Sturgeon hints at curbs on curfews
SCOTLanD’S ‘softtouch’ home curfew system could be tightened following the brutal killing of a young father, nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.
at First Minister’s Questions, she said she would look again at legislation that could let serious offenders who breach their curfews escape further prosecution.
It comes after the murder of Craig McClelland in Paisley last July.
He was killed by serial knife thug James Wright, who had been free for six months after police failed to arrest him when he breached his curfew.
The circumstances of Mr McClelland’s death have led Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to demand that Miss Sturgeon overhauls the Management of Offenders Bill, which is going through parliament.
as it stands, the Bill would increase the number of offenders released under home curfews.
Referring to Mr McClelland’s murder at FMQs yesterday, Miss Davidson said: ‘The First Minister is proposing to release more criminals back to communities. Under those plans, a serious offender could be released from prison, could be given a tag, cut it off, breach the terms of their release and incredibly that wouldn’t automatically be considered an offence.
‘I think it’s plain wrong. Doesn’t the First Minister?’
Miss Sturgeon pledged that the Scottish Government would ‘properly consider any amendment’ to the Bill, adding: ‘I agree that where people break any condition in which they are released into the community, then the situation should be that they are returned to prison.’
Miss Davidson welcomed the ‘soft hint’ that changes could be made to the legislation.
She said: ‘We are absolutely happy on these benches to bring forward such amendments on this issue – but what I want to know is whether the First Minister will back them?
‘This Government is planning to release more convicted criminals into the community and victims are asking why perpetrators are being put back on the streets.
‘We’ve got a chance here to rebuild trust in our justice system – but to do so it’s not an Offenders Bill we need, it’s a Victims Bill.’
Miss Sturgeon responded: ‘It stands to reason I am not going to give commitments right now to supporting amendments I haven’t even seen and the Government hasn’t even seen. But we will look carefully and consider all amendments.’
Miss Sturgeon was then quizzed on standardised testing in schools, with Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard asking if she could think of another word for a hummingbird’s beak.
She admitted she could not think of an answer to the question – which is included in the test for five-year-old children, which is said to have reduced some youngsters to tears.
‘A chance to rebuild trust’