Jordan Roddie lost control of his ford focus vehicle and killed a pensioner. The crash also left her friend severely disabled.  Roddie misjudged a bend and crossed into oncoming traffic which resulted in his vehicle colliding with a Vauxhall Zafira. The accident occurred on the A73 near Braidwood, Lanarkshire in [...]

Jordan McDowall, 21 was acquitted of charges which involved causing death by dangerous driving of cyclist Kevin Gilchrist. The collision took place in 2018 on Greenock Road, Inchinnan, Renfrewshire.  Jordan McDowall’s position was that she had no recollection of the incident. It was argued that she was simply unable to [...]

Scotland’s top prosecutor has said she is troubled by the growing backlog of cases which are awaiting trial due to COVID-19, The Lord Advocate discussed the issue at Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee and stated that ‘radical’ action was required.  Ms Bain has offered her support for a pilot scheme which [...]

Raymond Nyiam who was convicted of two charges of rape against separate complainers has had his appeal against conviction refused by the Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary.  It was argued that the jury were misdirected by the trial judge as they ought to have been given directions [...]

Michael McCarthy, the respondent, was given a five-year custodial sentence after he was convicted of five charges involving attempted rape and sexual assault of two male complainers. The sentence for each of the charges were to run concurrently. The other three charges which involved indecent photographs and assault resulted in [...]

There are number of proposed changes to UK driving laws which are likely to be introduced in the near futures. These include an increase in the maximum sentences for causing death by dangerous driving from 14 years to life imprisonment.  Also, an exception may be introduced for individuals driving for [...]

The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary refused to pass a Bill of Suspension which sought the suspension of a warrant authorising the arrest of a man charged with assault to severe injury.  In November 2020, Mr Docherty, the petitioner, was charged with assault to severe injury. He [...]

A sheriff in Livingston Sheriff Court has determined that a charge under Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour against an accused’s ex-partner was able to be sufficiently corroborated by Crown evidence. The charge against the accused was that he [...]

The Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary has upheld a decision to impose a Lifelong Restriction of Liberty Order. The appellant was convicted of eleven charges against two former partners. The charges involved abduction, serious assault, threatening and abusive behaviour and stalking.  The first complainer described the appellant’s [...]

A prisoner, Dean Ryan, challenged a decision of the Parole Board which determined that he should not be released from prison on licence. Mr Ryan who had previously been in closed prison conditions argued that the Board had failed in giving the correct weight to certain aspects of his case. [...]