Why was McIntosh free to strike again?

Second victim calls for report into circumstances of murderer’s release

The Dundee woman who survived Law Killer Robbie McIntosh’s attempt to murder her is to ask Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf to publish a report into why he was allowed out from prison on home leave.

Linda McDonald, 53, nearly died when McIntosh, 32, attacked her with a dumbbell as she walked her dog Betsy in the city’s Templeton Woods.

McIntosh, jailed in 2002 for the murder of civil servant Anne Nicoll on Dundee Law, fractured Mrs McDonald’s skull in two places, five days after being released from prison on home leave.

He only stopped his frenzied attack when interrupted by two other dog walkers who had heard Mrs McDonald’s screams. He was arrested at his mother’s house in Bridgefoot minutes later.

At the High Court in Aberdeen in February this year, McIntosh was handed a lifelong restriction order for the attack on Mrs McDonald.

She is demanding the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) publishes its report into McIntosh’s release in full. She also wants put into the public domain a serious case review currently being prepared by the Angus Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (Mappa) Group into how McIntosh was monitored while on home leave during that sentence.

The SPS, which has said it cannot comment on individual cases, was heavily criticised for its refusal to publish its internal report into the McIntosh case. Instead, it is being fed into the MAPPA report.

Mrs McDonald is now set to meet Mr Yousaf to discuss the case.

She said: “I am asking the justice secretary to look at the serious case investigation and asking that this, along with the SPS report, is published. I am asking for answers as to why this was allowed to happen. Mistakes were made, I believe. These evil, violent killers shouldn’t get a second chance.”

Mrs McDonald said she also believes the risk assessment procedures carried out before prisoners are given home leave should be reviewed.

She said: “I will be asking him to review the SPS risk assessment and look at changing laws so evil killers don’t get a second chance to kill.”

It is understood the MAPPA report will be critical of how McIntosh was monitored while out of prison.

Picture: Wullie Marr. Linda McDonald and her husband leave court, with a group of family and friends following.

Murderer Robbie McIntosh is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.