SHEAR MADNESS
Scissor killer who stabbed victim 32 times could be back on streets in a few years
A MENTALLY-ILL killer who stabbed an innocent man 32 times with scissors is set to be free in a few years because he doesn’t qualify for high security.
Carstairs patient George McAdam killed Paul Smith in May and will soon be moved to a medium secure unit.
A source said: “He isn’t meeting criteria for maximum security so he’ll likely be back on the streets in a few years.”
A KILLER who knifed an IT analyst 32 times with scissors is to be transferred to a medium secure unit – because he doesn’t meet the criteria for high security.
George McAdam stabbed innocent Paul Smith, who was on his lunch break, near Edinburgh Castle in May this year.
His not guilty plea to a murder charge was accepted last month in court because he was not “criminally responsible” due to a mental health disorder.
The 40-year-old is currently a patient at the state hospital Carstairs, which houses some of Scotland’s most dangerous criminals.
But insiders have said McAdam, originally from Washington, Tyne and Wear, is expected to be moved to a unit in England next year and won’t qualify for high security.
A source said: “McAdam continues to deny killing Paul
Smith. He said he only had blood on him because he was performing CPR on the victim.
“He’s not a nice person and is undergoing assessments. The early indication is he will be moved to England early next year and isn’t meeting the criteria for maximum security, so he’ll go to a medium secure unit and most likely will be back on the streets in a few short years. The decision is likely to be made when he attends court in February.”
The source added: “He’s agitating some of the other patients, which says a lot considering most of them are very dangerous people.”
McAdam, a drifter most of his life, has a long history of mental illness.
He has several previous convictions including possession of a knife, assault and public order offences.
He is known to police in
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Skye. He was freed from Edinburgh prison just two weeks before he killed 28-year-old Paul.
Paul was chatting on the phone to his mum as he headed back to work at Edinburgh University when he was ambushed and attacked by McAdam.
Passers-by could hear Paul’s cries for help as he was dragged down an embankment by McAdam.
The killer then fled but was tackled by a member of the public in a nearby car park and held until police arrived.
Formally acquitted of murder, he is being held at Carstairs on an interim compulsion order and will return to court in February.