A man who was convicted of multiple serious sexual assaults and assaults has been jailed for 14 years.Barry Ingleson, 38, was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, 17 March, 2023.
He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today, Tuesday, 18 April, 2023.
The offences, which were committed against four women, took place between August 2009 and August 2020 in the Edinburgh area.
Detective Inspector George Calder said: “Barry Ingleson ( above) is now facing the consequences of his actions and I welcome the significant custodial sentence he has been handed today.
“His behaviour towards women has been disgraceful and I would like to pay tribute to those affected by his horrific actions and commend the strength they have shown to report the abuse they suffered.
“I hope today’s outcome will give them some form of comfort and closure to put their ordeals behind them.
“This conviction and sentence sends a clear message to all perpetrators that all reports of sexual abuse will be thoroughly investigated by Police Scotland irrespective of the passage in time, and victims will be supported throughout.”
Should you wish to report a sexual crime to Police Scotland, then please do so by contacting officers on 101, or by making an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Within a year, 49 dogs have had their lives transformed thanks to Dogs Trust Dundee and their team of volunteer foster carers.
With no traditional rehoming centre in Dundee, Dogs Trust launched its unique approach to finding dogs new homes in the area in April 2022, rehoming dogs direct from foster homes within Dundee, Tayside, Fife and Perthshire.
Dogs Trust Dundee now has 12 Home from Home foster carers who volunteer their time by providing a temporary home for dogs being cared for by the charity until they find their forever families.
This small but mighty team has achieved great success within the year by finding loving new homes for 45 rescue dogs with a further four currently available for adoption.
Magic milestone moments from the charity’s first year of rehoming in Dundee include:
· Cockapoo puppy Ollie (above) was the first dog to be rehomed through the scheme, finding a permanent home in Perthshire with his foster carer who couldn’t bear to part with him. Ollie also made a guest appearance at the charity’s Holyrood Dog of the Year Competition in May 2022 being paired with Claire Adamson MSP.
· 15 of the dogs rehomed have been Older Age Pooches – with the oldest perfect pooch to find a new home being 14-year-old collie Angel
· 29 of the dogs were male with 16 females
· The top three most popular breeds finding homes were Terriers (19), Labrador/cross (5) and Poodle/cross (5).
· Dandy and Beano, named after the comic magazines published by Dundee based publishers DC Thomson, featured on TV news and in the Scottish press before finding their new home together in Renfrewshire.
· Murphy the poodle cross was the quickest dog rehomed, being adopted just seven days after arriving in foster. Murphy is now enjoying lots of walks and cuddles in his new home in Fife.
· Dogs have been rehomed across Scotland, including to Bridge of Don, Nairn and the Isle of Skye.
· The Home from Home team attended 25 local events throughout the year including Broughty Ferry Gala, Dundee Dog Show, Arbroath Fun Dog Show and Dundee Dog Barket.
· The Dundee team held three ‘Thank Dog It’s Fostering Friday’ events for members of the public interested in finding out more about fostering in Perth, Dundee and Arbroath.
Megan Wilkinson, Home from Home Co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Dundeesaid:“It’s fantastic that our foster scheme has taken off within Dundee and surrounding areas allowing us to give all these wonderful dogs the chance of a lifetime by going into a home temporarily, until we find them a forever one.
“Some dogs may take a little longer than others to rehome but, as we have found, there really is a home out there for every dog. Our Home from Home fostering has also given people the chance to rehome a dog in their local area which is good for locals and the dogs.
“Rehoming all of these dogs in need would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of our volunteer foster carers who do such an amazing job. We cannot thank them enough.
“It’s also important for us to remind people in the area that we are here to help anyone wrestling with the difficult decision to give up their dog. For anyone in the area concerned about continuing to care for their dog for whatever reason, please reach out to us and we will do everything we can to help.”
Anyone interested in rehoming from Dogs Trust Dundee should visit:
‘Tough action’ taken against company directors for COVID-19 financial abuse
459 directors were disqualified in 2022-23 for abuse of the pandemic financial support schemes, with average disqualification length of seven years four months, up from five years ten months last year.
