Fettes teacher murder trial begins

Peter Coshan was last seen in Edinburgh on 11 August 2022

A man has gone on trial accused of murdering a former Fettes College teacher in Edinburgh.

Paul Black, 64, allegedly acted with another person to kill Peter Coshan in the capital’s Leith area in August 2022, before disposing of his body by leaving the remains at the side of a road in Northumberland.

Mr Black, from Edinburgh, pled not guilty to 18 charges of murder, theft, fraud and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Prosecutors claim that Mr Black contacted Dr Coshan using internet apps and lured him to an Edinburgh home, where he assaulted and then murdered him.

The jury heard Mr Black pretended to be somebody “unknown” to Dr Coshan when contacting him on the apps Gaydar and WhatsApp, with the intention of persuading him to go to a property on Seafield Road.

Prosecutors claim that on 11 or 12 August 2022 Mr Black and another man assaulted and injured Dr Coshan at the property, leaving the victim bleeding.

It is claimed that Mr Black, who is also known as Joseph Hillary, struggled with Dr Coshan and then murdered him.

He is then alleged to have concealed the body for a number of days before putting it in a stolen suitcase and driving it to a layby on the A696 between Otterburn and Belsay in Northumberland, where he attempted to dig a grave.

Fraud charges

The remains were left at a wall, while Mr Black is alleged to have attempted to dispose of clothing and other items belonging to the victim.

Mr Black's lawyers have lodged a special defence stating their client did not commit any of the alleged crimes.

The special defence states that if the crimes had been committed, the person responsible for them was another man called Paul McNaughton, whose location was described as being “care of HMP Edinburgh.”

Family members of the victim grew concerned when he stopped replying to their messages.

When they did receive a reply from Mr Coshan at around 06:00 on 13 August, it read “Sorry phone been playing up getting fixed Tom”, a messaged described as "out of character" for using grammar and abbreviations not normally used by the victim.

Cash withdrawals

The court was told that in the days after the killing, Mr Black made numerous cash withdrawals from Dr Coshan’s bank account, and used his bank cards to make a number of purchases.

It is also alleged that Mr Black later pretended to police that he did not know the victim, and purchased various cleaning products following the death.

Mr Black is also standing trial on fraud and theft charges.

Prosecutors claim that in September 2021, Mr Black and another person used “means unknown” to the Crown, to obtain the login details of Dr Coshan and access his bank accounts.

It is claimed that he stole a a total of £18,000, which were placed into two other accounts.

Dr Coshan taught at the Edinburgh public school from 1972 until his retirement in 2005.

The trial, before judge Lord Scott, continues.