A Dundee man who killed his wife after stabbing her 36 times in a frenzied attack eight years ago has been allowed out of a psychiatric hospital for a shopping spree in Glasgow.
Neil Cumming stabbed spouse Barbara — known as Jane — to death at their home in Longforgan, just outside Dundee, in 2011 but was acquitted on grounds of insanity.
One of the blows to her back was so severe the blade exited her chest.
The 52-year-old, who has been detained at Carstairs State Hospital, reportedly spent three hours at the Fort shopping complex in Glasgow last week, in the company of two escorts.
Cumming, who tried to kill himself after his wife’s death by crashing his car into the back of a lorry on the A90 Perth to Dundee road, was seen walking around Marks and Spencer buying food.
He was also spotted sitting down to an hour-long lunch in a sushi restaurant, as well as stopping at a coffee shop for takeaway drinks and snacks.
Angus Forbes, Conservative councillor for Longforgan, said allowing Cumming out sent the “wrong message”.
Mr Forbes said: “I was disappointed to learn Neil Cumming is out and about in Lanarkshire.
“I understand he was supervised at the time which is reassuring, but I am not sure this sends out the right message to the family of his victim.”
A Carstairs spokeswoman said: “Due to patient confidentiality we cannot discuss the care and treatment of individual patients.
“However, in general terms, the state hospital aims to rehabilitate patients.
“Patient therapeutic outings are part of the rehabilitation process and are subject to a rigorous risk assessment.”
Last year the killer hit the headlines when some female staff at Carstairs voiced concern that he was being prescribed anti-impotence medication Viagra.
Cumming, who has a long history of mental illness, tried to sue NHS Tayside for £250,000 for not admitting him to hospital the day before he killed his wife.
He was turned away from the Carseview Centre but said he had not been told a bed was available at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.