Over 450 directors have been disqualified by the Insolvency Service in 2022-23 for abusing the COVID-19 financial support scheme, as the agency continues to clamp down on pandemic fraudsters.
Figures published today by the Insolvency Service also show that directors guilty of COVID-19 related misconduct are being hit with longer disqualification periods. The average length of bans handed out to directors in the last year was seven years four months, up from five years ten months in 2021-22.
Of the total 932 director disqualifications obtained by the Insolvency Service in 2022-23 – 459 were cases involving COVID-19 financial support scheme abuse.
In addition to its civil enforcement action, the Insolvency Service also brought criminal prosecutions against six directors in 2022-23 for COVID-19 related misconduct. All of the prosecutions resulted in a conviction and resulted in immediate imprisonment in one case.
Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at the Insolvency Service, said: “These fraudsters are just the latest to find out that we will not hesitate to take firm action where we uncover such abuse, and this can ultimately result in a jail sentence.
“The purpose of the Bounce Back Loan scheme was to support businesses during the pandemic, but it is clear a minority of company directors chose to maliciously abuse the scheme and defraud the taxpayer. Our team of experts continue to work round-the-clock to bring these criminals to justice.”
In three of the most recent cases, Bahar Dag was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court to two years six months in prison, with her husband Baris Dagistan sentenced to two years, having both pleaded guilty to offences involving a fraudulent application for a Bounce Back Loan.
Bahar Dag had claimed the full £50,000 Bounce Back Loan by stating the company’s turnover was £200,000. However, it was closer to £40,000. When Insolvency Service investigators made contact, and the couple realised they had been caught, they repaid the Bounce Back Loan in full.
Separately, Jubelur Rohman, sole director of Better Day Ltd which gave its business address the Indian Ocean restaurant in Wrexham until 2019, has been disqualified as a director for 11 years following an investigation into his company’s £50,000 Bounce Back Loan obtained in October 2020.
After his company went into liquidation in 2022 with debts over £150,000, Insolvency Service investigators found it had in fact ceased trading in October 2019, with the restaurant currently at the address being owned by a different company. But the rules of the Bounce Back Loan scheme were clear that businesses had to have been trading on 1 March 2020 to be eligible for any funding.
Rohman took out over £40,000 in cash from the company’s bank account between October 2020, when the loan money was received, and March 2021. Yet there was no evidence to show the funds had been spent for the economic benefit of the company.
In another case, Craig McCourt, the sole director of Craig McCourt Electrical Services Ltd, an electrical installation company in Ross-shire, has been disqualified as a director after he applied for Bounce Back Loan funding on two separate occasions, despite his company having already ceased trading and therefore not eligible for any financial assistance.
Although he later dissolved his company, he was caught thanks to new powers granted to the Insolvency Service which enable it to investigate directors of dissolved companies, particularly where bosses are suspected of using this as a tactic to avoid repaying taxpayer-backed Covid-19 support money.
At the point he dissolved the company in October 2020, nearly all its £20,000 Bounce Back Loan remained outstanding. The company was identified on government counter-fraud systems and under the new powers – which came into effect in December 2021 – the Insolvency Service launched an investigation.
Investigators discovered that not only had Craig McCourt Electrical Services Ltd not been trading since September 2019 – meaning he had breached the terms of the scheme when he applied for the loan – but he had immediately transferred the £15,000 loan to another bank account.
Investigators then discovered that he had applied for the extra £5,000 top-up loan for the company in November 2020 – a month after the business had finally been dissolved. He had also transferred this money to a separate bank account.
As a result, Craig McCourt has been disqualified for 11 years.
Rohman and McCourt’s bans prevent each of them from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Thousands of patients will be cared for at their local community optometry practice rather than in the hospital as part of a new NHS community glaucoma service.
The flagship eyecare service is being rolled out in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and will expand across Scotland over the next two years and is expected to register an estimated 20,000 patients once complete.
