News

New reform calls for vulnerable women to face community sentences over prison

New legislation changes will encourage judges to consider community-based alternatives rather than a prison sentence of a year or less for vulnerable women. Around 90 per cent of women who are sent to jail are given a custodial sentence of 12 months or less, with Scotland having one of the…

Read more

Architect who embezzled money from charity must repay £1.5 million

This week, a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff court heard prosecutors plan to use the proceeds of crime legislation to recover £1,590,512.69 from a retired architect who embezzled hundreds of thousands of pounds from a charity. Ian Brash, 66, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in August 2018 where he admitted to…

Read more

Former SNP MP embezzled more than £25,000

Natalie McGarry admitted two charges of embezzlement from her party and a pro-independence organisation when she appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday 24 April 2019. Prosecutors accepted Ms McGarry’s not guilty pleas to two of the four charges against her; another embezzlement charge, as well as a charge of…

Read more

Psychological domestic abuse is now a crime under 'groundbreaking' new law

As of 1 April 2019, new legislation has come into force that criminalises psychological domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour. The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, which was passed by the Scottish parliament in February 2018, makes several reforms to criminal procedure with the purpose of protecting victims. This will…

Read more

Fraud in Scotland increases nearly 90 per cent in a year

The BDO’s most recent FraudTrack report found that Scotland ranked as the fourth most defrauded region in the UK by value, as fraud rocketed by 88 per cent from £16.2 million in 2017 to £30.4 million last year. The analysis, which examines reported fraud cases over £50,000 in the UK, discovered…

Read more