'Murder inquiry' as police link death of barman and A1 crash

A SERIES of separate bizarre events are being investigated by police trying to solve the possible murder of a barman found dead outside an East Lothian pub.

• Stevie Curran was found dead in the car park of the Dolphin Inn at Whitecraig (below)

The discovery of the body of Stevie Curran, 48, occurred in the early hours yesterday in the car park behind the Dolphin Inn at Whitecraig, where the father of two had been manager for three years.

Ninety minutes earlier and more than 20 miles away, near Dunbar, officers were called to a one-car crash on the southbound carriageway of the A1.

The driver had disappeared by the time police reached the incident scene.

Also yesterday morning, two miles from the site of the crash, an injured young man was taken to hospital in Edinburgh, where he was understood to be receiving treatment last night.

Detective Inspector Stuart Hood, who is leading the inquiry on behalf of Lothian and Borders Police, said he believed the incidents were linked – and revealed that it was likely Mr Curran had been murdered.

"We are dealing with two separate incidents," he said. "A one-car collision on the A1 at around 12:30am and then at 2am a body was found near to the Dolphin Inn, which we are treating as suspicious. It looks like they could be linked. There is every chance we could be dealing with a murder inquiry."

DI Hood said police had received a call alerting them to the abandoned silver Toyota Celica, which had crashed after colliding with the central reservation on the southbound carriageway – but had been unable to identify the driver.

He also appealed for information about sightings of another man walking alone in the countryside near the Broxburn estate in Dunbar in the early hours.

"We never saw anyone leaving the car after the vehicle accident, but later found someone who had injuries," added the detective. "We have a significant forensic team out dealing with this all to try and see what linkage there is between the incidents and what significance the vehicle relates to the male that we found near the Dolphin Inn.

Inquiries are ongoing to establish the driver of the car."

A police cordon was thrown around the pub in Whitecraig Road as forensic officers worked to piece together the events.

Mr Curran and his wife, Jill, had daughters aged six and 12.

Police refused to comment on his injuries, but neighbours said they believed he had been hit by a car in the pub car park.

"Everyone says he had been run over," said one neighbour.Neighbour Alan Brown, 49, said the car found on the A1 had been the same type as that driven by Jill Curran.

"His wife drove a silver Toyota Celica, which makes me think the police are right in saying the two incidents are linked," Mr Brown said.

He added he had seen the bar manager's body from his bedroom window after police came to his door.

"There was no noise, no cars, no nothing," he said. "The first thing I knew was when the police were knocking on my door about 2am, asking if we had heard any noise or any disturbance, which we hadn't.

"When I looked out of my upstairs bedroom window this morning, I could see a body at the back of the Dolphin pub.

Other neighbours said they believed an argument had broken out in the bar shortly before closing time.

"I heard there had been an argument or a fight of some kind with someone who had been drinking elsewhere and who turned up to the pub late," said one woman.

Locals described Mr Curran, a Hearts fan who previously lived in Uphall, West Lothian, as a quiet man. The Curran family had lived above the pub until recently, but moved to Musselburgh a few months ago.

Police have issued an appeal for information about the car's movements, particularly relating to how it was driven at the Thistly Cross Roundabout or the Spott Roundabout on the A1 at around midnight.

Officers also want to contact drinkers who were at the Dolphin Inn around closing time on Wednesday.