Dozens of criminals unlawfully at large after home release breaches

Dozens of Scots criminals are currently unlawfully at large having breached the terms of their home release curfew (HDC) in the same way as knife killer Jamie Wright did, MSPS have been told.

Wright was jailed for life earlier this week over the killing of father of three Craig Mcclelland. Nicola Sturgeon faced claims at Holyrood that Scotland’s justice system is “tilted against victims”.

The First Minister admitted yesterday there are currently about 60 prisoners unlawfully in the community having breached home detention curfews. There are roughly about 300 inmates on home release at any time.

Ms Sturgeon offered her condolences to the family of Mr Mcclelland. It emerged this week that his killer had breached the terms of his HDC five months earlier and his release had been revoked. It prompted a furious backlash.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This is an appalling case and he committed a dreadful crime and I want to take the opportunity to express my deepest sympa- thies to Mcclelland’s family and to his friends.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson called for plans to extend the use of tagging in Scotland for prisoners on home release to be halted while a review is conducted in the system following the Mcclelland case.

Ms Davidson said Wright had 16 previous convictions, including two for knife crime.

“Scotland’s justice system is tilted far too much in favour of those convicted of crime and too often turns a deaf ear to the victims of those crimes,” she said.