Man to stand trial over murder of Shona Stevens in 1994

A man is to stand trial charged with the murder of a mother more than 30 years ago.

Fraser Kilpatrick allegedly attacked Shona Stevens on November 10, 1994, in the Bourtreehill Park area of Irvine near to the 31-year-old’s home in the Ayrshire town.

Prosecutors claim the 68-year-old did repeatedly strike the mum-of-one with a hammer or similar weapon.

It is said Ms Stevens fell to the ground before being dragged by the body.

The murder charge states she was left so severely hurt that she died three days later at the then Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Kilpatrick, now of the city’s St George’s Cross area, faces 15 other accusations on the four-page indictment spanning between 1986 and 2001.

These include allegations that he assaulted and raped a woman – who has since died – and a young girl on various occasions.

He allegedly punched and kicked the woman, causing her to fall down stairs.

It is claimed he hit her with belts, cups, ashtrays and other household items, choked her, struck her with a screwdriver and brandished a knife.

This is said to have been to her severe injury and endangered her life.

The indictment states Kilpatrick slapped, punched, and kicked the girl and placed a lit flame against her body.

A separate charge claims he did almost the same to a young boy.

Kilpatrick is then said to have used lewd and libidinous behaviour, attempted to rape and physically assaulted another girl.

He is also accused of inducing the child to take part in sexual activity with an unknown man.

Kilpatrick also allegedly preyed upon another young female, touching her inappropriately and pouring boiling water on her body.

Another charge states Kilpatrick willfully ill-treated children. Among the accusations are that he exposed them to drugs and forced them to take alcohol.

Kilpatrick is also alleged to have tried to hit a man on the head with a hammer and wielded a baseball bat at a woman.

A further claim is that he brandished a knife at two people.

A hearing took place at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Kilpatrick had first appeared in the dock in connection with the alleged murder in July 2025.

Donald Findlay KC, defending, said: “He pleads not guilty to the various charges against him.”

Advocate depute Alex Prentice KC is leading the prosecution. He told the court that the investigation into the case had “widened in scope” and that there was “a lot of material”.

The trial, scheduled to begin in January 2028, is estimated to last 17 days.

A further hearing will take place before then in December 2026.

Judge Lord Arthurson recommended that a judge be allocated for the case as it goes through the court process.

Kilpatrick remains on bail.

Media reports at the time stated Ms Stevens had last been seen walking alone in Irvine on the day of the alleged murder, having left a local shopping centre.

She was discovered seriously injured in a wooded area nearly 200 metres from her home.

In November 2024, in a fresh appeal for information, Crimestoppers offered a £20,000 reward.

Ms Stevens’s daughter Candice and mother Mhairi Smith said two years ago: “There is not a day that goes by that she is not in our thoughts and in our hearts.”