Special report: How 'evil monster' Paul Russell Wilson was allowed to roam free

When Paul Russell Wilson killed for the first time, the family of victim Kimberley Schroder pleaded with the Parole Board to keep him in jail, saying he would kill again.

Kimberley, known as 'Kimi', was just 21 when Wilson killed her. Her friend Jenny Keogan says there is only one way to describe him: "Evil, absolutely evil."

And the way Wilson killed Kimberley was "evil" in the extreme - angry that she had split up with him, he stalked her, then tortured her, then cut her throat.

Alongside Kimberley's parents, Nancy and Gary, Jenny Keogan led the fight to keep Wilson in jail, appearing before the Parole Board year after year - for five hearings.

"I personally said to them you cannot let this man out, he will do this again, he will kill again," she said.

And so did Rob Nicholl, the police officer who arrested Wilson for Kimberley's murder, who knew his trigger point.

"He was obsessive, and anyone he entered a relationship with was in every likelihood going to be equally at-risk as Kim was," he said.

Wilson was eventually released in 2011 after serving nearly 17 years - he could be kept in no longer. Rob Nicholl saw him again in photos of David Bain's wedding in 2014.

"I thought there is more to it than first glance, because his intention is attracted to the bridesmaid and how she may have dodged a bullet," he said.

And then last year, he murdered again - killing Nicole Tuxford in the exact same way.

Both murders had the same motive - rejection - and the same method - stalking, torture and rape (alleged in the first case, proven in the second), and throats being cut.

The identical killing was painful for those who had predicted it.

"Shocked, absolutely stunned I was," said Mr Nicholl.

"It was devastating," said Ms Keogan.

The devastation was too much for Kimberly's father, Gary. Three days after finding out Wilson had killed again, he is suspected to have taken his own life.

They are buried together.

"I predominantly blame Gary's death on Wilson murdering again," Ms Keogan told Newshub.

"He had then driven this good man to take his own life," Mr Nicholl said. "The blame can't sit with anyone other than Wilson for that. He's basically a monster, isn't he."

And Paul Russell Wilson, the "evil monster", was given the chance to kill again.

The Parole Board issued a statement on Wednesday through its chairperson, Sir Ronald Young.

The Parole Board document show he was viewed as a "model prisoner", and Sir Ronald said the decision to release Wilson in January 2011 was based on the view he could be "managed on conditions in the community".

Sir Ronald said in August 2011, Wilson was assessed as having made "a very good start and done very well indeed".

However, Sir Ronald admitted "the Parole Board can only legally hold monitoring hearings for up to a year after release".   

That means for over six years, up until he killed Nicole Tuxford in April 2018, Paul Russell Wilson was not monitored at all.

Despite all the warnings, the "evil monster" roamed free.

The family and friends of Nicole Tuxford say Wilson tricked prison authorities and the Parole Board into releasing him - and they want answers from the Government about the lack of monitoring.

The Parole Board has conducted an independent review of its handling of Wilson, which will be released publicly after it is shown to the victims' families.

Newshub.