Insane’ killer is allowed out of his high-security psychiatric hospital for a shopping trip

An ‘insane’ killer who stabled his wife 36 times in a brutal attack has been allowed out of a high-security psychiatric hospital for a shopping trip.

Neil Cumming was free to mingle with members of the public, to browse the shops and take a leisurely lunch.

Cumming, who stabbed his wife Jane to death, was driven out of Carstairs hospital in Scotland and escorted by two escorts who spent around three hours at the Fort shopping complex in Glasgow with him.

The 50-year-old was sent to the high security facility after he was acquitted of killing Jane, at their home in Longforgan, near Dundee, in 2011 on the grounds he was insane at the time.

Cumming, who had tried to commit suicide after his wife died, had injured several innocent people by driving at 100mph on the A90 Perth to Dundee road before crashing into the back of a lorry, took a leisurely stroll around the centre on Wednesday 23 January.

He was seen browsing the aisles of the food all in Marks and Spencer’s, where he purchased groceries to take back to the psychiatric hospital.

Cummings and his escorts then took the shopping back to the car before settling down for an hour-long lunch in a sushi restaurant.

After the meal they were seen stopping off for takeaway drinks and cakes which he was allowed to enjoy in the car, which had been provided by the hospital.

Cumming killed his wife Jane (pictured above). Jane had previously tried to get Cummings admitted to the psychiatric hospital

Neil Cumming was spotted browsing the shops at the Glasgow Fort shopping centre (pictured above)

The trio seemed in good spirits and were smiling and joking with one another.

The outing comes as the Daily Record learnt that Cummings is set to move to a medium security unit at some stage this year, with regular outings being planned to ensure he can cope with the transition.

A source said: ‘An outing was planned for late last year but was cancelled at the last minute.

Cummings was let out of the psychiatric hospital for the day, which is situated in the village of Carstairs (above)

Neil and Jane were married in 1995 at the Cargill-Burrelton Church in Blairgowrie, Scotland

‘He’s moving to medium security in a secure unit later this year so he needs to be prepared for that as in secure units they have a bit more freedom and they need to be sure he can cope with it.

‘Everything he does is monitored closely and he has 24/7 support whereas he will be a bit more independent once he moves.’

Another source said: ‘Shopping trips, fancy lunches and coffee shops is hardly punishment only eight years after you’ve brutally killed someone.’

It’s not the first time that Cummings has caused controversy. Last year it was reported that he demanded that he be prescribed Viagra for solo sex sessions in his room.

Staff at the hospital were said to be in ‘complete shock’ at the time and had shared their concerns of safety.

At the time a source said: ‘Nobody could actually believe it. It’s not as if he’s getting conjugal visits. It’s prescribed at the weekends for him in his room alone.’

In 2014 Cumming had tried to sue Tayside health board for £250,000 after claiming they failed to properly treat his mental illness.

He had been admitted to ­Carseview mental health unit at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee five months before stabbing Jane after it emerged he thought he was being spied on at his place of work at a tyre factory.

Jane had spoken to Cumming’s community psychiatric nurse over her concerns for his mental state.

Days before her death, his wife Jane had tried to have him admitted to Caresview.