A man responsible for the death of a man in Longstone has been convicted. Nico Allan (24) was found guilty of the murder of Mark Squires at the High Court on Wednesday and will be sentenced next month. Continue reading Man convicted of Longstone murder
Holyrood’s Justice Committee has found that the proportion of remand prisoners in Scotland is high. This is particularly true amongst female prisoners, where remand prisoners account for almost a quarter of the total female prison population. Continue reading Justice Committee questions use of remand in Scotland
Prior to the committee’s consideration of the Scottish Government’s Management of Offenders Bill, the Justice Committee is launching a call for views. Continue reading Justice Committee seeking views on treatment of Offenders
Integration initiative delayed indefinitely
The Joint Programme Board overseeing the integration of British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland into Police Scotland has agreed to review the timetable. A longer timetable will allow for enhanced engagement with officers, staff and their representatives on key issues, including pay and conditions. Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has expressed disappointment at the delay, but the news has been welcomed by opposition parties at Holyrood. Continue reading Transport Police plan hits the buffers
MSPs on Holyrood’s Justice Committee have unanimously backed the proposed law which changes the costs for people bringing a civil claim to court in Scotland. Continue reading MSPs back Bill to remove barriers to civil justice
Extending a presumption against short prison sentences and encouraging greater use of more effective community sentences will better tackle re-offending, Michael Matheson said yesterday. Continue reading Crime and Punishment: “We must think beyond bricks and mortar”, says Minister
The police and courts will have greater powers to protect the public from perpetrators of human trafficking and exploitation from today. Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders (TEPOs) can now be used by the courts to impose restrictions on people who have been convicted of trafficking and exploitation offences.
Continue reading Tackling exploitation: tougher action against traffickers
A £17 million fund to help some of the country’s most disadvantaged young people is now open. The cash, seized from criminals, has been committed to the next phase of CashBack funding and will be used to provide activities and opportunities across Scotland. Continue reading More Cashback for Communities
A man will appear in court today following an alleged sex attack on a woman in Canonmills.
Police confirmed a suspect aged 35 is being held in connection with the attempted rape of a 21-year-old woman near Smithies pub in Eyre Place.
He is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
The victim was said to have been subjected to a serious sexual assault at about 4am on 8 October.
Recorded crime in Scotland is now at its lowest level since 1974. The number of crimes has fallen by 13 per cent, a drop of just over 41,000 in 2012-13 to 273,053.
Statistics published today also show violent crime fell by 21 per cent and crimes of handling offensive weapons are at a 27-year low. However, the number of sexual offences recorded by police went up by five per cent. The figures also show a slight rise in the number of offences, which include driving and minor alcohol offences, of less than one per cent.
The clear up rate for crimes increased last year and is now at its highest since 1976.
Commenting on the figures, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill (pictured above) said:
“Today’s statistics show that Scotland’s communities are becoming safer places to live, with recorded crime falling for the sixth year in a row to its lowest level for 39 years. It is particularly encouraging to see violent crime dropping by 21 per cent last year and crimes of handling an offensive weapon down by 60 per cent since 2006-07. However, make no mistake, there will be no let-up in our efforts backed by record numbers of police officers – over 1,000 extra since 2007 – who are keeping communities safe and clearing up crimes more efficiently than ever before.
“We are continuing to work tirelessly to reduce knife crime and violence in Scotland, and believe education and prevention are key to tackling the root causes of violence. That’s why we are investing in the No Knives, Better Lives initiative – now in 11 areas across Scotland – and why we work with other key partners like the Violence Reduction Unit and Medics Against Violence. Together, we are working hard to change attitudes to violence and knife crime – making it clear that it is never acceptable.
“We are also taking a robust approach to enforcement –sentences for carrying a knife in Scotland are the toughest in the UK and our prosecutors are taking a zero tolerance approach. Today’s figures show these united efforts to tackle knife crime are beginning to pay off, but there will be no complacency. “While today’s overall statistics are encouraging, it is concerning to see that the number of sexual offences recorded by police have increased by five per cent. This may be down to increased reporting but the public should be assured that the Scottish Government, police and prosecutors take the investigation and prosecution of these traumatic crimes extremely seriously and are taking action to address them.
“At a Government level, we have strengthened the law around sex crimes by bringing in the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009. We are also giving £3.6 million funding to support victims of rape from 2012-15. Just yesterday, I met with the Rape and Sexual Crime External Advisory Group which now operates across Police Scotland and works closely with police officers to help inform and improve rape investigations. Meanwhile, the Scottish Police Service has launched a new National Rape Taskforce to further improve the investigation of rape and other sexual crimes right across the country.”
Recorded crime in Scotland, 2012-13
For those too young to remember, The Rubettes were at Number One with ‘Sugar Baby Love’ in June 1974, ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Blazing Saddles’ were the most popular films and Scotland even qualified for the World Cup finals in Germany! (We also became the first ever country to be eliminated from a World Cup Finals without having lost a match …)
