Offenders rack up £5m in arrears

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service data released under a freedom of information request show that there are currently 89 confiscation orders in arrears, worth a total of £5,065,459.

Confiscation orders require a criminal to pay back a sum of money representing the financial benefit to them from illegal activities under proceeds of crime legislation.

Some criminals still owe cash years after their confiscation order was imposed by the courts.

The largest sum owed is £560,881, which was part of a £1m order imposed on Edinburgh brothel boss Margaret Paterson in 2015. She died in 2019 after repaying just £219,559, leaving prosecutors to try to recover the balance from her estate.

Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “It’s clear that our proceeds of crime laws are simply not fit for purpose, with wealthy criminals having nothing to fear.

“Complacent SNP ministers are failing to address the scale of organised crime in Scotland and must give our police, prosecutors and courts the resources they need to do their jobs and recover this money.

“Hard-working Scots will be appalled that this money is not being repaid by offenders, especially at a time when nationalist ministers are cutting services and hiking taxes.”