Editor who unmasked Iain Packer says those that left killer free must be held accountable

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The former editor of the newspaper that sparked a fresh probe into Emma Caldwell’s killer Iain Packer has said she was “failed” by the justice system.

Jim Wilson headed our sister paper the Sunday Mail when it branded Packer “the forgotten suspect” in 2015 and he claimed the authorities “concealed” Packer and left him “free to commit more crimes”.

Seven weeks after the ­investigation, then lord ­advocate Frank Mulholland ordered the case be reopened.Speaking after Packer was brought to justice this week, Wilson accused Police Scotland of an “unlawful” probe into the newspaper’s sources in the aftermath of the story, rather than focusing on the killer.The Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled in 2022 that Police Scotland breached Wilson’s rights when it sought to identify the Sunday Mail’s sources for the story.Six years earlier it found the force had acted “unlawfully” when looking at the cases of individuals whose data was accessed as the force tried to find out how information about the probe reached the press.Wilson said the case was characterised by “official concealment, delay and denial”, which allowed Packer to “terrorise” other women.Wilson added: “Iain Packer will finally pay for his crimes but police and prosecutors who allowed him to remain free for almost 20 years must also be held to account.“Police Scotland and the Crown Office did nothing because it was professionally embarrassing to admit mistakes and put them right.”Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.All you