A WOMAN called for a referendum on capital punishment after her
daughter's killer had been jailed for life, with a recommendation that
he serve at least 15 years.
Mrs Marguerite Adam was speaking after a judge had jailed Edward
Mullen for the murder which shocked a quiet Ayrshire town saying: ''I
consider that at present you are a danger to the public.''
Mullen, 25, of Meadowfoot Road, West Kilbride, admitted the murder of
Mrs Yvette Wilson, 27, on January 19 in a bothy at the town's railway
station.
The High Court at Kilmarnock heard that Mrs Wilson, a waitress at
Inverkip Marina and part-time design student, had been on her way to an
evening out with friends when she was grabbed by Mullen. She was taken
into an outhouse known locally as the bothy, where a scarf was placed
round her neck then stuffed into her mouth, suffocating her. The body
was later burned beyond recongition.
Defence counsel Donald Findlay, QC, said that, following careful
consideration of the evidence and consultation with his client, he was
tendering pleas of guilty to murder and not guilty to two charges of
breach of the peace, one of theft and another of setting fire to Mrs
Wilson's body with intent to defeat the ends of justice. These were
accepted by advocate depute Iain Bonomy, QC, on behalf of the Crown.
Later Mrs Adam expressed her anger and bitterness at the ''mutation''
who had killed her daughter, and as well as calling for the restoration
of capital punishment, was critical of the railway authorities for
de-manning stations like West Kilbride.
She was joined in her criticism of ''lonely, dark railway stations''
by local MP Brian Wilson, who is also demanding an inquiry into why
Mullen was released early from a prison sentence for violent sex
offences and allowed into the community without any supervision.
The court was told by Mr Bonomy that Mullen had moved to West Kilbride
in December 1994 and was unemployed, living in a bedsit near the railway
station. He added: ''The accused was convicted of a number of offences,
including violence, in 1986, then in September 1991, at the High Court
in Glasgow, was convicted of assault and robbery and assault with intent
to ravish and was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment.''
Mullen was released from Peterhead prison in June 1994 -- having been
given remission -- and lived in Ardrossan, then West Kilbride.
Mr Bonomy described how Mrs Wilson, recently estranged from her
husband, had arranged a night out with friends in Largs on January 19
and was to meet a friend on the train, which she would board at West
Kilbride.
She never made the appointment and, two days later, her purse was
found near the station and her estranged husband reported her missing
after finding that her dogs had not been fed.
Mr Bonomy said: ''That evening, British Transport Police on routine
mobile patrol went into the bothy, which was open . . . they discovered
the body of Yvette Wilson lying on the floor with her knees drawn up and
legs wide apart.''
The advocate depute went on to describe how paper, wood and paint had
been piled on the body and set on fire. ''Her upper torso and head were
incinerated . . . her facial features were burned beyond recognition.''
He said that a copy of the Sun newspaper, opened at Page 3 and showing
the almost nude figure of a young woman, was lying between Mrs Wilson's
legs.
She was finally identified by her jewellery and by DNA testing. A post
mortem examination showed that she had died from asphyxiation and the
burning of the body took place after death.
The court heard that, on the night of the murder, Mullen had left his
flat and later that evening had spent time drinking and playing pool in
a local public house, as well as travelling to Ardrossan to buy
cannabis.
His fingerprints were found on the door of the bothy and those of his
then girlfriend were found on the newspaper fragments. Mr Bonomy
described how Mullen had broken down crying and admitted his involvement
in the murder, saying that he had put the scarf around her mouth and
neck to keep her quiet.
Mr Bonomy said that Mullen had told police of ''urges to harm people,
mainly women'' which he had kept under control, but added that there was
no record of Mullen seeking psychiatric help at Peterhead.
He said that, for some weeks before the killing, Mullen had shown
particular interest in the movements of young women around the station,
but that this was never reported to police. ''With hindsight, that is
perhaps a pity.''
Mr Findlay said that, in all his dealings with Mullen, he had admitted
his part in the killing and that, while offering no explanation, showed
''considerable regret and contrition''.
He added: ''On the subject of the newspaper, I would point out that,
while some people may derive a perverted pleasure from broadcasting
details of this, there was no relevance in the paper, which had been
grabbed from his flat and taken to the bothy. It could have been open at
any page.''
Mr Findlay said that his client had sought psychiatric help in
Peterhead, but there had been no interest shown, and that he had gone to
a GP to tell him that he was having trouble adjusting to life on the
outside.
He added: ''While Mr Mullen has not given me any explanation, he has
expressed his sympathy to the family of the deceased . . . anyone who
thinks it is easy to plead guilty to murder is not living in the real
world . . . he has shown considerable fortitude and courage in taking
this course.''
Mrs Marguerite Adam dismissed the apology and added later: ''They talk
about people getting a second chance. Where is my daughter's second
chance -- resurrection?
''I have always believed in capital punishment and, after this, I have
never been surer. It was not meant as a deterrent but to rid society of
the kind of people who do this.
''I am not talking about things done in the heat of the moment, but
this murder was not like that. Now we will all have to pay to keep this
mutation in prison for 15 years. The time has come for consideration to
be given to the victims and those they leave behind. The do-gooders and
bleeding hearts have had their say, now let the people speak in a
referendum on capital punishment. The results might just surprise
everyone.''
Mrs Adam accused ScotRail of ''penny pinching'' in the de-manning of
stations and it was backed by Brian Wilson MP, who said: ''It is just
crazy that these stations are being turned into dark, lonely places
where people are not safe. For months before this tragic case, ScotRail
and Railtrack were arguing over who was responsible for the lighting.''
He is also to press the Lord Advocate for an inquiry into why Mullen
was released early and not given any supervision, despite ''the nature
of his offences and his obvious predilection for behaviour like this.''
A spokesman for ScotRail said: ''We have every sympathy for Mrs Adam
and her family and are gratified that the court case has ended in a
conviction.
''Throughout Scotland there are 332 railway stations, of which 146 are
manned. ScotRail does not believe it would be feasible to man the other
186. ScotRail puts considerable emphasis on safety in stations and
co-operates in this field with British Transport Police. Good lighting
and the increased use of closed circuit television have resulted in a
good general standard of safety in Scottish stations.''
Mrs Adam praised Strathclyde Police, on whose behalf Superintendent
Louis Munn said: ''This was a brutal murder which was particularly
harrowing for everyone in the inquiry team.
''The response from a community shocked by this crime was excellent
and the police and local people worked closely together. It is a tribute
to the dedication and professionalism of every officer, in particular
members of the forensic team, that this inquiry reached such a speedy
conclusion.''
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