Robbie Thomson murder: mother demands answers
The devastated mother of tragic Coupar Angus teenager Robbie Thomson has demanded to know why his murderer David Barker was free to kill.
Officers from Central Scotland Police's specialist underwater search unit examining the burn where Robbie Thomson's body was found.
- By Mark Mackay
- Published in the Courier : 23.09.10
- Published online : 23.09.10 @ 03.09pm
Lorraine Scofield has been tortured by the thought her son's killer -- sentenced on Wednesday to a minimum of 19 years -- should have been behind bars rather than free to explode in a flurry of violence.
It has emerged that police had arrested Barker the day before the attack, he having cut off an electronic tag imposed as an alternative to imprisonment and allegedly taking the opportunity to commit a robbery.
He was later released as the force had no legal powers to hold him for removing the tag, leaving him free to return home.
Mrs Scofield has now called for a public inquiry into the use of tagging for criminals as an alternative to prison sentences in a bid to raise awareness of the deficiencies in the system. And she wants justice secretary Kenny MacAskill to explain why Barker was free to murder her son despite having flouted an order of the court.
"Nothing is going to bring Robbie back -- I know that," she said. "I just can't stop thinking if Barker had been kept in custody for taking off his tag, my son might still be here today."
Mrs Scofield believes Barker should have been locked up the moment he was found to have removed the tag, rather than free to attend a party and then end her son's life.
"If Kenny MacAskill is planning to put more people on tags instead of jailing them, then he should be made to explain why nothing happens when they break their tags," she said.
"Barker was wearing a tag as an alternative to being sent to jail, so surely the moment he took that tag off he was committing a crime.
Explanation
"I am considering making a formal complaint to the police just so that there is an investigation into this and someone can give me an explanation."
She added, "The system is just so wrong. I've been told that if someone breaches their tag it can take two weeks for the offence to come to court.
"People always go on about human rights, but what about Robbie's? David Barker was arrested on March 24 and had already taken the tag off."
It falls upon Serco, which provides the tags, to investigate and then contact the procurator fiscal and relevant court before a charge can be brought -- a process that can take weeks.
A spokeswoman for Tayside Police said, "If someone breaks a tag or breaches their conditions, then Serco must inform the court that imposed the monitoring, who in turn then inform the police. Tayside Police can only act once we have received official notification and directions from the relevant court."
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