Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

A police officer later exposed as a violent serial rapist passed vetting checks to join his force despite two existing reports of criminal behaviour against women.

What use are vetting checks that don’t work? 

Alan Greer was investigated by police in 2002 and 2005 for making inappropriate phone calls to women and in one case was given a formal police caution.But he was given a job at Strathclyde Police – now Police Scotland – in 2009 despite vetting staff knowing about his history.

Police Scotland had claimed there were no 'missed opportunities' to expose Greer's offending sooner...

Really? Surely they wouldn’t lie about such a thing? 

...but has now said its comments related only to the officer's police career, not his vetting.

Ah lying by omission. Or ‘clever PR’, as we no doubt refer to it these days…

Last month Lynn Ratcliff, assistant chief constable, said vetting was 'markedly different' compared to when Greer undertook the process and added he would not have passed current checks.

Is that another lie? Reader, it is, and an easily disproved one, at that! 

A Strathclyde Police handbook from 2006, which details its standard operating procedures, said the force 'should not recruit people with cautions or convictions, which may call into question the integrity of the applicant or the force'.

Perhaps Lynn Ratcliffe should come under sctutiny for lying to the public? 

A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'We have been completely open and transparent around information which can be shared in relation to the ongoing investigation into Alan Greer.

No you haven't - you've obfuscated and flat out lied at every turn so incompetently you've immediately  been found out! I'm embarrassed for you. 

🎵"Don't stick stickers on my paper knickers..."🎵

...especially not these sort!

Two council cleansing workers were taken to hospital after falling ill while removing an “unauthorised sticker” from a lamppost on Morningside Road on Thursday, sparking a large-scale response by emergency services.A 30-year-old has been arrested and charged after a substance was found on a lamppost in the Morningside area.

What substance? No-one's saying! And these stickers seem not to be 'hazardous' at all, or so the police woulld like us to believe, which makes you wonder what the 30 year old has been charged with. And 30 yrar old what? Man ? Woman? The police say woman. Social media says different.

Police Scotland later confirmed the substance had been deemed safe following testing, reassuring residents it posed “no threat” to the public. However, emergency services were called out for a second time late on Thursday night following “additional reports of a potential hazardous material" near Hermitage Terrace.

 The colours are significant, I feel...

Police have arrested and charged a 30-year-old woman after an ‘unknown substance’ was discovered on a lamppost in Morningside. She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

The mystery deepens...

 

Why Should This Be A Surprise?

A manhunt is underway for a child rapist who escaped from prison staff while on escorted leave. Restricted patient, Cliff Lyons Dobbie, fled from officers in Perth city centre on Thursday.

He wasn't at large for long, thankfully.  But why was he allowed out in the first place?

Dobbie has been held in secure facilities since 1990 after he raped a 10-year-old girl in Glasgow and sexually abused a 12-year-old boy in a field. He was admitted to State Hospital in Carstairs where he has remained since the depraved attacks.

Persuing hobbies like whinging about the rules.  No doubt with taxpayer cash.

Police have warned the public not to approach Dobbie and to report his whereabouts to the police if he is spotted. He is currently being treated as a missing person and the investigation to locate him is ongoing.

He's not a 'missing person' - he's an escaped offender. But should we expect anything more from the land where they aren't even sure if prisoners are men or women?

Yes, It's The 'New XL Bully' Again

A Fife mum has described the heartache of losing her “first baby” during a vicious dog attack.

No, thankfully not an actual baby. You have to appreciate how modern middle class ‘dog people’ see things.

Kaitlyn Christine’s dog, Bonnie, was euthanised in the early hours of Saturday due to the extent of her injuries.

The five-year-old basset hound was being walked in Cardenden on Friday afternoon when the attack happened.Kaitlyn is worried the attacking dog will strike again if the owner is not traced.

It is believed the animal is a black cane corso or mastiff-style breed. The owner of the animal has not been identified.

Kaitlyn said she is determined to find the attacking dog’s owner and has contacted the police.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, evidence that relying on the police is a futile hope:

A devastated family are reeling from the loss of their little dog after a "brutal" street attack that "torn her to shreds".

And the culprit? Yes, Reader, you guessed it: 

Andrew Little was walking his two beagles Treacle and Bonnie around their housing estate in Robroyston on Saturday evening when an off-lead dog bolted towards them. During the 16-second attack, the bullmastiff inflicted fatal injuries to Treacle whilst also leaving Andrew with a broken hand as he tried protect his beloved pets.

"All of this has happened within 20 seconds, it's absolutely torn our little dog to shreds."