As part of the service, patients with lower risk glaucoma or treated ocular hypertension will be safely cared for in community optometry practices, closer to home, rather than having to travel to hospital and help to reduce waiting times pressures in hospitals.
Marking the launch at Munro Optometrists, one of the first practices to offer the service, Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Scotland is regarded as a world leader in community eye care service provision.
“We are the only country in the UK to provide free universal NHS-funded eye examinations, and our investment in community optometry services has helped reduce the burden on GPs and secondary care services.
“I am very pleased to celebrate the launch of this new flagship NHS Community Glaucoma Service in Glasgow and look forward to seeing more patients across the country benefiting from the rollout.”
Frank Munro, practice owner said: “This new development demonstrates another positive aspect of joint working across the eyecare sector. This policy development comes at a much-needed time with so many people on long waiting lists waiting for appointments.
“This innovation demonstrates the proactive, constructive discussions that have taken place and the Scottish Government and Optometry Scotland should be congratulated in bringing the Community Glaucoma Service into effect.
“There is no doubt that this will benefit thousands of patients living with glaucoma across Scotland.”
‘Gathering views from our communities and businesses, alongside data and technical evidence, will be critical to these decisions’ – Transport Convener Cllr Scott Arthur
A major consultation to help shape the way people move around, to and from Edinburgh is now underway.
Together, the Active Travel, Public Transport, Parking, Road Safety and Air Quality Action Plans aim to create cleaner, greener, safer, more accessible and affordable travel choices, while cutting congestion, reinforcing the Capital’s net zero 2030 goals and boosting the economy.
Each of the plans sits under the emerging Circulation Plan and its associated Streetspace Allocation Framework, which underpin the transition towards a less congested, more liveable, healthy and sustainable capital.
The city council is now seeking feedback on all the plans collectively, including via an online survey, public drop-ins, focus group and key stakeholder discussions and a toolkit to support community involvement.
The consultation will run until 9 July and outcomes will be reported to Transport and Environment Committee later this year, culminating in the finalisation of each plan.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“Edinburgh is a growing, evolving capital, facing the same challenges as cities around the world – from climate change and poverty to traffic congestion and poor air quality.
“We want to transform the way people move around the city, which we hope will go some way to addressing this, and we’re looking at how we can create safer, sustainable and affordable transport options. This is also about working to support economic growth and building people-friendly spaces across the city, while helping to end poverty and isolation. We’ve put people, particularly those with a disability, at the heart of these plans.
“The draft action plans set out a range of actions to achieve this, and we want to collaborate with people and businesses in Edinburgh to shape how we deliver these plans. Combining all the plans into one big citywide conversation means we can really capture the interrelated issues and ensure actions are mutually supportive of each other.
“As a city we know and agree that we must cut congestion, boost the economy and hit net zero. This consultation is a chance for people to both comment on our proposals and also make alternative suggestions for delivering these key policies. Doing nothing, however, is no longer an option as we have a duty to face these challenges.
“We need to balance different travel needs with the limited street space we have, and that’s going to involve some real dilemmas. I’m particularly pleased, however, that making public transport more accessible and reliable is at the heart of these plans.
“Gathering views from our communities and businesses, alongside data and technical evidence, will be critical to these decisions. Whether you’re interested in improved public transport links, better walking, wheeling and cycling routes or making our streets more accessible and pleasant places to spend time, I’d urge you to take part in our consultation.”
Residents and businesses can share their views on proposals and priorities in a range of areas, including making streets more accessible, improving public transport and enhancing active travel networks, as well as achieving ambitious accident reduction targets and creating people-friendly, thriving neighbourhoods and shopping streets.
These actions support Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan and aim to help drive down the number of kilometres travelled by car in the city by 30% by 2030, reduce air pollution and improve public health.
Innovative Scottish product brings modern solution to heritage building
DELIGHTED staff and users at a popular community centre have seen the historic-but-draughty building transformed, thanks to an innovative Scottish firm.
