Killer will serve at least 20 years for his second murder

A MAN who murdered his ex-wife was jailed for at least 20 years for killing another woman after he was freed from prison on licence.

Philip Fraser, 50, murdered Donna Forrest following a terrifying campaign of harassment after she ended their brief relationship.

He attacked the 30-year-old mother with a knife and a hammer in an act of "appalling violence and barbarity".

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Fraser was out on life licence at the time of the killing, having been released from jail around two years previously.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court in October 1997 for the murder of his former wife, Kathryn Scaife, and was released on life licence on 15 February, 2008.

Judge Lord Menzies, sitting in Edinburgh, jailed Fraser for life and ordered him to spend a minimum of 20 years behind bars. He warned Fraser he may never be released from prison again.

The court heard that Fraser and Ms Forrest saw each other for a brief period after his release from prison. Ms Forrest ended the relationship last year and told friends she was considering moving from her home in Balintore, Easter Ross, because Fraser was pestering her, seemed "obsessed" with her and was following her about.

Neither the police nor the parole service was informed of his behaviour, however.

The court heard that Ms Forrest's neighbours were woken by the sound of banging on her front door in the early hours of 11 April.

Advocate depute John Scullion said: "The accused was seen standing outside Donna Forrest's front door, striking the glass panel of the door. The accused then smashed the glass panel and entered the house."

He said that Fraser, armed with a clawhammer, found Ms Forrest and another man in bed, and he told the man to leave.

Mr Scullion said: "The accused and Donna Forrest then made their way from the bedroom downstairs to the kitchen.

"Shortly after the accused was seen to enter Donna Forrest's home, neighbours heard the sound of screaming coming from within the house and contacted the police.

"The screaming continued for a short period before stopping suddenly."

Fraser telephoned police almost immediately afterwards and confessed to the killing. Officers found his victim lying dead in a pool of blood.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had seven "blunt force" injuries from blows to the head with a hammer and 15 stab wounds on her head and body.

Passing sentence, Lord Menzies called Fraser a "very dangerous man".He added: "You committed this murder while released from prison on licence in respect of another murder which you committed in 1997."

He said the only possible sentence for the "premeditated" and "awful" crime was life behind bars.

"Standing your previous conviction and the fact that you murdered again while on licence, it must be very unlikely that you will ever be released again," the judge told Fraser.