Council convener responds after pair are sentenced

The convener of Shetland Islands Council has described the murder of Tracey Walker as “senseless and brutal”.

Malcolm Bell was speaking after Judge Lord Uist jailed Ross MacDougall for a minimum of 23 years.

His co-accused Dawn Smith was ordered to serve at least 20 years and two months.

Mr Bell said: “This was a senseless and brutal murder of a defenceless woman which horrified not only her friends and relatives but also the entire community.

“Our thoughts today are very much with those she has left behind.

“Serious violent crime is, thankfully, very rare in Shetland and we are fortunate to live in a community that is both safe and tolerant.

“However, as this case demonstrates we are not immune from it. I would like to express my gratitude for the police investigation which promptly reassured the public and today ultimately ensured justice was done.”

NO COMMENTS

Add Your Comment

Add Your Comment

Please note, it is the policy of The Shetland Times to publish comments and letters from named individuals only. Both forename and surname are required.

Comments are moderated. Contributors must observe normal standards of decency and tolerance for the opinions of others.

The views expressed are those of contributors and not of The Shetland Times.

The Shetland Times reserves the right to decline or remove any contribution without notice or stating reason.

Comments are limited to 200 words but please email longer articles or letters to editorial@shetlandtimes.co.uk for consideration and include a daytime telephone number and your address. If emailing information in confidence please put "Not for publication" in both the subject line and at the top of the main message.

200 words left

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

logo

Get Latest News in Your Inbox

Join the The Shetland Times mailing list to get one daily email update at midday on what's happening in Shetland.