The Dundee gran who survived a brutal beating at the hands of murderer Robbie McIntosh says she wants the parole board to look her in the eye before they make any decision on his release.
Linda McDonald, who was left for dead by McIntosh, says she will attend the killer’s hearing in Perth on Friday having been told she can.
Explaining how she has come to the decision, Linda says she wants the members who sit on the panel to see her, the victim.
McIntosh bludgeoned Linda with a dumbbell in Clatto Woods in 2017, leaving her fighting for her life.
At the time, the convicted murderer was on home leave from Castle Huntly prison while serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of Anne Nicoll.
The thug was jailed again in October 2017 after admitting the attempted murder of Linda in Templeton Woods in August that year.
‘I want the parole board to see who I am’
Linda told The Courier: “I will attend but I won’t be allowed to say anything.
“However, it is important for me to be there.
“I want the members of the parole board to look me in the eye.
“I want them to see who I am.
“I do not want McIntosh to be the only one they see, for him to dominate the parole hearing.”
She added: “In the interests of balance and justice I want them to be able to see the person he hurt that day in 2017.
“I am doing this for me and also for other people who find themselves in this situation.”
Second parole hearing for killer McIntosh
McIntosh was sentenced to a lifelong restriction order with a minimum of five years before he could be considered for release on licence.
In 2022, he was automatically granted a parole hearing.
Both the killer and Linda, 57, attended the hearing virtually.
They were at separate venues and Linda was there as a silent observer.
The Courier learned after the hearing that McIntosh’s legal representative did not make an application for release at the hearing, meaning he would remain in prison for at least another two years.
His second parole hearing is to be held on Friday and Linda asked to be able to attend.
Two years ago, Linda signed a confidentiality agreement where she cannot disclose what took place at the first hearing – an agreement that is still binding for the hearing this Friday.
‘No balance or fairness’
In the meantime, Linda says she lives in constant fear that McIntosh could be released.
She said: “There is no balance or fairness in this.
“It is always all about the person who committed the crime – all about McIntosh’s rights but what about mine?
“People tell me there is no way he will be allowed out of prison – but I don’t have that level of faith in the justice system in our country.
“Maybe if the parole board can see me it will make a difference but I just don’t know.
“Yet again I wont be allowed to talk about what happens in the parole hearing.
“To me this just all seems a tick-box exercise for them to be seen to be doing the right thing – but for me this goes on and on for the rest of my life.”
A Voice for Victims campaign
Linda is backing The Courier’s A Voice for Victims campaign to reform the parole system in Scotland.
On Saturday, The Courier revealed that a review of the parole process in Scotland is under way.
It would appear the review was asked for by The Parole Board for Scotland who had raised the issue themselves in their annual report.
The Scottish Government, Parole Scotland and other justice agencies will look at how the parole system functions as Tayside reels from the early release of the Kirriemuir killer Tasmin Glass at the end of July.
Glass, who was convicted of culpable homicide, was freed after serving only half of her 10-year sentence for her part in the horrific murder of her former boyfriend Steven Donaldson.
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