Man to stand trial over murder of woman in 1994

A man is to stand trial over the murder of a woman in North Ayrshire more than 30 years ago.

Fraser Kilpatrick allegedly killed Shona Stevens, 31, after striking her with a hammer or similar weapon near her home in Irvine in November 1994.

The 68-year-old, who was charged over her death last year, also faces 15 other charges including the rape of a woman and a young girl between 1986 and 2001.

Kilpatrick denies the claims. Lord Arthurson set a date for the trial to begin in January 2028 at the High Court in Glasgow.

The trial is expected to last about 17 days.

A further hearing is scheduled to take place in December this year.

Stevens, a mother of one, had been a student at what was then the University of Paisley.

She had walked through Bourtreehill Park to get to the nearby Co-op store at Bourtreehill Shopping Centre at about 13:10 on 10 November 1994.

On her walk back through the park, she was attacked and suffered severe head injuries.

Stevens was found in a wooded area near her home a short time afterwards and was taken to then Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

She died as a result of her injuries three days later.

Police released several appeals for information over the next 31 years and the case featured on an episode of BBC Crimewatch.

Officers launched Operation Short in 2021, which included the release of images of a keyring found near the scene.

Stevens' daughter, Candice, was aged just seven at the time of her death.

Kilpatrick, of Glasgow, was arrested and charged in July 2025, a year after a Crimestoppers appeal offered a £20,000 reward for any information linked to the case.

Kilpatrick is also charged with a number of other offences.

He is alleged to have raped a woman who has since died, and a young girl, on various occasions.

Kilpatrick faces accusations of physically assaulting both of them, including punching and kicking the woman, causing her to fall down a flight of stairs.

He allegedly struck her with several household items, brandished a knife at her, choked her, and struck her with a screwdriver to the danger of her life.

He is also accused of similar behaviour towards a young boy and wilfully ill-treating children including exposing them to drugs and forcing them to drink alcohol.

Kilpatrick faces further allegations of lewd and libidinous behaviour, attempting to rape and physically assaulting another girl.

He is accused attempting to induce the girl to take part in sexual activity with an unknown man.

Kilpatrick also allegedly attacked another young girl, including claims he touched her inappropriately and poured boiling water on her body.

He is separately alleged to have tried to hit a man on the head with a hammer, wielded a baseball bat at a woman, and brandished a knife at two people.

His lawyer, Donald Findlay KC, told Lord Arthurson that Kilpatrick pleaded "not guilty to the various charges against him".

Advocate depute, Alex Prentice KC, representing the prosecution, said discussions over the case had been going on "for a long time".

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

Kilpatrick remains on bail.