Copfs

A football fan who struck one of his own players with a plastic seat thrown from a stand has been imprisoned for 18 months. David Gowans, 32, of Aberdeen, has also been banned from attending football matches for 10 years.

A former social care officer who groomed, assaulted and raped vulnerable girls has been jailed. Alexander Boyd, also known as Sandy, was found guilty of four charges on 3 November 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. 

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice with the Sheriff Court to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of Gerard Brown. Mr Brown, 65, from Glasgow died on 8 September 2021 after a fall at home on on 6 September.

An undertaker who sexually assaulted two female colleagues while they attempted to arrange funeral services has been jailed for two years. James Jarvie, 63, from Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, was found guilty of subjecting the women to indecent remarks, inappropriate touching and groping. 

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC has expressed her "deep hope" that victims of domestic abuse can see routes to a safer future after new figures showed a 19 percent rise in convictions. Ms Bain said her thoughts are with victims at what can be a difficult time of year. But she urged them to "take confi

A man who inflicted 48 separate injuries on a teenage girl during a violent rape at a music festival in Edinburgh has been jailed. James Leckie, of Musselburgh, attacked the 16-year-old shortly after meeting her at the event in Princes Street Gardens on 16 September 2023.

A woman who kept more than 20 dogs and puppies in squalid conditions inside stables and farm outhouses has been fined a total of £1,975 and banned from keeping dogs for three years. Several dogs belonging to Jamie-Lee Harper, 36, were matted and dirty and left to sleep on concrete floors in da

A rapist who sexually abused three vulnerable women in the space of nine months has been jailed for a minimum of four years and six months before he will be eligible for parole.  David Ekpe was found guilty of three charges on 19 November 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.&n

The establishment of a 'lived experience board' is among the proposals made by Susanne Tanner KC in a new report on the way in which the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) deals with sexual offences. The review of the approach of the Crown Office to these cases was commissioned by Lo

Senior prosecutors are warning that puppies bought from illegal breeders as Christmas presents are helping to bankroll serious organised crime gangs. Unlawfully bred dogs sold through a black-market trade on social media or small advert sites have been identified as a significant source of revenue f

A woman who attacked a 97-year-old man in his home and caused injuries from which he later died has been jailed for more than six years. William Lambie suffered a fractured thigh after Tandy Swinton, 44, assaulted him in his Dundee flat while demanding money. He underwent surgery in hospital but die

A retired Fornethy House teacher who systematically abused vulnerable young children in her care over the course of 15 years has been sentenced. Patricia Robertson, now known as Baxter, abused girls aged five to 12 while volunteering and later working at the residential school in Angus. 

A Highland physics teacher exploited a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a female pupil. David Vincent’s criminal behaviour took place over the course of 18 months after meeting the child at the high school where he worked.

The director of a Christian charity radio company who defrauded thousands of pounds from a former partner has been jailed for 22 months. Andrew Polson, 53, of Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, was found guilty by a jury of stealing £186,000 from the 72-year-old woman between May 2021 and March 2022.

A man who tried to kill a woman and two children has had his sentence increased following an appeal by the Crown. Steven Phillipson was found guilty of four charges, including attempted murder, following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year.