Dines v HM Advocate [2021] HCJAC 29 The High Court of the Justiciary Appeal Court has refused an appeal against conviction launched by a man who claimed that he stabbed a man five times in self-defence. The appellant, Aaron Dines, was convicted in 2019 of striking the complainer with a [...]

Kelly v Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission [2021] CSOH 51 The Court of Session has refused the petition of a prisoner who sought to have his case reviewed by the SCCRC. The petitioner, Mr Kelly, was convicted in 2019 of multiple sexual offences against children dating back to the early [...]

Dewar and McLean v HM Advocate [2021] HCJAC 29 Following an appeal heard by the Appeal Court at the High Court of the Justiciary,  the appellants - Gordon Dewar and Gary McLean - have had their sentences reduced. The Appellants appeared at Perth Sheriff Court in February 2021, where they [...]

Wilson v PF [2021] SAC 4 Andrew Wilson was convicted under section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1998, following an incident where he collided with the central reservation after falling asleep behind the wheel. During his arrest, Mr Wilson told police officers that he “dosed off”. This formed the [...]

Petition of Brian Hands Against The Parole Board of Scotland [2021] CSOH 42 A man sentenced to life in prison who was granted community access before being returned to prison has lost a challenge against a subsequent decision by the Parole Board not to release him. The case was heard [...]

RA v HM Advocate [2021] HCJAC 27 The Appeal Court of the High Court of the Justiciary has rejected the appeal of a mother of six who sought to have her sentence reduced to a non-custodial alternative. The appellant pled guilty to fraudulently claiming over £50,000 in child tax credits [...]

HMA v Ronald Adams [2021] HCJAC 19 The Respondent in this case appeared in the High Court in November 2018, on indictment for five charges including sexual assault, rape to injury and penetrative sexual assault against one complainer. The Crown had attached a docket to the indictment that showed in [...]

Duthie v HMA [2021] HCJAC 23 The Appellant was convicted of 29 charges spanning 15 years. Of these, two charges were that of rape of former partners of the accused, which were libelled to have occurred between 2008 and 2011. The Appellant appealed his conviction on the ground that the [...]

RR v HM Advocate The Appeal Court of the High Court of the Justiciary has ruled that a nobile officium petition made by the complainer in a rape case is competent, after she was not notified that the accused intended to lead evidence of her sexual history at trial. The [...]

Wishart v Procurator Fiscal, Kirkcaldy 2021 SAC (Crim) 1 The appellant was convicted at the Justice of Peace Court at Kirkcaldy of driving a vehicle which had been involved in an accident causing damage to another vehicle on a road, failing to stop and give the necessary information and failing [...]