Half Of All Murders Committed By People Out On Bail

Almost half of all murders in Scotland are committed by offenders already on bail, an international conference on violence reduction was told yesterday.

Dr Peter Donnelly, Scotland’s deputy chief medical officer, revealed the stark statistics to delegates at the World Health Organisation (WHO) conference at the police college in Tulliallan, Fife.

Based on previously unpublished research from the national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), his speech stated almost half of murderers are already on bail and that many have been released in relation to knife crime.

The revelation follows Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s announcement yesterday that alcohol would no longer be accepted as an excuse for criminal behaviour. The Herald revealed plans to introduce legislative changes to ensure that being under the influence cannot be used as a mitigating plea in court.

The research by the VRU was based on a snapshot of murders committed with a knife by those under the age of 21. During an 18-month period it found 42 murders within those criteria, including one stabbing committed by a woman.

More than 50% of those convicted were unemployed and had drug and alcohol problems.

Speaking at the WHO’s third international conference on violence reduction, Dr Donnelly said: “If we look at adult murderers at the time that their crime was committed, more than half were unemployed and a similar proportion had a problem with alcohol. A further quarter either had an issue with drugs, mental health problems or both.

“Interestingly, just under half of Scottish murderers were on bail for a violent offence at the time of the murder and often that offence was one of possession of a knife. This type of careful epidemiological and geographical analysis undertaken by my colleagues at the VRU is at the very heart of seeking to remedy this unacceptable situation.”

Scotland’s booze-and-blade culture has been well documented and Dr Donnelly said its high murder rate is on a par with Romania’s.

He, and other delegates, emphasised the need to tackle the problem as a public health issue and the importance of good parenting in nurturing empathy rather than aggression in the next generation.

The VRU’s evidence on bail was used to urge the Lord Advocate to tighten the guidelines on granting bail to those accused and convicted of knife crimes. New prosecuting guidelines were introduced last summer that mean knife carriers now have bail opposed and they face an average of 10 months’ jail, rather than six months.

However, Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of the VRU, said many still commit murder on bail.

“The situation should be much improved since the Lord Advocate’s new guidelines but it is still very seldom that we have someone committing murder as a first-time offence, except perhaps in domestic situations,” said Mr Carnochan. “For the young guys usually involved, one week they are a victim and the next they are the offender. Many of them will be on bail.

“Now, though, if bail is granted then the prosecution will ask for special conditions to be applied including, for example, not letting them out at night.”