Copfs

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of Anne Amos. Ms Amos, aged 72, died in Pine Villa Nursing Home, Loanhead, Midlothian on 13 September 2021 after choking on food.

Parents are being urged not to turn puppy love at Christmas into a financial pipeline for criminal gangs. Millions of pounds are spent every year on trafficked dogs bought at unauthorised puppy farms or online. Sales are expected to spike in the run-up to  Christmas amid concerns that buyers co

Five members of a drugs-trafficking gang who plotted to flood Scotland with almost a tonne of cocaine imported from South America have had Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) imposed by the court. Gerard Carbin, 45; James Bilsland, 68; Lloyd Cross, 32; Ryan McPhee, 34 and Paul Bowes, 53, were re

Scottish authorities have transferred a section of the aircraft from the Lockerbie bombing to the US ahead of a Libyan suspect’s trial in Washington DC. The transfer forms part of an evidence-sharing agreement between Scottish law enforcement authorities and American counterparts. 

A conman who cheated friends, online dating partners and a pensioner out of thousands of pounds to finance his internet gambling habit has been jailed for more than three-and-a-half-years. Michael Higgins, 42, of Livingston, West Lothian, fraudulently obtained a total of £18,225 from 15 victim

A man who attempted to rape a woman and attacked another as they walked home from a university library in Dundee has been jailed for more than 10 years. Derek Lewis previously appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on 13 November where he pleaded guilty to three charges. The court heard how the 40-

The former head of the Scottish Muslim Police Association (SMPA) has been ordered to repay £8,000 in compensation to the organisation after being convicted of embezzlement. Asma Ali, 47, of Glasgow, stole that sum from the SMPA and used the money to pay for flights and rail travel to London as

A rapist who subjected three young children to a campaign of sexual abuse has been jailed. Alan Todd was found guilty of five charges on 28 October 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. The 54-year-old's offending took place at various addresses in Edinburgh between 2001 and 2019.

The Crown Office has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Darrin Callander. Mr Callander, 48, was found dead in his cell within HMP Shotts in the early evening of Saturday 18 September 2021.

A drugs trafficker has been jailed for five years after police found cocaine worth almost £2.5 million in his car following a high-speed chase. Dylan Nicol, 24, drove at speeds up to 120mph to evade arrest during the pursuit along the A90 and Kingsway West in Dundee in February this year.

A former foster carer who subjected three vulnerable children to a campaign of abuse over the course of almost 20 years has been sentenced.  Angela Hassan, formerly Deeney, was found guilty of three charges following a trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 15 October 2024. The 78-year-old, from Mo

A rapist who subjected a woman to a catalogue of violent, controlling and sexual abuse has been jailed. Christian Schonenberger was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on 9 September 2024.

A violent and controlling rapist who attacked and abused two women has been jailed. John Allen, from Denny, was found guilty of 10 charges on 26 August 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Stirling.

A paedophile who was extradited from Thailand to face charges of historic child sexual abuse has been jailed. John Martin, formerly of Haddington, East Lothian, was brought back to Scotland by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in December 2023 after moving to Bangkok several years earlier.

Outdated IT systems are hampering justice, a new report has revealed. Crown Office and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service staff told a survey that they are “drowning in emails” as they attempt to deal with technology that in some cases is more than two decades old.