Parole hearings for notorious Tayside killers are imminent – who are the last five criminals the panel has released?

Parole hearing dates for notorious Angus and Dundee killers Tasmin Glass and Robbie McIntosh are imminent.

Glass, who was convicted of culpable homicide in 2019 for her “pivotal role” in the murder of Steven Donaldson, will go before the panel on July 26.

Exactly two weeks later, Dundee murderer Robbie McIntosh will make a bid for freedom on August 9.

Parole hearings in Scotland are secretive affairs – the panel only publishes anonymised decision summaries of criminals on extended or lifelong orders who have been released following an oral hearing.

Here we look at the five most recent cases in Scotland where the panel has chosen to free a prisoner.

Parole hearing date – June 24

A violent criminal, capable of causing “serious harm” and who was involved in a murder, is paroled against social worker advice.

The offender was serving an indeterminate sentence for which the minimum term
in custody was 11 years.

The panel noted they had “struggled to cope” in the community previously and had been recalled to custody on four occasions.

Social workers told the parole board that they were not supportive of release and
expressed the view that the offender required “a significant period of testing” in less
secure conditions.

Parole hearing date – June 18

A murderer sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 14 years, was paroled from Castle Huntly.

The violent criminal has a history of offending and previously absconded during community access.

The panel noted that the murderer’s time in custody had not been “without challenge” and their most recent transfer to the Tayside prison was the fourth time they had been sent to the open estate.

On the previous three occasions they were sent back to a closed prison.

The murderer – whose minimum term finished in 2012 – had incurred more convictions since his escape while on community access.

Parole hearing date – June 17

Prisoner sentenced to at least 14 years in jail for a “seriously violent” crime is granted parole against social worker advice.

The violent criminal has a record of breaching court orders and bail conditions and had received a recent misconduct report.

The community-based social worker raised concerns about the offenders “engagement and manageability”.

The parole board also had their own concerns about the “seriously violent nature” of the original crime and the prisoner’s own evidence.

However, they were “not satisfied” that it was necessary for the protection of the public for the offender be confined.

Parole hearing date – June 17

Convicted murderer sentenced to at least 15 years in prison is freed on parole.

The killer’s crime was described as a “particularly savage, not to say barbaric attack with a substantial lethal weapon on a defenceless individual.”

The minimum part of the sentence expired in 2020 and the murderer has been living in an open prison since 2023 and has taken “numerous periods” of home leave.

On the same date, the panel released another violent criminal who had received a 10-year sentence, comprised of a custodial term of seven years and an extended period on licence of three years.

The prisoner had committed a “very serious, violent, index offence” and had other
previous convictions for violent offending.

• In our A Voice for Victims campaign, The Courier is demanding reforms to the parole system in Scotland.