Justice has not been served.
That is the only conclusion one can make as Angus killer Tasmin Glass walks free from prison having served just half of her ten-year sentence.
That the decision was made on the eve of a memorial ride for her victim Steven Donaldson is a further blow in what has been a devastating ordeal for his family.
The treatment of the Donaldsons throughout this process has been nothing short of scandalous.
Three times Glass’ case went before the parole board this year before they finally came to their decision.
That means Steven’s family were dragged through this process for months, their agony prolonged every time the board failed to reach a verdict.
All their suffering has been in vain
The trauma they have been put through even reached the ears of the First Minister at Holyrood after it was raised in parliament.
John Swinney was sympathetic to their plight, committing to look at the process that has left them in limbo for months.
And yet, all of their suffering has been in vain.
The callous killer has walked free despite their best efforts to keep her inside.
Releasing Glass is a decision that The Courier and Steven’s family firmly believe is the wrong one.
It’s a belief we know is shared among the majority, if not all, of our readership.
A horrific crime that shocked Tayside
Why there is such a resolute belief among the residents of Kirriemuir and the wider public that Glass should remain behind bars is clear.
This was a horrific crime that shocked Tayside and further afield.
Steven Donaldson was murdered in brutal fashion by Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson who were both sentenced to life for their crimes.
Glass played a crucial part in that horrendous assault in 2018.
That is not just our opinion, but that of appeals judge Lord Brodie who said she played a “pivotal role” in the killing.
He also called the killer “manipulative and devious”.
“She was the prime mover behind the assaults on the deceased,” said Lord Brodie in 2019.
“Without her active encouragement and participation, the attacks could not and would not have occurred.”
The system does not put victim trauma first
So how, one must ask, after those words by a judge, after the conviction of a jury and after the testimony of Steven’s family, has Glass walked free so early into her sentence.
It’s a question only the parole board can answer – and the sad fact is they don’t have to.
Because in a country that claims a system of open justice, parole hearing are held in private and the secretive panel does not need to explain themselves in cases like Glass’.
In recent years Scotland has tried to move towards a ‘trauma-informed’ justice system.
This decision shows how very far away from that being a reality we are.
A system that cared about the trauma of victims would not have dragged Steven’s family through the horrors of a court case, an appeals system and then multiple parole hearings only to let a killer like Glass out the back door after five years.
That is not justice.
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