense tragedy following the bombing of a flight over Lockerbie.
“His legacy serves as an inspiration, embodying the virtues of integrity, compassion, and courage.
“His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary hold his wife, sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren in our thoughts at this time.”
Mr Boyd was also a keen shinty player in his youth and retained a strong involvement in the sport in the decades that followed.
The Camanachd Association paid tribute to the Oban native, writing: "The shinty community in Oban, Glasgow and much further afield, is saddened to hear of the passing of John M Boyd who played shinty with distinction for Oban Camanachd and Glasgow Mid Argyll in the fifties and sixties and went on to have an outstanding career in the police force in Scotland.
"He will be remembered by those who knew him as being extremely modest, very approachable, hugely knowledgeable and genuinely interested in the welfare of others. In the words of John MacKenzie, Chieftain of the Association, “John was a special gentleman who met you with a smile and a willingness to talk about anything, especially shinty”.
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