Published: Wednesday, 28th May, 2008 10:00
Killer’s break from jail months into sentence
Print Article
RELEASE: Darleen Zavaroni
A KILLER who knifed her lover to death has been enjoying a holiday from prison less than a year after being caged.
Darleen Zavaroni was jailed for four years and eight months back in July after admitting killing Allan Osborne, 27, at the flat they shared in Clydebank.
Zavaroni was originally charged with murder but admitted the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Allan’s family, already furious at the length of sentence, now have to live with the knowledge that Zavaroni, 25, has been allowed to visit her mother’s seaside home in Rothesay.
The trip allowed her to spend time with her family — including the son she had with Allan.
Allan’s mum blasted the news that Zavaroni was allowed the break from tough Cornton Vale prison.
The 54-year-old nurse said that it was evidence of the “double standards” in the justice system regarding the messages being sent out over knife crime.
Passing sentence in July last year, judge Lord Turnbull said: “No sentence I can impose can ever undo what has happened.”
Jailing Zavaroni for four years and eight months, he said a custodial sentence had been “inevitable”.
As she was led away to begin her sentence, members of Allan’s family shouted “rot in hell” and “murdering b****”.
Zavaroni plunged the knife into Allan around his shoulder area during a booze-fuelled row severing an artery. She tried to stop the bleeding whilst listening to instructions from 999 operators.
The incident happened in their Drumry flat in August 2006.
After Zavaroni admitted to culpable homicide, her lawyer tried to persuade the Crown that she was acting like a psychologically damaged war prisoner when she stabbed Allan.
A report by a controversial psychologist claimed that Zavaroni was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome.
Dr Maraid Tagg wrote that Zavaroni was left “exhausted and isolated like a detainee at the hands of military interrogators”.
But judge Lord Turnbull commented that the allegations were easily said but not easily rebutted, especially when someone was dead. The report was never accepted in mitigation.
Meanwhile, the pictures and messages she posted on her Bebo webpage were in stark contrast to the dowdy image of a broken woman she presented at court.
She used the social networking site to chat to friends and brag about her partying lifestyle.
A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said: “All prisoners would have had the appropriate risk assessment before being given home leave.”
Allan’s friends have set up a Bebo webpage as a tribute to him.
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Further Details
High speed chase driver led cops to his front door