The mother of a woman murdered by her estranged husband while he was out on bail has stated that the justice system failed her family. Stacy Hunter, 35, was found dead at a cottage in Houston, Renfrewshire, on July 27. Her estranged husband, Jim Mair, 43, was also found dead at the scene, with his death treated as unexplained.
Ann Hunter, Stacy’s mother, believes her daughter might still be alive if Mair had been wearing a GPS tag, which would have alerted authorities if he approached Stacy’s home. Mair had been charged with assaulting Stacy on July 6 and appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court, but was granted bail. "He should never have been let out on bail. And, at the very least, he should have had this tag on him to monitor where he was," Mrs. Hunter said. She added that if a tag had been in place, "maybe she would still be here."
The murder has spurred calls for "Stacy's Law," a proposed measure that would mandate electronic monitoring for high-risk domestic abuse suspects and perpetrators. This would involve using GPS technology to prevent them from approaching their alleged victims. A petition supporting these measures highlights that the technology could establish exclusion zones around a victim's home and alert police to any breaches.
Mrs. Hunter described her daughter as "a strong, independent woman – very much so for her children and all her family." She noted that she had observed signs of coercive control in Stacy's relationship, and that Mair became "violently aggressive" after Stacy told him she was leaving. He was arrested after attempting to throttle his wife.
Professor Mike Nellis, a criminal justice expert at the University of Strathclyde, confirmed that such a GPS monitoring system could be implemented. However, he cautioned that no system offers complete protection, stating that "Every jurisdiction that has used it has at one point had an offender who still managed to assault, injure or kill the victim. It’s a helpful solution but it’s not perfect."
While Scotland primarily uses older radio frequency tagging systems, GPS monitoring has been in use in England and Wales since 2018. First Minister John Swinney has acknowledged the Stacy’s Law campaign and stated he would give "serious consideration" to increasing GPS tracking for domestic abuse perpetrators. The Crown Office offered condolences to Stacy’s loved ones and made an offer to meet with the family to answer questions about the prosecution's role in the case against Mair. A spokesperson for the Judicial Office stated that bail decisions are governed by legislation and consider the unique circumstances of each case and information provided by both the Crown and the defense.