Why was thug released?

Published 2 Aug 2010 11:13

A VIOLENT criminal who chased his neighbour armed with two knifes should have been released - a victim support group have claimed.

Michael McNealy, was released early from his last sentence but was sent back to prison last week for attempting to slash his neighbour in Braeside Drive.

McNealy had only been out jail a week when he attacked his neighbour and a director of the support group People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL) has told how re-offending is all too common and a growing concern.

Joe Duffy has questioned the value in court sentences and how someone can be released early from a jail term as a rehabilitated person and then commit similar offences only seven days later.

He said: "It just seems to happen on a re-occurring basis that people are getting released early for a violent act. Somebody has decided he should be released into the community and the amount of times they come out and consistently re-offend is remarkably high.

"That highlights one of two things.

"If they are being released early then surely that would imply they have been rehabilitated but if they are re-offending in such high numbers then clearly they haven't been.

"The court process needs looked at because why were they allowed out.

"It happens too often, someone is released early and then re-offends and is put back in prison. The re-offending statistics are there for everyone to see. When people commit culpable homicide or murder it is very rarely their first offence. If you can cut down on the re-offending then you can cut down on the level of violent crime."

Vicious McNealy chased his neighbour armed with two kitchen knives.

The 32-year-old was wearing only an unfastened dressing gown as he came out of a house and pursued his innocent victim, threatening to kill him and repeatedly trying to strike him with the knives.

McNealy, who has a lengthy criminal record including convictions for serious assault, robbery and possessing offensive weapons, could have faced a life sentence under an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) after a full risk assessment was called for in his case.

But a judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said he considered that the factors required for such a disposal were not met.

Lord Brailsford told McNealy he was giving him an "opportunity" but warned that if he lapsed into crime again there was every possibility that an OLR would be imposed on him.

The judge also ordered that McNealy should be kept under supervision for a further five years.

Lord Brailsford said McNealy had spent most of his formative years in care and residential homes and then "deteriorated into the abuse of alcohol and drugs which gave rise to the offences which have caused an extensive criminal record".

McNealy earlier admitted attacking a 46-year-old man to the danger of his life on October 23 last year at Braeside Drive brandishing knives at him, pursuing him and attempting to hit him with the weapons.

The victim had gone to speak to his daughter outside his home when he became aware of McNealy, who was staying at the home of a relative in the street, emerging from a nearby house.

McNealy was holding two large kitchen knives, with blades of six and seven inches, and began chasing his victim between parked cars.

His victim kept talking to his attacker in a bid to get to lay the knives down and McNealy did throw the weapons to the ground.

Police who arrived to detain him found him to be intoxicated and aggressive.

Defence solicitor advocate Des Finnieston said McNealy had become 'institutionalised' but had an exceptionally tragic background.

McNealy was caged for 45 months.

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This article appeared in Barrhead News 28 Jul 10

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