Family plea to put mother’s killer in high-security facility

The family of a carer who was stabbed to death say Scottish ministers have done nothing to create a high-security psychiatric facility for women.

Michele Rutherford’s daughter Amy says it is “unacceptable” that there is nowhere in Scotland for her mother’s killer – who will be treated at a facility in Wales.

Mrs Rutherford, 54, was killed at Craighall Court supported accommodation in Stirling in March 2023, by resident Kellyanne McNaughton.

Amy, her sister Lyndsay and their father William have raised concerns with the Scottish government and say they want to make sure McNaughton cannot harm again.

Amy told BBC Scotland News: “We don’t particularly care about that individual.

“But we want them to get the help and support they need, which will then make everyone else safer and not put anyone else at risk.”

The family will meet Justice Secretary Angela Constance and Social Care Minister Maree Todd later to seek progress.

Mrs Rutherford was care manager at the supported accommodation where McNaughton, 33, was a resident.

McNaughton was originally charged with murder but in January this year prosecutors accepted a plea to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Sentencing was delayed several times due to problems finding a secure hospital to accommodate her.

Mrs Rutherford’s family attended multiple court hearings where they learned there had been failed discussions about transferring McNaughton to two clinics, as well as the Rampton Secure Hospital in England.

Amy said the court process had been traumatic.

She said: “We’re not really a priority and they don’t really care what it’s putting families through and kind of neglect that whole side of it.

“We weren’t guided through it like we would like to be.”

In June, it was confirmed that McNaughton would receive treatment at the Priory Hospital Llanarth Court in Monmouthshire, Wales – deemed a medium-risk facility.

But the family say McNaughton should only be in a high secure facility, the highest level of secure mental health care in Scotland.

This is for patients who pose “a grave and immediate danger to others if at large”.

However, there is no facility at this level for women in Scotland.

McNaughton stabbed Mrs Rutherford repeatedly during the attack in March last year.

Staff had tried to get McNaughton psychiatric help after she reported hearing voices but were told she would have to go to a GP to get a new referral.

Michele’s husband William said sending McNaughton to the medium-risk facility in Wales was “just endangering staff”.

“They’ve categorised these people for a reason,” he said.

“To me, if you’ve got a high-risk person they go into a high-risk facility – that facility is geared up to deal with that person.

“Why are you putting a high-risk person into a medium-risk facility that’s maybe not geared up for them, the staff isn’t trained to the right levels.”

Carstairs, Scotland’s State Hospital, only takes male patients.

In recent years a small number of women in Scottish prisons with specialist mental health care needs have been sent to Rampton high-security hospital in Nottinghamshire.

A review in 2021 said sending women requiring high secure psychiatric to England was “indefensible” and that Carstairs should be reopened to women within nine months. This did not happen.

However, the Scottish government said it was now proposing the re-opening of Carstairs to women.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “We are planning for high secure provision for women in the State Hospital and work is at a very early stage.

“We are working with health boards to improve access to care for women requiring high secure mental health treatment and we will continue to do this as the longer-term proposition at the State Hospital is developed.

“My thoughts remain with Michele Rutherford’s family and I sympathise with everything they have gone through.

The family said the timing of the proposal was suspicious and still “too late for them”.

They feel their mother has been lost in much of the media coverage about McNaughton.

Michele Rutherford worked as a carer and care manager for two decades.

She loved family walks along the beach in Ayr and holidays together in Florida in the US.

Amy said their hope is to ensure other families do not have to go through the same trauma.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get justice,” she added.

“We are trying to push this so much so there’s something good to come from it, so my mum’s just not gone for no reason.”