Man jailed for 1997 Glasgow murder has sentence cut

A man who was jailed for life for murdering a woman has succeeded in having four years cut from the punishment part of his sentence.

Zhi Min Chen choked 21-year-old Tracey Wylde to death at her flat in Barmulloch, Glasgow in November 1997.

The 45-year-old was jailed for a minimum of 20 years last year.

But the appeal court has now ruled that it should be a minimum of 16 years before the Chinese immigrant can apply for parole.

Donald Findlay QC, acting for Chen, told the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh that sentencing judge Lord Arthurson had misinterpreted the law in fixing the punishment part.

Mr Findlay argued that people in similar positions to Chen, who has no previous convictions, didn't receive as lengthy a punishment part as his client had.

The appeal judges agreed and told Chen he'd now serve at least 16 years before he could apply for parole.

Members of Ms Wylde's family sat and wept in the public benches as the judges gave their decision.

Lord Menzies, one of the three appeal judges, said: "The sentence remains one of life imprisonment. The punishment part means the time which must elapse before the accused is able to apply for parole.

"The matter of whether an accused person can apply for parole is a matter for the parole board who assess whether the accused poses a risk to the safety of the public.

"It is possible that a person serving a life sentence is never released from prison."

Police had previously described Ms Wylde as having a "turbulent background" and said she had been a sex worker in Glasgow at the time of her death.

She had been raised by her grandparents before moving into her own flat and giving birth to her daughter in August 1994.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Ms Wylde had gone into Glasgow city centre on 23 November 1997, and was last spotted on CCTV in the city's red-light area at about 03:20 the next morning.

A neighbour heard arguing in Ms Wylde's flat at about 04:40 and then a door being slammed.

Ms Wylde's body was discovered after she failed to show for an appointment at a support group.

DNA from an unknown man was found on Tracy's body and clothes as well as a number of fingerprints in the area.

A large-scale manhunt lasting two-and-a-half years had initially failed to catch Ms Wylde's killer.

A cold case review in 2013 was also unsuccessful.

But Chen, previously of Glasgow's Anniesland, was eventually arrested in July, 2017 after being held for an alleged assault in the city's Cowcaddens area and a fingerprint match was made.