Triple axe murderer allowed out to of prison chop down trees

Axe murderer Thomas McCulloch has been let loose in public - to chop down trees. He completed a course at a nature reserve where he helped create a pathway by clearing trees and shrubs. The killer also helped carry out a lizard survey.

McCulloch went on the rampage with gay lover Robert Mone at the State Hospital, Carstairs, in 1976. Armed with homemade weapons and an axe, they butchered a nurse, a patient and a young policeman.



McCulloch is serving a life term and has been locked up for more than four decades. But has been allowed home visits and trips out of jail in the last few years. A source said: "He may be old now but there is evidence he is still a very dangerous man.

"All prisoners going on courses are vetted but I don't think its a good idea to let a murderer like McCulloch near sharp implements such as axes and secateurs - that could be a disaster waiting to happen." A SPS spokesman refused to comment on individual prisoners but said: "Working in the community is a long-established part of the value of the prison system."