A public meeting is set to take place later this month to discuss concerns over the pre-release of a notorious murderer in Newry.
35 year old Stephen Scott is understood to be living in the city after serving 17 years of a life sentence for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend in 1998.
Scott gave his 17 year old girlfriend, Sylvia Fleming, alcohol and sleeping pills before blindfolding her and tying her to the bed at their home in Omagh in April 1998.
The cold blooded killer then taped up her eyes and mouth, injecting her with insulin before strangling or smothering her – the exact cause of death was never established.
He kept her body in the attic until the following day when he returned from a swimming session, carried her body into the bathroom and hacksawed her into eight pieces.
Scott’s two friends later helped him to bury the pregnant teenager’s remains about a mile away at a housing development on Circular Road.
The gruesome murder outraged residents and sent shockwaves throughout the country, sparking three nights of rioting in Omagh, with relatives of suspects being burnt out of their homes. Scott was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 and ordered to serve a minimum 19-year term. He was described as a psychopathic bully who was so violent he is said to have scared even Johnny Adair while in prison.
Last week Sylvia’s heartbroken sister spoke out after being told that Scott had been spotted painting a fence in Newry. Josie Fleming told BBC Radio that, even though her family knew the time of his pre-release was approaching, they are “angry and fearful” that he is back on the streets.
“That man should never, ever be released because he committed such a cruel cruel thing,” she said.
“He’ll be able to start a new life for himself while Sylvia can’t grow old.”
“You never can come to terms with what happened, we’re learning to live with it but we’ll never, ever get over it.”
The public meeting called in response to the murderer’s pre-release will take place in Ballybot House, Newry on Tuesday 25th July at 11am.