Revenge link probe to pub boss murder

The body of the publican, named locally as Stevie Curran, was found at the property by police investigating a road traffic incident on the A1, 24 miles away.

A sports car, thought to be Mr Curran's wife Jill's silver Toyota Celica, was found abandoned after hitting the central reservation on the southbound carriageway around 12.30am.

Paramedics later found a 23-year-old man near to the Broxburn Estate on the outskirts of Dunbar. Detectives believe he had walked through the countryside for some time, and he was taken to hospital with chest injuries.

One local resident, who asked not to be named, said that police had told him they were investigating a theory that a drunk patron had attacked Mr Curran after being thrown out earlier that night.

He said: "The officer told me Steven had told this guy to leave because he had drank too much. The guy waited out the back and apparently beat him up.

"He must have panicked and they reckon he got the keys off him and drove off."

Other local residents said they had heard that Mr Curran had come across a man attempting to steal his wife's car and had been run down when the thief escaped.

Alan Brown, 49, who lives near the pub, said he was woken by police around 3am yesterday morning, adding that he could see Mr Curran's body from his terraced house.

The Navy veteran said: "He's run the pub for about a year. He has a wife and two children. Stevie was a nice enough bloke who seemed to get on with everyone in the community."

Local residents said the victim, who they described as a "good-looking ex-footballer" and keen Hearts fan, had lived in the flat above the pub, which he had run for about two years with his wife Jill, until recently and that they have two children.

Residents said the pub was licensed by a larger firm, thought to be Caledonian Heritable, which yesterday declined to comment.

Detective Inspector Stuart Hood said police are confident the two incidents are linked.

"We're trying to establish if the walker was the driver (of the car]," he said. "When we first attended there was no driver with the car. A man was found later suffering injuries, who was taken for medical treatment, but inquiries are ongoing to establish if he was the driver. There are extensive enquiries ongoing to see what link there is between the two incidents."

He appealed for anyone who was in The Dolphin Inn, who saw the car's movements before it collided, or who saw it being driven erratically at the Thistly Cross Roundabout or the Spott Roundabout near the A1, to come forward.

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