Scottish judge sentences Jack Frew murderer to life imprisonment

Friday, March 2, 2012 

Craig Roy, found guilty of the murder of Jack Frew, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Lord Doherty after a trial at the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland lasting twelve days. In court, Doherty told Roy he "carried out a brutal, sustained and merciless attack".

	[Roy] carried out a brutal, sustained and merciless attack
—Judge Lord Doherty

Roy confirmed that in May 2010 he stabbed Frew with a cooking knife twenty times in woodland close to Duncanrig Secondary School in the town of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, where the two were classmates. Frew had previously contacted Roy by text, asking to meet him at this location, Roy explained. Roy spoke of his intention being to "scare" Frew when bringing the knife to their meeting and claimed he could not recall stabbing him despite admitting it. During the attack Roy, who was aged seventeen at the time, managed to slit Frew's throat, damage his ribs and puncture his lungs. According to Doherty, Frew was left "dead and mutilated". Wounds on Frew's hand indicated he had unsuccessfully attempted to defend himself.

The jury at the High Court was told that Roy was feeling guilt because he was unfaithful to Christopher Hannah, his long time boyfriend, with Jack Frew, an openly homosexual 16-year-old. Roy told the court Frew attempted to blackmail Roy into having sex with him.

In the minutes following the attack, Roy did not contact the emergency services. However, Roy contacted Hannah via telephone. Having travelled to the scene of the attack, Hannah told the court: "Craig had blood all over him. I was worried he was hurt. He wasn't saying anything. He wasn't making sense. He looked bewildered. There was a knife in his hand." He stated of Frew: "His neck was cut. It was open. I knew he wasn't alive."

The defence had attempted to get the murder charge reduced to one of culpable homicide on the grounds of Roy having a personality disorder. Roy claimed he suffered from anger management difficulties, choosing to conceal his emotions publicly before going on to "explode" when not in a public place, harming himself. Three psychologists at the trial providing evidence to the jury stated that when Roy committed the murder he suffered from neither mental impairment nor personality disorder. The defence's claim was ultimately rejected by the jury. All members of the jury were agreed upon the guilty verdict after deliberating under two hours.

After the trial, in a statement, Robert and Lorraine Frew described their son Jack as "a happy, loving vibrant boy who loved life and brought fun and laughter to every situation".

Roy is to remain in prison for at least eighteen years before gaining the right to apply for parole. If granted parole, Roy must adhere to set licence conditions until his death.

Sources

• "Craig Roy jailed for life for murder of schoolboy Jack Frew" — BBC News Online, March 1, 2012
• "Teenager jailed for life for 'merciless' murder of Jack Frew" — STV (TV network), March 1, 2012