Former Glasgow detective talks about the investigation of the murder of Kriss Donald

Rangers fan Kriss Donald, nicknamed Krypto, was academically bright and was scheduled to sit seven Standard grades in two months' time with plans to be a mechanic or to join the military.

He had recently attended an Army camp for youngsters in Garelochead, Argyll, and Bute, returning home with four certificates, having been declared the best cadet in his group.

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Around 3pm on March 15, 2004, his 42-year-old mum Angela allowed him to leave the family home in McCulloch Street, Pollokshields, to meet up with his 19-year-old pal Jamie Wallace to play a video game.

At the same time, five men Daanish Zahid, Imran "Baldy" Shahid, his brother Zeeshan"Crazy" Shahid, Mohammed "Becks" Mustaq and Zahid Mohammed were cruising the area in a stolen Mercedes.

The two teenagers were in nearby Kenmure Street when the car pulled up and a terrified Kriss was bundled inside after a brief struggle.

He was held face down in the rear footwell and told by Shahid: "I'm Baldy, nobody f**** with me."

Shahid had been at Victoria's nightclub in Sauchiehall Street the previous night with friends and his blood was up. A rival white gang from the McCulloch Street area had thrown a bottle hitting him on the head around 3 am.

Baldy gave chase but because of his size was easily outrun by the fitter youths.

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Humiliated in front of his peers he promised revenge on those responsible.

The following day he and his team spent the afternoon cruising the area looking for a victim, any victim.

The occupants randomly picked on Kriss, because he was a local white youth, despite having no involvement in the nightclub attack or in any gang activity.

He was taken on a nightmare 200-mile four-hour journey to Strathclyde Park in Motherwell, then Dundee, then back to Glasgow.

Throughout the ordeal, his kidnappers made phone calls to other criminals looking for a house where they could take Kriss.

The intention was to make someone pay for the slight against Baldy less than 24 hours earlier.

Having no success, they returned to Glasgow and drive Kriss to a spot on the Clyde Walkway near Celtic's former training ground in London Road.

The schoolboy was stabbed 13 times over the bonnet of the car, doused in petrol and then set on fire as he bled to death.

Kriss was found the next day by a cyclist on his way to work who alerted the police.'

The body was naked, except for the charred remains of underpants, a sock, and a trainer.

One of Kriss's ribs was severed in the knife attack, along with three arteries, one of his lungs, his kidneys, and liver.

He was formally identified by Angela who had three other children, twin daughters, and a younger son.

The officer responsible for investigating the murder Detective Superintendent Elliot McKenzie remembers the case as if it was yesterday.

He said: "I was told that a young male had been found in the East End of the city.

"I was also told that there had been another youth abducted the day before in the South Side and it could be the same person.

"We had to establish if this was the murder scene or where the body had been left.

"But it soon became clear that this was the place where Kriss had been murdered."

The teenager was found in a puddle in the foetal position curled up in a ball.

Mr Elliot added: "I think he had lain down in the puddle to put the fire out.

"We also saw a lot of fresh tyre tracks, where a vehicle had done a three-point turn which pointed to the abductors having been there."

The inquiry quickly focused on three gangs who operated in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow.

Baldy became the main suspect early in the inquiry after police learned about the incident at Victoria's.

He was a bodybuilder and user of steroids which made him violent and prone to moods swings.

Shahid had also served a number of prison terms for violence including four and a half years for serious assault.

Mr McKenzie added: "His propensity for violence was without bounds.

"Our main aim was to find out what happened to Kriss between 3 pm and 7 pm the day he was abducted."

Using the data from scores of mobile calls and texts made by the gang members, detectives were able to track their movements across Scotland.

Also crucial to the investigation was finding the stolen Mercedes in Granby Lane, near Glasgow University.

Despite it having been set on fire and then doused in water it was still a goldmine of incriminating evidence.

A shoe belonging to Kriss was found in the footwell of the car.

There was also blood belonging to Kriss spattered across the bonnet.

Baldy's jacket was also found in the boot of the car.

This was enough to get an arrest warrant for all five suspects.

Daanish and Zahid Mohammed were both detained a short time later.

However, Baldy, Crazy, and Becks had fled the country and were now living comfortable in Lahore in Pakistan from their criminal proceeds, including credit card fraud.

Once located there, Detective Supt McKenzie then had to persuade the authorities to allow their extradition.

After more than a year of delicate negotiations brokered by Glasgow Central MP Mohammed Sarwar the there suspects were arrested in July 2005.

Mr McKenzie flew out with a team of nine burly detectives to bring them back to Scotland three months later.

Daanish Zahid had already been found guilty of Kriss's racially motivated murder in November 2004 at the High Court in Glasgow and ordered to serve at least 17 years of a life sentence.

Zahid Mohammed admitted involvement in the abduction of Donald and lying to police during their investigation and was imprisoned for five years.

However Mr McKenzie had promised Angela Donald he would not retire until every one of her son's killers was behind bars, describing his job as "only half-done"

Zahid Mohammed. who had been released after serving half his sentence later returned to court to give evidence against, Imran Shahid, Zeeshan Shahid, and Mohammed Mushtaq.

On November 8 2006, the trio were found guilty of Kriss's racially motivated murder at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Each of the killers received sentences of life imprisonment.

Imran Shahid was ordered to serve 25 years before he could be considered for parole, the longest term of the three. Lord Uist, told Shahid, 29, brother Zeeshan, 28, and Mushtaq, above, 27, that their, cold-blooded execution of Kriss was an "abomination".

He also warned other racists that they would face the full force of the law adding: "I intend to make it clear that racially aggravated violence, from whatever quarter, will not be tolerated in Scotland."

It then emerged that Baldy had killed Kriss after being released early from a 30-month jail term for punching a female social worker in the face, then driving a car at her as she lay unconscious on the ground.

The court had heard that Kriss was not part of any gang, had no history of violence, and had never been in trouble with the police.

His mum later stood outside the court surrounded by family and friends, and said simply: "Justice has been done. It is over."

Following Kriss' death, a memorial plaque was placed close to the spot in Pollokshields where he was kidnapped.

Mr McKenzie left the police in 2014 and now works as a security and investigations consultant.

The former police chief also does fund-raising work for the children's charity Variety Scotland where he is former Chair of the Scottish Committee.

Mr McKenzie says the three killers that he helped extradite from Pakistan showed no remorse for what they did to Kriss.

He added: "Our investigation had a major impact on organised crime in Pollokshields where they had operated a reign of terror.

"Their conviction by a team of dedicated officers was a mixture of old-fashioned policing led by new technology.

"The main thing was getting these beasts, for want of a better word, off the streets and in prison."

Before their trial, a large number of the trio's associates were also arrested to stop them intimidating witnesses.

Over the years Angela Donald has always resisted attempts by political groups to exploit the racial element of his murder.

In a 2014 interview, she said simply: "I ask myself, "Why my boy, why my innocent boy?"

'But it was my boy. I can't change that.'