Police have warned the public not to approach a killer who has absconded from Castle Huntly just 24 hours after the prison service defended the practice of allowing convicts out on leave over the festive period.
Simon Brown, 45, was reported missing at 5pm on Tuesday. He had last been seen in the King Street area of Dundee.
He was jailed for eight years in 2012 for killing a 44-year-old John Carter and dumping his half-naked body in a lift in an Edinburgh block of flats.
Brown and his accomplice Paul Banks were charged with murder but pled guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Brown is described as being 5ft 11, bald with slight build and brown eyes.
He walks with a stoop and a limp. When last seen he was wearing a black jacket and trousers and a white t-shirt.
He was carrying a black and grey holdall with a white Puma logo.
The Scottish Prison Service allowed nine prisoners to return home from Castle Huntly open prison at Longforgan over the New Year period.
In total, 184 prisoners were allowed home over Christmas, prompting the Scottish Conservatives to lambast what they called Scotland’s “soft touch” legal system.
However, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service said: “A rigorous risk assessment is undertaken prior to any offender being granted unescorted leave.
“The majority of these take place without incident and the numbers of absconds are at historic low levels.”
Anyone who sees Brown should contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.