Duncan Place in Leith provides a host of activities, classes and shared workspaces, but managers were vexed by the skyrocketing costs of heating the B-Listed building, which was formerly part of Leith Academy.
Now the vital community and enterprise hub has been transformed thanks to an ingenious product invented by a former banker who was determined to develop an affordable solution for upgrading single-glazing windows.
A team from Gecko Glazing in Edinburgh have installed 63 Gecko Panes – clever secondary glazing panels – in the building, instantly making it cheaper to heat while also reducing both condensation and noise.
Nicola Lamberton, Development Manager at Duncan Place, told how the charity faced significant costs to refurbish the existing, heritage windows, because of strict planning regulations – until they discovered Gecko Glazing.
She added: “Getting the windows removed and restored was never going to be a viable option for us. Duncan Place Community Hub is a charity and it would not have been possible financially.
“We would also have needed permission to put up scaffolding for months and would have been left without any windows while they were being refurbished, which would have added the problem rather than helping.
“Gecko Glazing was a fantastic and cost-effective option, allowing secondary glazing to be installed without obstructing the existing windows – you can barely notice they are there.
“The process was quick and simple with virtually no disruption and Gecko Glazing were a brilliant firm to deal with, making it a seamless process. “
Easy-to-install Gecko Panes cut window heat loss by up to 50%, helping customers to dramatically reduce both bills and their carbon footprint. They are a fraction of the price of double glazing, while delivering 80% of the efficiencies.
Originally designed for use in homes, custom-sized Gecko Panes can be fitted with minimal disruption. Unlike costlier alternative solutions, such as sliding aluminium frames or magnetic inserts, they do not prevent windows from opening or interfere with shutters.
Gecko Glazing is the brainchild of former banker, Gareth Claase who gave up his financial career to pursue his passion for finding an effective and environmentally friendly solution to upgrading single-glazed windows.
Gareth, a dad of two, said: “Scotland is full of listed buildings like Duncan Place, where the owners or tenants struggle to keep the buildings warm because of old windows that haemorrhage heat.
“The cost of living crisis on top of the climate emergency has now made that situation untenable because of both the financial and environmental toll. People need simple, affordable solutions and that’s what I was determined to develop. It is brilliant to see that our panes have been such a fantastic help for the team at Duncan Place.”
Since being launched In October 2021, Gecko Glazing has been widely praised in the booming retrofit sustainability sector. Unlike other methods of retrofit glazing, the Gecko Panes can be installed in minutes and cause no damage to existing windows or frames, making them ideal for tenants, owners and landlords of listed buildings.
Gareth added: “We’ve already proven how effective Gecko Panes are in people’s homes, but projects like Duncan Place show there is also huge potential in commercial properties. There are many museums, schools, hospitals and other community buildings across Scotland which could benefit in the same way.”
Duncan Place was owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, which closed it in 2014 and earmarked it for possible demolition. However, a vigorous community campaign was launched to save the building. It secured £1.2m of regeneration funding and it was handed over the Duncan Place charity and reopened as a community hub in 2020.
Now the thriving centre offers a host of groups, classes and activities from yoga and art to Tai Chi and children’s Lego sessions.
Manager Nicola Lamberton added: “People are really noticing the difference in temperature since we got Gecko Glazing installed. The transformation has been brilliant.”
Strengthened standards ensure fewer restrictions on visiting
Strengthened national guidance on visiting has improved residents’ quality of life Health Secretary Michael Matheson was told by staff and residents at a care home in Greenock.
The Health and Social Care Standards which came into force last April gave people living in care homes rights to see loved ones and name relatives or friends they wish to be involved in their care plans.
The standards have helped deliver the aims of Anne’s Law, ensuring people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and get support from those who are important to them, ahead of the Scottish Parliament considering entering it into legislation as part of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.
The Bagatelle Care Home is one of two operated by the Greenock Medical Aid Society. Their “meaningful visits” team, set up during the pandemic to ensure residents had regular, safe contact with loved ones, won the Nursing Older People Award at the Royal College of Nursing Awards 2021.
