Pair found guilty of brutal knife murder of island woman

Two people have been convicted of murdering a 40-year-old woman during an attempted robbery in Shetland.

Ross McDougall, 32, and Dawn Smith, 29, were found guilty of the murder of Tracy Walker following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Officers and emergency services were called to Ladies Drive, Lerwick, around 2.05am on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, after reports of a woman being found outside a property.

Ms Walker was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard how McDougall and Smith targeted Ms Walker because they needed money to buy drugs.

The verdicts came during the 15th day of court proceedings. It is thought to be only the third murder to have been committed in Shetland in the past 50 years.

Detective Inspector Stewart Andrew, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “This was a brutal attack and one that has left Tracy’s family absolutely devastated.

“I hope this conviction has given them some sense of justice. Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time and I would like to thank the public for coming forward and assisting with our investigation.”

The proceedings will continue on Friday morning when the judge will sentence McDougall and Smith for murder and other charges.

Chief Inspector Lindsay Tulloch, Shetland Area Commander, also thanked the local community. “This was a harrowing ordeal for Tracy’s family, her friends and those who knew her and my thoughts are with them as they continue to come to terms with what happened.

“I would like to thank people from the local community for their quick actions in contacting emergency services during what I’m sure must have been a harrowing ordeal. What happened that day has had a huge impact on many families and people, the effect of which will continue for some time to come.

“Fortunately, this kind of crime is rare on Shetland and officers will continue to work to keep everyone in our communities safe. But this conviction should send a clear message that violence like this has no place in our society and will not be tolerated.”