Stefan Sutherland: 'No criminality' in 25-year-old's death

Police say they have found no criminality involved in the death of a man whose body was found on a Highland beach 11 days after he went missing.

Stefan Sutherland died after vanishing from Lybster, in Caithness, in 2013.

His family believed his death was suspicious and campaigned for a new investigation.

Police Scotland's major investigation team has completed a 16-month review of the case, which involved officers speaking to more than 500 people.

Mr Sutherland's sister Katrina Sutherland said she and her family were unhappy with the outcome of the review.

She told BBC Radio Scotland: "It is disappointing after a two-year investigation to come up with the same response we had seven years ago."

Ms Sutherland said a "huge effort" went into to securing the review. She added: "We can only thank the people that talked to the police from the bottom of our hearts. A lot of people gave a lot of time to give police information."

Mr Sutherland's disappearance on 6 September 2013 was followed by searches of the local area by police, search dogs and a mountain rescue team.

His body was discovered by a member of the public on the shoreline near Occumster near Lybster. Mr Sutherland had lived in the local area.

Mr Sutherland's family dispute that his death was accidental and say blood was found at a house he visited before he disappeared.

Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins said during the review more than 200 statements were taken and officers re-interviewed witnesses spoken to in 2013. They also traced a number of new witnesses.

The senior officer said: "Stefan's death was a tragedy for his family, his friends and the close-knit Caithness community. Our sympathies remain with them all today.

"These inquiries found no evidence of criminality in relation to Stefan's death which was supported by an expert review of forensic evidence, witness testimony and all facts established during both the initial investigation in 2013 and the latest review.

''I recognise the years of campaigning by the Sutherland family, who have rightly sought answers to a number of questions surrounding Stefan's death."

Mr Hawkins said the review found that many of these questions and concerns were based on "unsubstantiated information" being passed to the family "which understandably caused significant grief and worry to the Sutherland family and the local community".

Police Scotland said it would investigate any new information received.