Drongan girl's murderer gets 12 years

Apr 17 2009 by Lisa Boyle

A GRIEVING dad says he is devastated and outraged that his daughter’s killer has been jailed for just 12 years.

Evil John Wilson could be free when he is 32-years-old – despite stabbing pretty teenager Michelle Stewart 10 times in a Drongan street.

Her dad Kenny is convinced that savage knife crime will not stop because the punishment is too lenient.

Michelle should have been looking forward to celebrating her 18th birthday next week. Her family had planned to buy her first car for her.

Instead, mum Josephine, dad Kenny and siblings Lisa, Kenny and Steven will visit Michelle’s grave and lay 18 roses.

After Wilson, 20, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow, Kenny told the Post of the family’s heartache.

He said: “We are feeling really bad and very let down by the justice system. I was expecting him to get at least 17 years.

“The judge told him he would have sentenced him to 16 years but it was reduced because he pled guilty.

“This was pre-meditated murder, no doubt about it. He left his house and got on two buses from Prestwick to Ayr and then to Drongan with a knife to get to Michelle.

“He knew exactly what he was going to do.

“Michelle hadn’t been out of the house for two weeks and decided to go a walk to the shop with her pals for some sweets. She was only going to be an hour. You would never imagine that something like this could have happened to her.”

Kenny continued: “My life has gone from colour to black and white. I wake up in the morning and everything is great and then I remember and everything is bad again as it all falls into place.

“I still drive into Drongan and think I’m going to visit her. I just can’t accept that I’ll never see my daughter again.

“She was only 17 and had her whole life in front of her. He’ll still be a young man when he gets out of jail and he’ll get an education and a trade while he is in jail.

“He doesn’t know what a life sentence is. We are the ones serving the life sentence.”

Kenny went on to say that he fears Michelle will not be the last victim of knife crime.

He said: “There are all these big crime prevention campaigns emphasising the consequences of knife crime but at the end of the day unless things change at the top, unless life means life and they start handing out much longer sentences, there is no deterrent and knife crime will never stop.”

Wilson, also known as John Sankin, murdered Michelle in cold blood weeks after she broke up with him.

Michelle had been forced to change her phone number to stop Wilson pestering her.

The ambitious youngster was studying for her final exams at Auchinleck Academy and intended pursuing an administration career in the police force.

But her life was cut tragically short early on the evening of November 14 last year.

Wilson pled guilty to her murder. Judge Lord Brailsford pointed out that he had shown no remorse when interviewed by social workers.

He added: “This was entirely unprovoked. It happened in front of her friends and in a public place.”

Wilson will be able to apply for parole in 12 years.