A judge described this man as having a ‘frenzied bloodlust to kill his victims in the most appalling way’.
Scott Alexander McDougall killed two people with a meat cleaver, then set a fire to destroy the evidence.
He is supposed to be serving two life sentences for the 2008 murders of Struan Bolas and Julie Tattersall in the ACT.
He had a previous history of extreme violence. There are fears he will maim or kill again.
Despite the risk, he’s moving towards reintegration into the community, with Julie’s family finding out about his application this past week.
“We’re angry and we’re also really shocked that someone like Scott McDougall can have the right to apply for this,” Julie’s sister Amy Butterworth told the ABC.
McDougall has applied for the transitional release program, which is a ‘gradual step down’ from full-time custody and a transition into the community for ‘minimum-security’ offenders.






Amy and her family are begging authorities to keep the killer locked up for the entirety of his sentence.
“It’s diabolical,” Amy told the Canberra Times.
“(Julie’s death) was brutal and then he burned her body to get rid of the evidence,” she says.
“It wasn’t a misdemeanour, it was horrific. McDougall was meant to have life for life.
“His prior conviction was his first chance. He got out, and then he reoffended.”
The ACT Attorney-General Tara Cheyne said McDougall had every right to apply for early release.
“Detainees have the same legal rights of appeal as all people convicted of a crime,” a spokesperson for her says.
Corrections said: “Participation in the program does not guarantee or imply imminent release – ACT Corrective Services may consider the likelihood of a future release when assessing an application.”
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