The Daily Record. Saturday, 4 April 2010. Page 4.
Calls for Cutter cop to stand down
By Keith Imrie, Chief Reporter There have been calls for the officer leading the hunt for The Cutter to stand down from the investigation. DS Rachel Narey is coming under severe pressure to excuse herself from the hunt for the five-time killer who is terrorising Glasgow. It is believed that DS Narey’s bosses have already asked her to consider stepping aside for the good of the investigation and the force. A source close to the case said that officers are openly questioning her ability to lead The Cutter hunt and are asking why a detective sergeant continues to run an inquiry which is now the biggest in the history of Strathclyde Police. ‘No one is saying that DS Narey is incompetent but they are wondering if she is in over her head. We are getting nowhere with this case and maybe it is time for more experience or someone with fresh ideas to be taking the lead.’ Demands for DS Narey to stand aside have also come from families of The Cutter’s victims. Agnes Hutchison, widow of bookmaker Billy Hutchison, said yesterday that she would welcome a change at the top of the investigation. ‘It is nearly a year since my husband was killed but the police are getting nowhere. It is over a month since anyone from Strathclyde Police even talked to me or my family. I don’t think that’s good enough. ‘I have grandchildren asking me when the man who killed their papa will be put in jail. What am I supposed to tell them? ‘I am sure that Ms Narey is doing her best but there must be plenty of officers in Strathclyde with a lot more experience that could take this on. It wouldn’t be about her if someone else took over. Catching this killer is the only thing that matters.’ A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Chief Constable Andrew Chisholm would not comment on whether DS Narey’s position was under threat but did say that the entire case was constantly under review. ‘We do not comment on operational matters of this kind nor on the role of individual officers within an investigation. However, every case, particularly one of this importance, is continuously reviewed and monitored. We always have an open mind on the direction it will take and are completely aware of the level of expectation of the general public in catching this killer.’ DS Narey would not comment on the issue of her being replaced when contacted by the Record yesterday.