The mother of a man who was murdered by his neighbour while on bail has welcomed a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into his death.
Nicholas Henry struck Daniel Greer, 33, with a shovel and stabbed nine times in his own front garden in Airdrie on October 17 2020.
Henry then hid Daniel’s body in the victim’s house where his father found him two days later.
Henry was jailed for a minimum of 21 years, but died in prison in August aged 49.
Nicholas Henry was jailed for murder but later died in prison (Police Scotland/PA)
Police Scotland
The murderer had been out on bail for another violent attack, and in the months before was arrested on two occasions for violent and drug offences – but was released each time.
Henry had previously been sentenced to 12 years in 2011 after an attack which nearly left his victim with a severed hand.
Amanda Greer, Daniel’s mother, hopes the FAI will help protect other families from known offenders.
She said: “It’s not good enough to trust an electronic tag, a fortnightly check in with a social worker or to blame overcrowding prisons – innocent people literally die because of bad decisions and it needs to stop.
“Daniel was the was the love of our lives and a devoted big brother to Kieran.
“He was kind-hearted and good spirited person that lifted the moods of those around him.
“There are simply no words to describe the agony I felt after Daniel was murdered and it’s a pain that has never diminished.”
Amanda said there was “simply no reason for this attack to have taken place”.
She added: “People think the jailing of a killer can help you move on but it doesn’t – closure of a jail cell does not bring emotional closure, not even close.
“When I heard Henry had a history of violence and that police were in contact with him for license breaches before he killed Daniel I was just stunned.”
Amanda said she was “devastated, shocked, furious and confused,” before adding: “I couldn’t process what I was hearing.
“Ever since then I’ve tried to get to find out just what went wrong. I’m glad that the Crown has decided to look into things.
“Waiting all this time has been a real challenge but knowing there’s hope and answers on the horizon means I know it will be worth the wait and the fight. Not just for Daniel but for the public.
“Good people up and down the country would rightly think that when police come into contact with known criminals – especially violent offenders – that common sense will kick in to deal with them properly, remove risks and keep people safe.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the Lord Advocate decided the case needed to be examined further.
A spokesperson said: “Crown Counsel has instructed that a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry be held into the death of Daniel Greer.
“The Lord Advocate considers that there are issues surrounding the circumstances of the death which merit further examination in the public interest.
“A Fatal Accident Inquiry is a judicial process which seeks to establish the circumstances of a death and identify what lessons, if any, may be learned.
“The Procurator Fiscal is taking forward the necessary work to initiate the Inquiry and Mr Greer’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments.”