Man to stand trial over Wemyss Bay holiday park murder
Sean Ward, 22, will stand trial for allegedly stabbing Raymond Cosgrove, 33, to death in a caravan at Wemyss Bay's Parkdean resort in September 2025. Prosecutors say Cosgrove died at the scene after being repeatedly struck with a blade or similar weapon. Ward has pled not guilty at Glasgow's High Court; a trial is set for September 2027. STV News covered the case as it moved through the Scottish courts, with regional updates often available on the STV Player for viewers tracking Inverclyde crime news.
Key Takeaways
- Sean Ward, 22, is accused of murdering Raymond Cosgrove, 33, at Parkdean's Wemyss Bay holiday park.
- Police were called just after midnight on 14 September 2025; Cosgrove was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Ward pled not guilty to murder and faces separate charges including assault and an alleged axe attack.
- A High Court trial in Glasgow is scheduled to begin in September 2027.
What happened at Wemyss Bay holiday park?
Police Scotland were called to the Parkdean resort in Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, just after midnight on 14 September 2025. The incident took place in a caravan in Rothesay Gardens on the site.
According to the indictment, Raymond Cosgrove sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutors allege Sean Ward repeatedly struck and stabbed the 33-year-old on the body. The killing has drawn attention well beyond Inverclyde, with coverage from outlets including BBC News and Scottish broadcasters.
Who is accused and what charges does he face?
Sean Ward, 22, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, where lawyers pled not guilty on his behalf. He is charged with murder in connection with Cosgrove's death.
Ward also faces a separate charge of assaulting a woman at the same holiday park. Prosecutors further accuse him of attacking a man with an axe in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, in May 2025. All charges remain allegations until proven in court.
When will the murder trial begin?
Following the pretrial hearing in Glasgow, a full trial was scheduled to begin in September 2027. That timeline means more than two years will pass between the alleged killing and the case reaching a jury.
Until then, Ward remains subject to the court process. Cases like this—knife violence at a busy holiday destination—often raise wider questions about public safety and how communities respond when a fatal attack occurs at a family resort. For more context on similar Scottish cases, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
How did the holiday park respond?
At the time of the incident, a spokesperson for Wemyss Holiday Park said they could not comment on the active police investigation. The park extended its deepest condolences to Cosgrove's family.
Parkdean Resorts operates the Wemyss Bay site, a popular destination on Scotland's west coast. The September 2025 attack shocked guests and locals who had regarded the park as a routine holiday escape rather than the setting for a homicide inquiry.