Mr Matheson said: “Strengthening the standards has allowed us to meet our pledge to introduce the provisions of Anne’s Law as quickly as possible by using existing legal powers. This has minimised disruption to visiting and I am glad to hear how this is already helping residents and their loved ones.
“I would also like to congratulate the staff here at the Bagatelle Care Home on the Nursing Older People award and thank them for their continued hard work.”
Andrea Wyllie, Chief Executive of Greenock Medical Aid Society, said: “Since we introduced meaningful visits safely during the height of the pandemic we’ve seen improvements in residents’ and family members’ overall wellbeing.
“Our data showed an increase in appetites and a significant decrease in those at risk of malnutrition. We saw moods lift and a feeling of life and buzz return into our care homes. We demonstrated that we could balance the rights of residents and family members in being back together, with the risks that increasing footfall could bring.”
Kevin Mitchell, the Care Inspectorate’s executive director of scrutiny and assurance, said: “We recognise that recent years have been an unprecedented challenge for all those living and working in care settings.
“We have seen countless examples of care services working extremely hard to support people to maintain contact with their loved ones in meaningful ways.
“The Care Inspectorate continues to work closely with partners across the sector and with the Scottish Government to ensure people experiencing care are supported to have meaningful contact with the people important to them.”
Cathie Russell of Care Home Relatives Scotland said: “We are pleased the Health Secretary is marking the one year anniversary of the new care standards which are helping to ensure people can still have contact with loved ones even during Covid and other outbreaks and look forward to this approach being enshrined in Anne’s Law as a matter of urgency.”
Edinburgh Science Festival drew to a close at the weekend, having turned the Scottish capital into a living laboratory over the Easter holidays.
With the theme Let’s Experiment!, the 2023 edition of the world’s first science festival got people of all ages hands-on with science through a fantastic and ambitious live programme of workshops, Big Ideas discussions, free interactive exhibitions and many more, one-third of which was free to experience.
This year’s edition engaged with 31 fantastic partner organisations from Scotland and wider UK and gave a platform to a range of inspiring speakers, 60% of whom were women.
Some of the highlights included the Edinburgh Medal Address delivered by this year’s recipient of the prestigious award, food politics expert Prof. Marion Nestle, two themed family weekends bookmarking the Festival, FutureFest and EarthFest at the National Museum of Scotland and Ponyo, a unique screening of the Ghibli Studio classic synchronised with 2.4 litres of water at the FloWave research facility at the University of Edinburgh. Cherish: Shaping Our Planet free outdoor photography exhibition continues on Portobello Promenade until 4 May.
The Festival team has now announced that the 2024 edition will take place between 30 March and 14 Aprilwith the theme of Shaping the Future.
Celebrating the power and potential that human creativity, collaboration, innovation and play have to change our world for the better, next year’s event will explore the roles of science, technology and their creative cousins in tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities that our ever-changing world presents.
It will champion imagination, innovation, entrepreneurship and the value of creativity and play, and look at the tools needed to foster these and ignite a generation of innovators. By working and playing together, we stand the best chance of securing a sustainable future and ensuring that we are ‘the architects of our future not its victims’ (R Buckminster Fuller).
Amanda Tyndall, Festival and Creative Director at Edinburgh Science said: “We live in a complex world and if we are to not only survive but to thrive, we need to foster the skills and come up with creative solutions that will help ensure that we shape the world we want to live in.
“The 2024 Edinburgh Science Festival will explore the science, technology and people making this happen, through an exciting, informative and playful programme for all ages.”
Police Scotland’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls was presented to the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee yesterday(Monday 17 April).
The strategy is subject to final discussion by the full SPA Board next week.
Based on wide-ranging and unprecedented engagement with the general public, women and girls, survivors of violence, key partners, academics and experts, the strategy builds on the Service’s commitment to improve and future-proof its response.
