Following the stabbing and subsequent death of Tracy Walker in Lerwick on the 30th of July 2019, Ross MacDougall and Dawn Smith had been charged with her murder. Jurors at Edinburgh High Court had subsequently found them guilty with evidence led that the pair had sought to obtain money to buy drugs.
Mr MacDougall was jailed for a minimum of 23 years whilst Ms Smith was ordered to serve a minimum sentence of 20 years and two months.
In passing sentence, Lord Uist stated to Mr MacDougall that:
“Your criminal record – particularly your conviction for assault to severe injury and danger of life and your conviction for this matter – show you are an evil man.”
And in turning to Ms Smith Lord Uist stated that as she “encouraged or instigated your co-accused to commit this murder and supplied him with a knife which he used”, her “guilt is at least as great as his”.