The murderer of Midlothian teen Jodi Jones, Luke Mitchell has spoken out after being let out of prison on a supervised trip.
Mitchell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005 after he was found guilty of the brutal murder of Jodi. She was found stripped, stabbed and almost decapitated near her home in Dalkeith, Midlothian.
Mitchell, who has always denied the conviction, could get out on parole next year. In July 2021, he was moved from high-security Shotts prison to HMP Greenock, where he was housed in Chrisswell House which is often used to prepare long-term prisoners for progression to an open prison.
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With this, he has been enjoying supervised days out in public since last year, and in the latest string of interviews, the convicted killer, now 34, has spoken out about a jaunt in Glasgow where he visited the popular burger chain Five Guys.
As the Sun reports, Mitchell said: “It was to Glasgow. It went alright. It was a bank holiday, it was fairly packed.
“It was a bit odd being out and about around that many people just milling around doing their own thing.
“Doing something completely different to what I have been used to for the last nearly two decades.
“I went out and got some food. I actually went to Five Guys to visit that for the first time. That was a good day out.”
Speaking about another outing where he went shopping, he said: “It was an odd experience for me just out and about with two GeoAmey escort staff trailing behind me.
“I visited a few shops — bought some toiletries, bought some games, bought some food.
“I kind of moved everywhere at a fast-forwarded pace just with the excitement of it. It was a tiring experience, I didn’t realise how much until I got back to the hall.
“It was exhausting. But it went good and I felt good about it.”
It has also been reported that Mitchell has been pleading with staff to see his mother who is unwell. Due to her ill-health, she is unable to visit the prison. However, a social worker refused to sign-off a trip due to concerns for her neighbours and Jodi's family.
In a lengthy interview recorded in prison and uploaded online, he said he was told “we don’t know what kind of reaction the community would have” to him “stepping out of a security van.
He added: “Due to my mother’s ill health, her coming out here to visit is extremely difficult. I would like to use my time to visit with my mother and spend some time with her.
“They’re carried out in unmarked cars.
“The staff wear nondescript uniforms.
“There’s nothing to identify who we were or anything like that.
“I look completely different to how I do in all the pictures that are used of me.
“My question is how are people going to recognise who I am?”
This comes as it was reported by the Daily Record that “community access visits” were withdrawn after Mitchell failed two random drug tests. His supporters now claim he could be facing a further three years inside before being considered for release.
A prison source said: “Mitchell came to Greenock in 2021 but has since been in bother where he’s failed drug tests. He has also complained over decisions made about his requests to be allowed to visit his mum in Midlothian.
"He claims he’s only been taking drugs due to the treatment he’s receiving inside. It’s been explained to him that his community access was withdrawn due to his own actions but he’s refusing to engage with that.”
The Scottish Prison Service did not wish to comment on an individual prisoner.
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