WHY is she free?
Released after just 12 WEEKS in jail to stroll with her dog, rape-lies nurse who destroyed man’s life
‘I’m disgusted by the fact she is out now’
A TAXI driver whose life was turned upside down by a false rape claim hit out last night after his tormentor was freed early from jail.
William Millar endured months of anguish and uncertainty after being maliciously accused of raping a woman passenger.
His ordeal only ended in December when nurse Fiona Scanlan, who had admitted making false allegations, was sentenced to 13 months in prison.
But The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal that the 41-year-old nurse has been freed after serving only three months.
Despite the severity of her offence, she was pictured on Friday walking a dog near her home.
It is understood she was released from prison on Wednesday under the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme introduced in 2006, which allows inmates to serve their sentence at home while wearing an electronic tag.
News that she has been freed sparked a fresh debate about ‘softtouch’ justice and the system of early release.
Mr Millar, from East Kilbride, said: ‘I’m disgusted, totally disgusted, by the fact that she is out now. I think anyone would accept a tag if it got them out of prison.’
He said he believed that the 13month sentence Scanlan received had been too lenient – and that her release after three months was an injustice.
The 57-year-old, divorced father of four, added: ‘Had I been sentenced for the crime she wrongly accused me of, who knows how long I would have been given?’
His ordeal began in 2014 when he picked up Scanlan in East Kilbride after a wedding. She was described as ‘very drunk’ and when she became abusive he decided to take her to Cathcart police station in Glasgow to ensure her safety.
At the police station, Scanlan claimed she had been raped by Mr Millar. He was then held for 18 hours, questioned and subjected to DNA and forensic examinations; his taxi was also impounded for testing. Mr Millar endured an anxious seven-month wait before he was told he was no longer under investigation.
In November, Scanlan admitted to the court having fabricated the whole story. The court was told that GPS technology fitted in Mr Millar’s taxi proved conclusively that she had lied.
She appeared in court again in December and was sentenced to 13 months. Sheriff John McCormick told her: ‘To admit that the allegation was false might discourage others who have been sexually assaulted in other circumstances from coming forward.’
Mr Millar disclosed that the false accusations have left him shaken and vulnerable.
Not only has he fitted additional cameras to his taxi to record pas- sengers, he also tries to avoid working night shifts.
Describing the whole experience as the most horrific of his life, he said: ‘I am slowly getting back to my former self but I will never forget what happened. It will live with me always.’
Last week Scanlan declined to comment.
Yesterday Scottish Tory justice spokesman Douglas Ross said: ‘There is certainly a place for electronic tagging, but it should be used appropriately and not at the expense of public safety.
‘If tagging is to prove to be a successful alternative method to deal with offenders, it needs to be monitored exceptionally closely.’