Furious dad demands man who murdered his child be banned from Ayrshire

Kenny Stewart, from Catrine, was left heartbroken when his daughter was murdered by ex-partner John Wilson in a brutal knife attack.

Michelle, 17, was viciously attacked by Wilson, in 2008 for ‘refusing to talk to him’ in Drongan.

Now her heartbroken family are being forced to live in fear after he was allegedly seen back on their local streets.

Kenny, 58, says he has been left tormented by the thought of bumping into the man who took his daughter’s life.

The anguished dad admitted he doesn’t know how he will react if confronted by the killer, branding Wilson a ‘psycho who will re-offend’.

He said: “We were told by someone we know that he was spotted coming out of Sainsburys unescorted in Prestwick.

“I was working in the area at the time so there was a good chance I could have bumped into him.

“It’s a nightmare.

“I don’t want to be put in a position where I might do something I will regret.

“He stabbed my daughter in the back, how could anyone trust themselves to walk away?

“We had been told if he was out it would be in the Glasgow area, not near us, but now it appears he is out and walking the streets here.”

The apparent sighting of the killer has left Michelle’s entire family feeling like they will need to think about where they go to avoid being facedwith the murderer.

It’s understood the thug was freed temporarily leave.

He has currently served nine years of his minimum 12-year life sentence but could be eligible for home visit rights.

Kenny added:“He was given life in prison but he will be out next year, able to walk around Ayrshire.

“I think he must be on trust leave so no escort, I’m reallynotto happy about it.

“I want John Wilson banned from Ayrshire.

“He got 12 years for what he did but my Michelle lost her life and will never see the light of day again.

“How is that justice?”

Michelle’s sister Lisa Stewart hit out, branding the situation the family finds themselves in as ‘unfair’.

She has written to Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf begging for answers and seeking an assurance Wilson will not be allowed to return to the area.

She said: “There has been no prior warning given that he was going to be in the area.

“I understand that he has rights, but we also have rights and given we are not the ones who have committed a murder we should not be the ones that are having our lives disrupted.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Secretary has met Michelle’s family on two occasions and fully understands the concerns they have.

“We want a criminal justice system that puts the needs of victims at its centre, which is why we have consulted on proposals such as the use of exclusion zones to improve the openness and transparency of parole and strengthen the victim’s voice in the parole process.

Temporary release is an important part of the rehabilitation process which helps the Parole Board assess whether someone is ready to be released back into the community and all prisoners are dealt with in accordance with that regime.

“We have introduced new legislation which improves electronic monitoring capabilities and will have the potential to monitor exclusion zones in new ways, improving how monitoring is done and providing greater reassurance for victims.

“We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and will report the findings and any actions arising from it in due course.”