Teenager's Killer Back in Prison After Parole Release Breach
The family of a murdered teenager have expressed vindication after her killer was returned to prison just over a year following his controversial parole release. John Wilson, now 37, who brutally stabbed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend Michelle Stewart to death in 2008, has had his licence revoked and been taken back into custody.
Family's Long-Standing Fears Confirmed
Michelle Stewart's sister Lisa, 47, told the Daily Record that news of Wilson's recall was "music to her ears" and confirmed the family had been "right all along" in their warnings about his potential to reoffend. Wilson was originally sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years after pleading guilty to the murder, which occurred in Drongan when he was just 20 years old.
"He was never going to abide by any licence conditions that were imposed on him," Lisa Stewart stated emphatically. "We knew that, eventually, he would breach his licence conditions. It was just a matter of when."
Brutal Attack and Inadequate Rehabilitation
The horrific details of Michelle's murder reveal Wilson had been stalking the schoolgirl following their breakup before ambushing her minutes from her home. He stabbed her ten times with a ten-inch blade in front of her friends, with her brother Kenny Jnr, a nurse, performing desperate CPR at the scene in a futile attempt to save her life.
Parole hearing minutes revealed Wilson had undertaken no domestic violence rehabilitation work during his first fourteen years in prison, leaving Michelle's family "speechless" at this revelation. "He hadn't shown any remorse for what he did to Michelle," Lisa explained. "That's not somebody who is rehabilitated, that's not somebody who would be safe to be released back into the community."
Campaign for Justice Reform
Since 2019, the Stewart family have campaigned vigorously for "Michelle's Law," which would implement significant changes to the justice system including establishing exclusion zones upon offender release. This campaign gained urgency after Wilson was repeatedly spotted in and around Ayr during supervised leave since 2018.
In a poignant letter to First Minister Humza Yousaf, Lisa Stewart described her ongoing trauma: "On a daily basis Mr Yousaf, I have flashbacks of Michelle lying on the pavement, lifeless, a large gaping stab wound visible on her chest, blood pouring from her stab wounds inflicted on her and her blue eyes staring straight ahead lifeless."
Current Situation and Future Proceedings
While the specific conditions Wilson breached remain undisclosed, it is understood he will remain incarcerated for six to eight weeks pending a fresh parole hearing. The Parole Board for Scotland maintains its policy of not commenting on individual cases.
Lisa Stewart articulated the family's position clearly: "Any breach of his licence conditions - regardless of how small it may be - clearly shows that he is not reformed in any way and that he should not be released." The family now anxiously awaits the upcoming hearing, hoping Wilson remains behind bars where they believe he belongs.
