‘Keep Nichola’s killer behind bars’ – family beg as murderer set to be freed AGAIN
David McCord has been released at least half a dozen times before but has been returned to jail every time
The heartbroken family of Nichola Dickson will attend a parole board hearing remotely on Tuesday and told the Sunday World why they believe remorseless killer David McCord should not be given another chance to walk the streets.The 55-year-old murderer has been released at least half a dozen times before but has been returned to jail every time for breaching his licence for a serious rule breaks including assaulting other women, starting relationships with women, taking drugs and even having sex with the daughter of a prison officer.Nichola DicksonThe family of Nichola Dickson, who was just 26 when McCord killed her in a jealous rage because she told him she was going back to her husband in 2003, have been let down repeatedly by the justice system ever since he was sentenced to a minimum of just 11 years of a life sentence.Last August the family had to deal with the stress of knowing McCord had once again been released – despite them being told he posed a “serious risk to the public” just six weeks before prison chiefs set him loose on the community.And that stress was compounded by the fact the creepy killer – who has shown no remorse at all – went on the run and sparked a national manhunt.Even this week’s hearing has been poorly handled with Nichola’s family not sure what exactly is happening and who they are allowed to bring to the hearing which they will attend via a videolink from the Probation Board office in Belfast.“Once again we’ve left in the dark about what is happening,” says Gareth Smyth, Nichola’s brother.“We got a call six weeks ago to tell us he was going to a parole hearing and could be released again and we gave in a statement about why we think he should stay in jail.“We also asked if we could bring a representative and who else was allowed to attend. As we sit here on Friday we still don’t know. We wanted to bring MLA Gordon Lyons but they never got back to us to say we could.“I’m not even sure if I can attend because officially I’m not a ‘registered victim’ – only my mum is. I was told it was not a big deal for me to become a ‘registered victim’ but then nobody got back to me.“It’s a disgrace to be honest because I bet David McCord has been given all his proper representation for that meeting and I bet his rights have been well looked after but once again we don’t matter.”McCord, from Tullycarnet in east Belfast, savagely murdered Nichola Dickson 22 years ago after she told him she was going back to her husband.After strangling her in the bedroom of her Ballycarry home in Co Antrim he then stabbed Nichola with a 12-inch kitchen knife.News in 90 seconds - 11th May 2025 Nichola’s body was found by her mother, Linda Brown, who told the Sunday World in 2006 how she discovered her daughter’s body with the large knife still sticking out of her chest.“As soon as I walked in I knew she was dead,” she told us back then. “There was a carving knife sticking out of her chest. McCord was lying on top of her so I threw him off her and started to scream.“He had strangled her with his hands and then put a belt around her neck. The buckle pierced her windpipe yet it still didn’t kill her. He made a cup of tea before going out in the car.“He must have realised that he couldn’t have got away with it because he came back and slashed her wrists and her throat. He then stabbed her four times with a 12-inch carving knife.”After he was convicted of the murder and sentenced to just 11 years minimum of a life sentence, Nichola’s family protested and campaigned for stiffer sentences for killers.Back in 2004 the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, ruled that the sentence was NOT unduly lenient. “I think it’s an affront to humanity, the sentence,” her father Philip said at the time.“What the guy got doesn’t merit what he’s actually done. If you put the thing into perspective, he actually didn’t murder Nicola as such, he slaughtered her, he butchered her and the sentence doesn’t reflect that.”McCord has been released several times but has committed serious offences and refused to follow the rules of his licence.Now the family say they want to know what has changed that makes him suddenly fit for release again.“In our statement we have made it clear we do not think he should be released,” says Gareth. “Why keep letting him out when he’s failed every other time he’s been let out.“He’s been returned to jail twice for assaulting two different girlfriends — one from the Shankill and another girl from east Belfast – how do they know he won’t do serious harm to another woman?“We want to know what he has done since he was returned to prison for going on the run nine months ago to show he’s a changed person and is fit to be walking the streets.“We have no faith he has changed at all, we have no faith he done anything to prove he’s been rehabilitated and is ready to walk the streets with the rest of us.”Previous Gareth has told this paper about the stress of McCord being a free man has brought to his family.“People don’t realise the impact him being out free and on the loose has on the whole family,” he told us last time McCord was set free.
