I have thought long and hard before putting pen to paper on this but, after more than 40 years in journalism, this is one of very few occasions I have felt the need to speak out on a personal basis.
Not only have I spent years reporting on the shocking murder of Steven Donaldson, I am also Kirriemuir born and bred and have lived here most of my life.
What happened to Steven in Kirrie has quite honestly sickened every single local person I have spoken to, to their very cores.
That such a horrific murder could be carried out by young people in our lovely Wee Red Toon beggars belief.
There is nothing exceptional about Kirriemuir or its residents but after six decades of living here I always believed it to be a safe, secure and pleasant community to live and to bring up children.
That view, albeit a little idealistic, has been shattered – mention Kirriemuir nowadays and sadly people don’t think about Peter Pan or gingerbread anymore, but about the abominable atrocity that was carried out there quite deliberately in 2018.
Only recently I sat with Steven’s parents at Kinnordy Reserve and heard their story – it was heartbreaking.
Their lives have been ruined for ever – as have many others – as a result of the actions carried out that pleasant June evening by Tasmin Glass, Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson.
Quite how Pam and Bill Donaldson have managed to conduct themselves for the past six years with such admirable dignity is beyond me – I can honestly say I do not believe for one minute that I could succeed in the way they have.
As we await the decision on the parole of Tasmin Glass, described in court as manipulative and devious, I can only fervently hope that the campaign undertaken by this newspaper achieves what we have set out to achieve: to ensure that true justice is served and the perpetrators of evil pay a true and meaningful price for their heinous crimes.
In the meantime, on behalf of the people of Kirriemuir, I would like to offer the most sincere apology to the Donaldson family for what was done to Steven that night – he will never be forgotten and may his legacy mean that justice is served.
Lindsey Hamilton is a DC Thomson reporter and Kirriemuir resident. She has been working on The Courier’s A Voice for Victims campaign. Read more on the campaign here.Â
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