Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Former detectives hit out at sentence
TWO of the leading detectives instrumental in bringing Robbie McIntosh to justice for the murder of Anne Nicoll said today the killer remained a danger to the public.
McIntosh, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years in 2002 for the brutal knife murder of the dog walker on Dundee Law.
He was allowed a week’s home leave in August last year as he was prepared for release.
It was during this time that he carried out an attack on Linda McDonald at Templeton Woods.
At the High Court i n Aberdeen yesterday, McIntosh was given a lifelong restriction order for the attack on August 7.
He is eligible to apply for parole in five years. However, he will likely never be freed from prison.
Former detectives Peter Meldrum and Heather Sharpe, both detective constables at the time of Ms Nicoll’s death, said they were shocked McIntosh had not been given a harsher prison sentence.
Peter Meldrum was the man tasked with interviewing McIntosh.
He told the Tele he was shocked McIntosh had not received a harsher sentence for his attack on Mrs McDonald.
Mr Meldrum added: “This sentence is an insult to the families of everyone that McIntosh has had an impact on.
“I really hope that McIntosh will be forced to spend the rest of his life in prison.
“However, I would have expected the prison sentence to be harsher.
“In my opinion, he remains a danger to everyone.
“He must never be allowed out of prison again.
We need to protect people from the cowardly acts carried out by this man — he must never be given the opportunity to reoffend.”
Mr Meldrum said he believed McIntosh could be a threat to other prisoners.
He added: “Even locked up this man continues to be dangerous.
“I would consider that even other prisoners would not be safe from him.”
Heather Sharpe was appointed a family liaison officer for McIntosh’s mum Heather during the investigation and subsequent trial.
Speaking of McIntosh’s sentence, she described it as “crazy” and added: “I’m shocked. This means he is free to apply for parole in five years.
“All he has to do is be the model prisoner and he could be considered for parole.
“This man remains a danger to the public. In future years, people who knew him and know what he is really like will no longer be around.”
Sentencing McIntosh, Lord Arthurston told him the murder attempt was “one of the worst cases of violence I have ever had to deal with”.