Parole case for Angus killer Tasmin Glass deferred as family brand failure to reach decision 'a nonsense'

The Courier

2 days ago

A parole bid by Angus killer Tasmin Glass has been deferred after the board failed to reach a decision.
Bill Donaldson, the father of Glass' victim Steven Donaldson, has called the outcome 'a nonsense'.
The Donaldsons were notified just before 2pm on Wednesday that The Parole Board for Scotland were 'unable to conclude their decision' on the Kirriemuir killer's latest bid for freedom.
It will now be around six to eight weeks before the case is considered again at an oral hearing.
Glass was granted parole in July last year, halfway through her sentence for culpable homicide, but recalled to prison in April for breaking the conditions of her release.
This is the third time a parole case involving Glass has been deferred.
The board failed to reach a decision on two other occasions before her eventual release last July, leaving the Donaldson family in a state of limbo for months.
The latest deferral has left Steven's family frustrated as they are forced to wait yet again to see if his killer will be released from jail.
Steven's dad Bill told The Courier: 'This is nonsense.
'We have not been told why this has happened but we understand it's because today's hearing was purely procedural with neither Glass nor any witnesses present.
'We are aware that she could have requested to be at the hearing but that appears to have not happened.
'This means this is, yet again, going to drag on for us.
'We now have to go through the entire procedure yet again.
'We can take comfort from the fact she currently remains in prison but how much longer do we have to deal with this.
'Yet again Glass seems to be dictating terms.'
The Kirriemuir killer was sent back to jail in April after breaking the conditions of her release just nine months after being granted freedom.
Under law she must be considered for parole again 'immediately' after recall.
The Donaldsons were notified of today's case a fortnight ago.
Glass was jailed in 2019 after being convicted of culpable homicide for her 'pivotal role' in the murder of Steven Donaldson in Kirriemuir.
Her co-accused, Steven Dickie and Callum Davidson, both received life sentences after being found guilty of murder.
Dickie has since taken his own life in prison.
In an interview with The Courier on the eve of the parole hearing, Bill Donaldson said he will never forgive Glass or the other killers.
He told us: 'We will never forgive Tasmin Glass or the other killers for the brutal way in which they murdered our beloved son.
'What they did was horrific. The way they killed Steven doesn't bear thinking about.
'We, as a family, will never forgive what they did.'
Through our A Voice for Victims campaign, The Courier has been working with families like the Donaldsons to bring reforms to the Scottish parole system.
We want more transparency, better communication for victims and a rethink on automatic parole consideration for violent offenders halfway through their sentence.