THE number of homicide victims in North Ayrshire has hit its joint-highest rate for two decades, sparking a call for urgent action to address the "deeply-troubling" figures.

The concerning statistics have been confirmed by the Scottish Government in the wake of three further alleged murders across the region - not accounted for in the latest data - in the last two months alone.

This would bring the number of homicide victims in North Ayrshire to five in 2024, equalling the highest number - last seen in 2007 - over the past 20 years.

As previously reported, a trio of murder-accused men have appeared in court as part of an ongoing police probe into the death of 44-year-old John Taylor in Kilwinning on October 18.

In September, a man was charged with murder and attempted murder after 59-year-old Stuart Kennedy died in Ardrossan.

Meanwhile, in Irvine, two men face murder allegations after a reported fatal attack on Malcolm McCandlish on the town's High Street.

An incident of homicide refers to a crime involving murder or culpable homicide - irrespective of the number of victims or accused.

The most recent figure in the report reveals there to have been two alleged victims of homicide in the area in 2024 - though data is only provided for the year to date up to April this year.

It is understood these cases refer to the deaths of Alan Lawson - who was discovered injured in Saltcoats before dying in hospital - and an 81-year-old woman in Irvine, both in February of 2024.

The alleged murders of Mr Taylor, Mr Kennedy and Mr McCandlish would be included in the next reporting period covering the 2024/2025 financial year.

Further information obtained by Ayrshire Weekly Press has shown that the expected figure for the calendar year of 2024 has never been eclipsed in North Ayrshire during the period 2004-2024 covered by the Scottish Government report.

It was only matched once, in 2007, with no other year seeing any more than three victims of homicide. In more recent years, there had been no reported victims in the area, in 2022 and 2023.

West Scotland MSP Katy Clark has issued a stark warning following the release of the data which also reveals a rise in homicides right across Scotland.

She said: "These figures should be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government.

“The recent rise in homicides is deeply troubling, especially as it affects communities right here in Ayrshire.

"Families across the west of Scotland deserve to feel safe, yet repeated cuts to policing resources and an overburdened justice system are leaving communities vulnerable and exposed.”

(Image: Scottish Parliament.)

Ms Clark, who also acts as Scottish Labour’s community safety spokesperson, added: "The fact that we are seeing an increase at all, after decades of hard-won progress, highlights the urgent need to support local police forces and address the root causes of violent crime.

“Community safety should be non-negotiable. The Scottish Government must act now to ensure our police are properly resourced, our justice system is capable of responding swiftly, and the root causes of violence in our communities are tackled head-on."

The reports shows that there were 57 homicide victims across Scotland in the past year, a 10 per cent increase from the previous year's tally of 52.

But justice secretary Angela Constance said she was 'encouraged' that recorded homicides overall remained low. 

She said: "Scotland continues to be a safe place to live and I am encouraged that recorded homicides remain at a near record low, falling by 53 per cent since 2006/07.

"However, one homicide victim is one too many, with the consequences devastating for their loved ones and communities.

"The greatest reduction in homicide victims over the last 20 years has been among young people aged 16-24, dropping to 29 between 2019/20 and 2023/24, from 125 victims in this age range between 2004/05 and 2008/09.

"This follows focused action that we have taken in this area."

Ms Constance said tackling all forms of violent crime continues to be a 'top priority' for the Scottish Government.

She added: "Through our Violence Prevention Framework, we are taking forward a range of activities to prevent violence, supported by over £2 million investment, in addition to our record police funding of £1.55 billion this year – an increase of £92.7 million.

"This has enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits this year than at any time since 2013 and they have stated that current officer numbers are about 16,400.

"We also introduced the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill in September 2024 to create a statutory framework for Scotland's first national multi-agency domestic homicide and suicide review model."