By Steve Bargeton, political editor

SCOTTISH TORY LEADER Annabel Goldie yesterday accused the government of putting the public in danger by allowing dangerous criminals to be released early from prison.

At First Minister’s Questions Miss Goldie cited the case heard at Perth Sheriff Court this week in which the sheriff had complained about his lack of powers in dealing with the case of a sex offender who was released early from prison.

David McMillan, who was jailed for raping a retired teacher in 1996, had been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for propositioning a 13-year-old girl in a play park.

He was released early but with the condition he stayed at home at night, however he admitted breaching his curfew.

Sheriff Robert McCreadie complained that he had no power to ban him from working with children or going into schools or play parks, and could sentence him only for a breach of curfew.

Miss Goldie told MSPs, “In Perth Sheriff Court a violent rapist who was in prison for a subsequent sexual offence involving a 13-year-old-girl was released after six months of an 18-month sentence on conditions which he broke within three days.

“This man was described by the sheriff as posing ‘a high risk of reoffending’.

“Is the First Minister content that predatory sex offenders get early release then get out only to breach their release conditions, because I am not.”

Alex Salmond said he shared Ms Goldie’s concern about predatory sex offenders and would arrange for justice secretary Kenny MacAskill to write to her about this case.

Widening her attack, the Tory leader accused Mr Salmond of being “more interested in emptying our jails and betraying victims and the public” by releasing prisoners early.

She said the government had failed to implement proposals her party had put forward for monitoring sex offenders.

The Tories want technology such as satellite tracking devices to be used improve the monitoring of such criminals.

They have also called for sex offenders who have disappeared to undergo lie detector tests when they are traced, in a bid to determine where they have been and what they done while they have been on the run.

Mr Salmond said the early decision by his government to go ahead with a new Peterhead prison, where staff work with convicted sex offenders, showed, commitment.

Last night a Scottish Government spokesman said, “David McMillan was released on licence last year but following reports that he had breached his licence conditions, Scottish ministers revoked that licence and asked the police to take him back to custody.

“He is now liable to be held in custody until the expiry of his sentence.

“All prisoners released on licence are supervised by a local authority social worker until the expiry of their sentence and whilst on licence an offender will be subject to a number of conditions relevant to their risk and needs.”