I bought every Scottish daily newspaper but found mention of it in only three of them. It didn’t please me. The Herald. Saturday, 9 May 2009. Page 6. No byline.
Tragic accident A Glasgow bookmaker has been found dead in his office in Maryhill. William Hutchison (58) was discovered by staff yesterday morning when they opened the premises in Maryhill Road. It is believed that Mr Hutchison was electrocuted as a result of faulty wiring. A post mortem has been ordered by the Procurator Fiscal’s office. Mr Hutchison is survived by a wife and two grown-up children. The Daily Record. Saturday, 9 May 2009. Page 7.
By Collin Docherty.
A photograph of Billy taken when some footballer put on a charity bet in his shop.
Bookie burned The body of well-known Glasgow bookie Billy Hutchison was found in his Maryhill shop yesterday. Horrified staff came across the electrocuted and badly charred body of Mr Hutchison when they opened up the bookies at 10 a.m. One distraught cleaner had to be treated by ambulance staff after finding her boss. Mr Hutchison was a well-known figure in Maryhill and had owned the bookmakers there for 22 years. He was well respected in the local community and held regular charity events that attracted the support of players from Celtic, Rangers and Partick Thistle in aid of Multiple Sclerosis. In 1998 he was named Maryhill Citizen of the Year for his fundraising efforts. Police would not speculate on the cause of death but it is believed that faulty wiring in the premises contributed to a horrendous accident. A post mortem will be carried out. Yesterday, Mrs Agnes Hutchison was too distraught to speak about her husband’s death. A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said, ‘This is terrible. Agnes will be devastated. Billy was such a nice guy and they were devoted to each other. It’s a tragedy.’
Around five o’clock, I bought the final edition of the Evening Times. It was slightly more promising. The Evening Times. Saturday, 9 May 2009. Page 3.
By Martine Blake. Police have refused to confirm or deny suggestions that the death yesterday morning of Maryhill bookmaker Billy Hutchison is being treated as suspicious. The body of Mr Hutchison was found in his Maryhill Road premises by staff and it was believed that he had been electrocuted. Staff who discovered Mr Hutchison confirmed that his body showed signs of extreme electric shock. It was thought that faulty wiring was to blame and staff confirmed that the shop’s wiring system was in dire need of an overhaul. However, it has since emerged that the officer originally in charge of the incident, Sergeant Alex McElhone, has been replaced by Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Robertson. DCI Robertson is a senior detective based at Stewart Street. Strathclyde Police today refused to comment on the involvement of a murder squad detective in what was seemingly a tragic accident, saying it was merely procedural and that they would not comment further on an ongoing investigation. This has inevitably led to speculation that police now doubt whether Mr Hutchison’s death was the accident it initially appeared to be. No one at Hutchison’s bookmakers or at Mr Hutchison’s Whiteinch home was prepared to comment on a possible change of direction in the investigation into his death.