More than £150,000 of taxpayers’ money was used to pay for the defence of two accused in the trial of one of Tayside’s most horrific murder cases, the Tele can reveal.
Steven Jackson, 41, was convicted of the body in the bins murder of Montrose mum-of-three Kimberley MacKenzie, 38, in December, following a five-week trial at Glasgow High Court.
He brutally attacked Miss MacKenzie with a hammer and knife before dismembering her body with a saw and disposing of it in bin bags.
Michelle Higgins, 30, was cleared of murder and instead convicted of helping dispose of Miss MacKenzie’s body.
Now, under Freedom of Information legislation, the Tele can reveal that £81,430.20 of legal aid was spent on Jackson’s solicitor and counsel, while Higgins’ representatives received another £76,547.02, adding up to a total of £157,977.22 of taxpayers’ money.
People accused of criminal offences can apply to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (Slab) and there are financial tests that have to be applied to see if someone is able to win legal aid.
A spokesman for Slab said legal aid often helps vulnerable people, but the money never comes into direct contact with the accused.
He said: “Legal aid plays a key role in ensuring the Scottish justice system functions effectively.
“It provides funding so lawyers can represent people accused of serious crimes to help ensure a jury can reach an appropriate verdict in a timely manner.
“It is paid to a solicitor and the accused person never receives direct access to any public funds.
“We assess all accounts to check that we only pay for work actually and reasonably done, with due regard to economy.
“While certain high profile criminal cases attract attention, legal aid helps large numbers of often vulnerable people get access to justice.”
Miss MacKenzie was murdered by Jackson in Market Street in Montrose on October 27 2015.
Jackson repeatedly struck her on the head and body with a hammer and stabbed her with a knife more than 40 times.
He chopped up Miss MacKenzie’s body and dumped her remains in several bins with the help of Higgins.
Jackson was jailed for a minimum of 26 years while Higgins was sentenced to eight years behind bars for her role.
While the circumstances of the case were horrific, Montrose councillor Bill Duff said the legal aid cost was a result of having a fair trial.
He said: “We are talking about advocates and solicitors here for a five-week period so the cost will rack up.
“It’s the system we employ here and people are entitled to legal aid for a trial to defend themselves.
“It’s so everyone gets a fair representation in court and it’s the system I support.”
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