A family pushing to see that their loved one’s killer isn’t rehoused in Ayrshire upon his release from prison have said they are “fed up being passed from one organisation to another”.
The Stewart family, whose beloved Michelle was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Drongan in 2008 aged 17, say they want concrete action that blade killer John Wilson will not be rehomed in the region if granted release next year.
The family have been told that Wilson, who was refused parole in February this year, will be up for parole in March 2022 and that he is receiving home visits to Prestwick.
In an email sent to the cabinet secretary for justice, Keith Brown, Michelle’s sister Lisa said: “Once again he is being placed right under our noses even after all the meetings and correspondence in which we have continually asked that he is not placed within our local vicinity.
“We get no warning that he is out in our local area.
“What happens if we come across him; is any thought given to the victims?
“The only thing we ask is that he is relocated away from our area.
“We are fed up with being passed from one organisation to another.
“If the government cannot intervene and work with the SPS and Parole Scotland then who can?
“We have had enough of ‘we are being listened to’. We want action.”
Lisa flagged she was keen to find out what progress has been made to the tagging of those released on life licence and GPS monitoring, which former Justice Minister, Humza Yousaf, “committed to having up and running by November 2021”.
Lisa said: “At the various meetings held with Mr Yousaf, Parole Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service we have continually reiterated our concerns about John Wilson being allowed back into the Ayrshire area on home visits as well as when he is eventually released.
“We launched a petition in 2018 which has gathered over 7000 signatures from local people opposing his release back into Ayrshire.
“However, there has been no commitment from any government ministers, Parole Scotland or SPS to take this on board.
She added: “Michelle had plans for her life and should have had her full life ahead of her. John Wilson took all of that away from her though his own pre-planned decision to murder her.
“What right does he have to return to his home town, to blend back into society and be supported through life as if nothing happened?
“He gets the chance to pick up where he left off. Michelle lies in a cold dark grave.
“The anxiety we all suffer at the thought of him being freed, never mind the possibility of bumping into him.”
The Scottish Prison Service and Parole Board for Scotland said they cannot comment on individual cases.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Ms Stewart.
"The previous justice secretary was very grateful for the opportunity to meet members of Ms Stewart’s family on a number of occasions, to hear their experiences and to act on their concerns.
“We are absolutely clear that addressing the needs of victims should be at the heart of the justice system.
"Victims and their families are able to make representations to the Parole Board under the Victims Notification Scheme, the Parole Board can permit the families of victims to attend hearings as observers, and they can already set exclusion zones as a condition of parole licence and those zones can be electronically monitored.
“Further expansion of electronic monitoring including its use with temporary release licences and supervised release orders is currently underway with justice partners.”
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