| Conman Watson (42) officially went missing from the Longforgan penal establishment at 4 pm on Wednesday but alarm bells were set ringing on Tuesday when the Scottish Prison Service were understood to have had difficulty in contacting him.
The fraudster, who preyed on the elderly and vulnerable in the guise of a guttering repairman, was on the run for more than a day before Tayside Police issued a picture and description.
His disappearance was confirmed by the authorities yesterday when they issued an appeal for help in tracing Watson. But the Procurator Fiscal service decided not to release a picture and description until late in the afternoon, leaving tens of thousands of Tele readers in the dark.
Although Watson had been given until 4 pm on Wednesday to return to Castle Huntly, it is understood the terms of his release meant he could be recalled to the open prison at any time.
The SPS are believed to have tried to get in touch with Watson at some point on Tuesday, and when they failed to do so, it is understood he was considered by the service to have gone AWOL at that stage.
Mr Aitken said he could not understand why the Crown Office had experienced difficulty in dealing with the situation and had delayed the release of his details.
He explained, “Basically I can see little difficulty, legally, with this man’s photograph appearing in the Press. He was serving a five-year sentence for pretty despicable frauds and needs to be behind bars, rather than at the Castle Huntly ‘country club’, as soon as possible.”
Since 2005, Watson has been found guilty of 25 counts of fraud including duping one householder out of more than £40,000.
The SPS declined to comment on Watson’s disappearance, stating it was now a police matter.
A Tayside Police spokeswoman said it was up to the Procurator Fiscal in Tayside to say when the public should be alerted about an absconder.
She added, “We need permission from the Procurator Fiscal to release the details and photograph of the absconder.”
The Crown Office was asked to respond to Mr Aitken’s comments but had not done so by the time of going to press.
Watson is 6ft tall, stocky, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.
He is known to have friends and family in the Dundee and Perth areas.
Anyone who has seen him since October 1, or knows his current whereabouts, is asked to call Tayside Police on 0845 600 5705 or speak to any officer.
Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111. |
