Man accused of 1994 murder and multiple assaults to stand trial in 2028
A 68-year-old man faces a high-court trial in early 2028 for the 1994 killing of Shona Stevens and a series of other violent offences.
Fraser Kilpatrick, now 68, has been charged with the murder of 31-year-old Shona Stevens after an alleged hammer attack in Bourtreehill Park, Irvine, on 10 November 1994 that led to her death three days later at Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. In addition to the murder charge, prosecutors say he faces fifteen further counts, ranging from rape and assault of adults to violent attacks on children, including alleged attempts to rape a girl and incidents involving boiling water and fire.
All alleged offences are said to have occurred in North Ayrshire and other Scottish locations. Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC estimates the trial will last 17 days. Lord Arthurson has set the trial for January 2028, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 2024 at the High Court in Glasgow.
Why it matters
The case revisits a decades-old violent crime, testing the justice system's ability to prosecute historic offences.
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