Proposals within the strategy include:
tackling and diverting incel culture through education
expanding the use of sexual offences liaison officer (SOLO) led visually recorded interviews (VRI)
delivery of trauma-informed training to all police officers and staff
Launching the strategy, Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors, Police Scotland, said: “We are committed to creating a society where women and girls live free from violence, abuse, exploitation and harassment.
“Women, girls, and men, have shared their experiences, their thoughts and their views on how we can tackle violence, create a service that is responsive to victims and how we prevent violence against women and girls.
“We have listened and their voices and experiences thread through our strategy.
“They have informed and influenced our approach, our commitment to act and to improve how we tackle the sexual violence and domestic abuse that disproportionately affects women and girls.
“We will work with our partners across criminal justice, and support services, to improve the opportunities and support for women to report.
“It is up to us to improve how we respond at that first point of contact. To be compassionate, to listen, to signpost to help, and to ensure women are kept informed from the moment they report.
“We are committed to continually improving the service we provide, to build confidence in reporting and in policing more widely. Our service must be trauma-informed, we will prioritise the needs of victims and survivors.
“As an organisation we are not immune from the sexism and misogyny that is at the root of this violence. Our strategy recognises the work that needs to be done internally.
“Our role is crucial, but policing alone cannot stop violence against women and girls. Our strategy outlines the actions we will take as a service, together with our partners.
“We will continue to engage, to work with our partners, to improve our response and to drive the change needed to end violence against women and girls.”
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has written to teachers, education leaders and staff across Scotland setting out her priorities for the sector.
These include reforming education for the benefit of all learners, and continuing to close the poverty-related attainment gap.
The letter reads:
To Scotland’s teachers and school leaders,
It is a great honour to have been appointed to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. As you may know, I spent a decade working in education before entering politics. I recognise first-hand how dedicated and committed our teachers and support staff are to giving our children and young people the best opportunities to succeed in life.
The Covid-19 pandemic was a sharp reminder of just how important education is to our communities. I know how challenging it was for our young people – just as I know how challenging it was for our teachers and staff in school. I want to thank you all for your hard work and professionalism throughout that time. You stepped up when Scotland’s young people needed you most. Thank you.
We need to now focus on rebuilding, together, for the benefit of Scotland’s children and young people – and I firmly believe that post-pandemic we have a unique opportunity to do so.
There are many strengths in our education system which we must use as our foundation; equally I know of the challenges that the Covid legacy has created in our classrooms and school communities. I want to work with you on how we can address those challenges and opportunities together.
Undeniably, we are at a crucial point in setting out the future through a comprehensive programme of education reform. The National Discussion on Education and the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (Hayward Review) will conclude soon. This work includes the reform of our national bodies as we work to establish the new agencies.
These new organisations will need to work better to meet the needs of our young people – but they also need to work better to support you, our educators.
The educational landscape which existed when the Scottish Attainment Challenge launched in February 2015 is markedly different. The cost of living crisis has deepened inequity; but it further necessitates our relentless focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap.
High quality learning and teaching is crucial to help disrupt the impact of poverty in our education system. Our schools have a key role to play in driving ambition and attainment; through promoting a culture of high expectations and excellence for all. Excellent teachers are fundamental to that endeavour – I want to make sure you have the necessary support and opportunity to fulfil that expectation.
Furthermore, I am committed to delivering excellence and equity in school education through empowering and supporting our teaching profession and putting learners’ needs at the centre. We will ensure that teachers and practitioners across the education system can access the high-quality support and professional learning they need. Our new national education bodies will be central to this, with clear roles and responsibilities to support this work collaboratively across the sector.
Scottish education is at an important juncture. The future for Scotland’s next generation depends on those of you who work in our education system. From our school janitors to our secretaries in school offices; from our catering staff to our Headteachers; from our classroom support assistants to our teachers – all of you make up the myriad of support provided to Scotland’s children and young people in our schools. All of you are valued.
As the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, I am committed to working with you to make sure the next steps on reform deliver real improvements, with partnership with our teaching profession as my guiding principle.
I look forward to working with you all, for the benefit of Scotland’s children and young people.
