Two women and man convicted of killing man who jumped from window to escape extortion

Three criminals have been convicted of killing a man who jumped from a window in order to escape their attempts to extort cash from him.

Stephen Stewart, 52, Jennifer Souter, 40, and Victoria McGowan, 43 were convicted on Friday afternoon of the culpable homicide of Ryan Munro, 36, last year.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the trio created an “environment of menace and threats” at the flat where they abducted Mr Munro at in Morgan Street, Dundee.

The three accused wanted Mr Munro to give them money. They placed him in such an “extreme state of fear and alarm” that he jumped to his death from a window at the property on January 10, 2024.

The trio stood trial alongside the 37-year-old brother in law of former first minister Humza Yousaf – Ramsay El Nakla, 37.

He stood accused of participating in the extortion of Mr Munro alongside Stewart, Souter and McGowan as well as drugs charges. However, he was cleared of the allegations on December 12, 2025 after prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas.

On Friday afternoon, jurors returned guilty verdicts on the remaining trio on all charges.

They found the trio threatened and intimidated Ryan Munro, placing him in an “extreme” state of fear and alarm for his safety at the flat in Morgan Street, Dundee.

They caused Mr Munro to escape the Morgan Street flat from a “window at height” causing him to fall from the window and striking the ground.

The trio had earlier abducted Mr Munro on January 9 and 10 last year at the Morgan Street flat by intimidating and threatening him and detaining him against his will.

They had abducted Mr Munro on January 9 and January 10 2024 at the Morgan Street property, placing him in a state of fear and alarm and that they detained him “against his will”.

The jury also found that the the trio did “with the intention of menacing Mr Munro” put him in a “state of fear and alarm and apprehension of physical harm to his well being and safety”, intimidated him and did “extort a sum of money” from him by threats.

Stewart was also convicted of drugs charges – his co-accused had pleaded guilty to narcotics offences earlier in proceedings.

Following the jury’s verdicts it emerged that all three accused had lengthy criminal records.

Stewart had a previous conviction for abduction and extortion and had previously served a five year term for drugs offences.

Judge Lady Drummond remanded the trio and called for reports into their backgrounds.

She told the accused: “You can all expect a significant custodial sentence for these offences.

“I will hear more about Ryan Munro, his life and the impact that his loss has on his family.

“It is clear to me that he is deeply missed by all his family.

“You will all be remanded into custody.”

During proceedings, the court heard from El Nakla – as a Crown witness – about how he was spending £800 a day on crack cocaine at the time of Mr Munro’s death.

The gas and electrical engineer said in January 2024 he sourced crack cocaine from Stewart and would go to the Morgan Street flat to buy the drug.

He said on January 9 last year he went to the flat and got crack cocaine passed to him through the letterbox while his 13-year-old son waited in the car.

El Nakla said he later gave a lift to Stewart and McGowan from the flat to another address in Dundee. He said: “They told me somebody had stolen £700.”

He said he was asked to go back to the Morgan Street address and ask Mr Munro, who was there, if he had any money left. He said that Mr Munro, who he did not know previously, appeared scared.

He told the court Mr Munro said he had not taken money and he believed him, but he transferred £200 into El Nakla’s account.

The jury also heard evidence about how a phone linked to Stewart contained a message stating how a “pilot test failure” may have “hurt” to the “max”.

The message was about Mr Munro’s fall.

In his closing speech, prosecutor Alex Prentice KC told jurors that this evidence could be used to corroborate other pieces of information which they had heard which showed the trio’s guilt.

Mr Prentice added: “The Crown’s position is that it was the actions of Stephen Stewart, Jennifer Souter and Victoria McGowan which caused Ryan Moore to escape from the window and fall to his death and given this, in my submission, you can find them guilty of the crime of culpable homicide.

“There was an atmosphere of absolute terror, menace and threats.”

Following conviction, it emerged that prosecutors will now launch a proceeds of crime action against Stewart and McGowan in relation to criminal assets made from drug dealing.

Mr Prentice told Lady Drummond that Ryan Munro’s family had submitted a victim impact statement to the court detailing the impact that their loved one’s loss has had on them.

Mr Prentice said that the relatives may submit a “supplementary” statement which will provide the court with more information.

He added: “Ryan Munro was able to function, have a job and did everything he could to get away from this terrible addiction.

“He was a capable adult.”

Speaking about Mr Munro’s family, the advocate depute added: “They have struggled with this and found it difficult to deal with.”

The trio will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on February 4, 2025.

The proceeds of crime actions against Stewart and McGowan will call at the High Court in Edinburgh sometime in the near future.