William Rackstraw has been found guilty of raping multiple women and killing his unborn child, one month before she was due to be born. The court heard that he kneeled on the mother’s stomach whilst she was heavily pregnant.  He was found guilty of five charges at Dundee High Court. [...]

Justice Secretary Keith Brown has stated that ‘credible and consistent’ alternatives to custodial sentences are imperative to decrease the numbers being imprisoned.  Mr Brown stated that reducing the number of people in remand is a priority. Currently, the Scottish government is considering powers that would result in groups of prisoners [...]

Proposed guidance in England stated that Prosecutors are less likely to pursue mercy killings whereby the suspect is “wholly motivated by compassion” or where the person had reached a “voluntary, settled and informed decision to end their life”. It has been that the Crown prosecution Service will not necessarily operate [...]

The appellant, a 72 year old man, was accused of committing sexual offences involving five complainers. The offences occurred between the 1980s and 1990s. The man appealed against the refusal of an application under s.275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 which sought to illicit evidence that one of [...]

The High Court of Justiciary has permitted a new prosecution under the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act 2011 against a man who was acquitted in 2005 for the murder of his Mother. Sean Tiffney was acquitted in 2005 at the High Court in Perth by a not proven verdict. Later, new [...]

The Virtual Trials National Project Board has published a report which suggests that every sheriffdom should have a virtual summary court which deals with domestic abuse cases.  The report considers the pilots which were held in Inverness and Aberdeen. This allowed for insight into the practical consequences, the options for [...]

Alexander Milligan, aged 69 years old, was found guilty of assault with intent to rape in 1989. Milligan was released from prison prior to this and carried out another sexual assault.  The assault was carried out inside a flat in Edinburgh. The court heard that Milligan kissed her and touched [...]

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain QC has ordered a study of how sexual offence cases are dealt with by Scotland’s prosecution service. This study will update an earlier review which was carried out over a decade ago.  In an interview Bain stated that a significant amount had been learned about sexual [...]

Peter Antonelli, aged 66 years old, worked as a music teacher and received an MBE for his work in 2004. He worked at two schools in East Lothian for almost three decades. He has now been found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh for rape, lewd and libidinous conduct [...]

Jack Ferguson was convicted of sexually assaulting two women in a Glasgow nightclub on New Year’s Day 2020. Ferguson was sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work along with a six month restriction of liberty order.  The complainers, both 19 years old, attended Shed nightclub on New Year's Eve . [...]