Great-gran’s fear as thug who attacked her is freed
A GREAT-grandmother is living in fear after the drug addict who savagely attacked her in her own home was freed early from jail.
Catherine Henderson, 88, said yesterday she is plagued by nightmares about serial thug Jason Forrest, who broke into her home wearing a hood and tried to throttle her.
This week Justice Secretary Michael Matheson hailed the abolition of automatic early release of serious offenders as proof of the party’s dedication to public safety.
But the limited reforms do not apply retrospectively and Forrest was released l ast month. Mrs Henderson is now afraid to answer the door of her Dundee flat.
Heroin addict Forrest, 35, was jailed for six years for the crime a judge branded ‘truly appalling’.
He was released automatically after four years – the two-thirds point of his sentence – despite having a history of violent offending.
Mrs Henderson said: ‘I tried to forget about him after that night he came into my home and did what he did. I was terrified and I’m still scared he comes back.
‘It’s hard to put it out of my mind. I never know whether to answer my door. The police visited me at Christmas to say he was getting out. They should serve t he sentence the judge gives them.’
Her daughter Sandra Adam, 65, said: ‘ With what he put my mum through they should have locked him up and thrown away the key.
‘My mum was a strong woman but has never been the same since the attack. She never got over it.’
Forrest admitted assaulting and robbing Mrs Henderson in Septem- ber 2011. He forced his way into her flat, knocking her over and punching her before putting his hands around her neck. Mrs Henderson pleaded: ‘Don’t you think you have done enough to me?’
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Forrest had sat on her and punched her on the head and body while pulling at her dressing gown. He stole £80 before leaving the flat in the Hilltown area.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Margaret Mitchell said of Forrest: ‘The authorities should be meticulously monitoring him so there is no impact on the victim or any other member of the public.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The release of offenders back into their communities is subject to rigorous assessment.’