Stacy Mair's family say she was failed by the justice system after her estranged husband was granted bail weeks before she was found dead in Renfrewshire last month. The 35-year-old's mum said her daughter might still be alive if estranged husband Jim Mair had been monitored with a GPS tag before her death.
Discovery at Houston cottage
Stacy, whose maiden name was Stacy Hunter, was found dead at a cottage in the village of Houston on July 27. Police treated her death as murder. Jim Mair, 43, was also found dead at the cottage, with his death being treated as unexplained. Mair had appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court on July 6 charged with assaulting Stacy.
Family calls for GPS monitoring
Stacy's mother Ann Hunter and brother Sean Hunter spoke to BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday. They supported a petition which called for “a dedicated GPS electronic monitoring scheme for domestic abuse perpetrators who are assessed as posing a significant risk to a partner” or former partner. It says this can create an exclusion zone around a victim's home.
Ann remembered Stacy as “a strong, independent woman – very much so for her children and all her family”. She continued: “That light got dimmed and taken away from her, and I want her children to remember we're having a voice for her now.” Asked if Stacy had been failed by the system, Ann said: “Definitely, absolutely.”
Signs of coercive control
She said Jim Mair would not have been granted bail if the full circumstances of the case had been considered. Ann described how she had noticed signs of coercive control in Jim and Stacy's relationship. When Stacy said she was leaving he started to become “violently aggressive” towards her, Ann said. She also claimed after an incident in which he tried to strangle her, Jim was arrested.
She said: “He should never have been let out on bail. And, at the very least, if he had been let out on bail, (he should have had) this tag on him to monitor where he was.” If a tag had been in place “maybe she would still be here”, Ann said. Police Scotland and the Crown Office were approached for comment.
