Wife’s ploy to cover-up murder of her husband exposed in documentary
Samantha MacGillivray helped arrange the killing of her estranged husband, Ross, then falsely told police that intruders had murdered him and abducted her. The case matters because CCTV and phone evidence contradicted her account and helped detectives expose her role.
Ross MacGillivray, 36, died from a fractured skull after drug gang members Craig Hayden, 30, and Leon Headey, 24, beat him in Inverness in November 2023. Phone records showed Samantha had exchanged flirtatious messages with Headey and alerted him when Ross arrived; CCTV showed her calmly leaving with a bag. She pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice and was jailed for one year and nine months, while Hayden and Headey received minimum terms of 17 years.
In short
- Samantha MacGillivray lied about her husband’s murder.
- CCTV and phone records undermined her account.
- The two killers were jailed for at least 17 years.
Explained simply
Ross MacGillivray was killed in Inverness in November 2023 after being beaten by Craig Hayden and Leon Headey, who were linked to a drug gang. Ross and his wife, Samantha, were estranged at the time.
Police used CCTV footage and phone records to piece together what happened. The evidence included messages between Samantha and Headey, and footage of her leaving with a bag.
Samantha admitted trying to mislead the investigation and was jailed. Hayden and Headey were sentenced for the killing.