Paul McNaughton, 29, was convicted of the murder of retired Fettes College teacher Peter Coshan, 75, after luring him through a fake profile on the gay dating app Gaydar. The case has shocked the community and raised concerns about online safety.
Paul McNaughton, 29, was convicted of the murder of retired Fettes College teacher Peter Coshan, 75, in a flat in Leith, Edinburgh on either August 11 or 12, 2022. The murder occurred after McNaughton used a fake profile on a gay dating app, Gaydar, to lure Dr. Coshan to his property. They had initially met online in 2021.
Following the murder, McNaughton and his flatmate Paul Black, 65, hid Dr. Coshan’s body under a bed and attended a fun fair. They later disposed of the body in a suitcase at a layby on the A696 between Otterburn and Belsay in Northumberland on August 15, 2022. CCTV footage captured McNaughton buying shovels and walking down a street eating McDonald’s during this period.
McNaughton subsequently admitted to the murder, attempting to defeat the ends of justice, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years. Black was acquitted of murder but received a five-and-a-half-year sentence for attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Dr. Coshan was a well-loved figure and had taught biology at Fettes College, an institution that counts former Prime Minister Tony Blair amongst its alumni. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his latter years. Judge Lord Scott highlighted McNaughton’s exploitation of Dr. Coshan’s deteriorating health and condemned his actions as cold and premeditated. The case has left a devastating impact on Dr. Coshan’s family and friends.
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