Murderer John Wilson, who stabbed Michelle Stewart to death in 2008, has had his latest parole bid rejected. His victim's sister Lisa says she was ordered to sign a confidentiality agreement and is being silenced.
Killer's parole bid rejected
Wilson, 38, was released from prison in January 2025 after serving 16 years of a life sentence for murdering 17-year-old Michelle Stewart. He was recalled to jail for breaching his licence conditions within a year. His latest parole hearing last Friday saw his freedom bid rejected.
Michelle's sister Lisa Stewart attended the hearing and said she was ordered to sign a confidentiality agreement prohibiting her from speaking about the reasons Wilson was recalled. She told the Daily Record: "My blood ran cold when I heard about what this monster did before he was sent back to jail earlier this year. I should be allowed to speak out about that so that people are aware of exactly what he is capable of when he gets out in the future but the parole board are silencing me."
She added: "When someone commits a crime all the details are normally heard in court, so why is it different with parole hearings? This man took away Michelle's voice and now her family are being stopped from speaking out."
Background of the murder
Wilson ambushed Michelle Stewart in Ayrshire, stabbing her 10 times with a 10-inch blade in front of friends. He was minutes from her home in Drongan. He had been stalking her after they broke up and took two buses from Prestwick before attacking. He pleaded guilty in March 2009 and was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years, discounted from 16 due to his guilty plea.
He was freed last year after his fifth parole hearing despite a 2023 review showing he had not undertaken domestic violence work in 14 years behind bars. At the time, Lisa warned: "They're saying he's had no rehabilitation work so he's still in the mind frame that he was in when he did that to Michelle."
Family's campaign for Michelle's Law
Since 2019, the Stewart family have campaigned for Michelle's Law, which would introduce exclusion zones for offenders upon release. This followed Wilson being spotted near the family's home multiple times on supervised leave since 2018. Lisa said: "For John Wilson to be back in the local community is not only a kick in the face to us, but it speaks volumes about the current status of victims in the eyes of the SNP government."
Lisa also demanded a proper rehabilitation programme for Wilson before any future release. She said: "We were told on Friday his parole will be reviewed again in July of 2027, but for us it starts way before that. We will have a few months of respite now and then have to meet with parole officers again in January or February to prepare for his next hearing."
Parole Board's response
A spokesperson for the Parole Board for Scotland said they do not comment on individual cases and are "committed to operating as openly and transparently as possible within the constraints of the statutory Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2022." They added: "The Rules require that any information about any application, document, or any other information provided to the Board or to a panel, or the name of any person involved in the proceedings must not be disclosed either directly or indirectly to any person not involved in the proceedings to which the information relates or to the public. It is for this reason that anyone attending a parole hearing to observe the proceedings is required to sign a confidentiality agreement."
