Paul Mason, aged 24 years old, attempted to murder his friend in an attack which involved alcohol and drugs. He repeatedly struck the victim, Sean Kerrigan, with a weapon to the head and body.  The case was heard at Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary and Lord Burns stated: "You used [...]

In January 2019, warrants for the arrest of the appellants, Jennifer Amnott, Valerie Hayes and Gary Reburn were issued. It was argued that they could be sentenced to life imprisonment following a trial in the United States. This was on the basis that there was a potential breach of Article [...]

A personal injury sheriff determined that a woman was raped by a man she met on a night out in Dundee. As a result, the woman was awarded £119,250 in damages.  The purser stated that she did not consent to sexual intercourse with the defender, Sean Diamond. The defender had [...]

The legal aid system in Scotland is under ‘extraordinary pressure’. Lawyers have expressed concerns that ministers are at risk of causing ‘irreparable’ damage to the justice system.  The Law Society of Scotland stated that we are creating a ‘generation of underfunding’, which will lead to individuals being unable to afford [...]

Brian McLintock subjected four women to 12 years of physical sexual and verbal abuse. The crimes took place across Edinburgh between 2006 and 2018.  The High Court in Edinburgh heard that McLintock repeatedly raped one woman on a number of occasions. He assaulted the woman through punching and kicking her [...]

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 [...]