Crime and Punishment
After another murder trial in Glasgow ends - the family of the victim finally get to have their say.
Jack Frew was murdered by a former school friend - Craig Roy - but tried to escape justice by pleading guilty to a much lesser charge of culpable homicide.
During the course of a 12 day trial in Glasgow''s high court - the case for the defence was that Craig Roy's responsibility for the killing was 'diminished' - because of the circumstances involved and because Roy suffered from a personality disorder.
The victim's character and reputation were also trashed during the trial - with the killer implying that Jack Frew had contributed to his own death - which came about after he had been stabbed 20 times and had his throat cut.
Thankfully the jury dismissed the case for the defence and unanimously found Craig Roy guilty of murder - for which he will serve a life sentence.
But the life sentence is highly unlikely to mean that Craig Roy spends the rest of his days in prison - just that he serves a minimum number of years in jail - before becoming eligible for parole.
The victim's parents - Lorraine and Robert Frew - were understandably distraught at the end of the trial - and said that their own life sentence was just beginning.
Now I'm not a 'lock them up and throw away the key' sort of person - generally speaking.
I do believe that people who commit dreadful and sometimes violent acts - are capable of change and being rehabilitated.
But it seems increasingly clear to me that this 'minimum number of years policy' - is bringing the whole concept of a life sentence into disrepute.
I don't have any figures to hand - though I would hazard a guess that most murderers walk out of prison - soon after their minimum number of years is up.
I find a whole number of issues to do with Scotland's criminal justice system - both puzzling and worrying.
I must sit down one day and set out my thoughts - because it seems to me that the victims of crime, their families and the general public - are getting a raw deal.