And the culprir has been identified and traced, but little has been done: 

When the devastated pair returned to their home in the estate, which they only moved into three weeks ago with their 2-year-old daughter, they reported the incident to police.To date, they say the bullmastiff has not been removed from its home and they are now calling for more action to be taken to ensure the neighbourhood is safe.

I bet at least the cops have identified the locatiion on the PNC so they aren't caught out again should they rock up at the house to make an arrest. 

Police Scotland say they are continuing to investigate the incident.

"I appreciate they would originally have potentially just logged it as a dog on dog, but we've also now updated them that there is human injury here as well, and they've still not given us any contact whatsoever."

They are as useless as their colleagues down south. 

 

What’s Up With Firearms Licensing In Scotland!?

I caught the BBC documentary on Dunblane last weekend and it raised a few issues I was previously unawere of. 

The first being I'd always assumed that the petition to ban handguns was led by the bereaved paerents but no, the documentary showed it was set uo by three women unconnected to the tragedy except by living in Dunblane, of a type we would now dub 'Karens', who took it upon themselves to run the petition which eventually was succesful in banning handgun despite the official Cullen inquiry not suggesting such a step was necessary. 

The second thing was that there was no mention of the perpetrator 'at the request of the interviwees' and so the programme was rather incomplete. of course, no mention of the perpetrator meant no mention of the culpability of those authorities you were begging for help from!

Then in the week, this story caught my eye:

A gamekeeper who trapped a rare bird of prey in a cage before beating it to death was caught out by a covert surveillance operation.Russell Mason, 49, lured the protected goshawk into a baited trap before battering it several times with a cosh to cause its agonising death.

Mason was previously placed on the sex offenders register after being spotted carrying out a solo sex act in his car by a resident of a sheltered housing complex.

To be a gamekeeper requires that one hold a shotgun license doesn't it?  What are the police doing that they are handing a registered sex offender a firearms licence? Didn't they learn that lesson 30 years ago? 

.

Well, Who? Apart, Of Course, From The Usual Suspects...

The mother of a man who was mauled to death by an XL Bully he was dog-sitting is demanding someone take accountability.

Scott Samson's remains were discovered alongside the dog in the blood-soaked living room of his home in Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, on March 15 last year. The XL Bully, named Mitch, belongs to Neal Stark, 37, who had given it to a friend when he was jailed for drug offences in February 2025.The friend then asked Mr Samson to look after the dog while he went on holiday.

I guess having criminal-adjacent friends who palm off unregistered dangerous dogs on you in Scotland is a risk factor akin to going out to attend a protest while armed in Minnesota albeit with a far more grueome outcome...

Mr Samson's mother Morag said police did not tell her he had been attacked by the dog when his body was discovered, and instead said he died from an accidental drug overdose - leaving her confused when an undertaker said she would not be able to see his body and he would need a closed coffin.

So they lied. Is anyone surprised? Think they've sunk about as low as they could go? Reader, you ain't heard nothin' yet:  

Morag said dog catchers were unable to remove the aggressive XL Bully from the house, meaning it was left in the room with Mr Samson's body for another 13 hours during which time she believes it continued to attack him, targeting his 'private parts'.

The cause of Mr Samson's death was inconclusive due to the extent of the damage done to his body.

Yes, Police Scotland let this monster mutt eat the victim rather than risk the emails from the 'aww poor puppy' lunatics by sending in an ARV to riddle the thing with bullets. 

Morag was reeling with anger when she learnt no one will be prosecuted over her son's death and police have spent thousands of pounds keeping the XL Bully in kennels since the attack.

It's only taxpayer's money, Morag... 

The grieving mother said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told her there isn't enough evidence to prosecute the dog's owner, despite the animal being confirmed by experts as an XL Bully and found to be unregistered - a legal requirement for the banned breed.

Once again, the CPS living down to their nickname. 

Scottish Conservative shadow minister for community safety Sharon Dowey MSP said: 'This deeply troubling case exposes serious failures in how dangerous dogs are dealt with in Scotland, leaving families devastated and police tied up with costly, drawn-out processes. 'SNP ministers were far too slow to act on XL Bullies, and this failure has left communities less safe while taxpayers foot the bill. 'Police and prosecutors need the powers, clarity and resources to act decisively, and SNP ministers must urgently explain why that is still not happening.'

But they won't and they won't face any genuine consequences for this either, and you know it... 

It’s Only Taxpayers Money Pt 83290122

The family of Sheku Bayoh have reached an out-of-court settlement with Police Scotland after moving to sue the force following his death. Mr Bayoh, 31, died in Kirkcaldy, Fife on May 3, 2015, after he was restrained on the ground by six police officers. His family raised a civil action against Police Scotland three years later.

And the cops have thrown in the towel and are paying them to go away.  

A public inquiry has also been examining the circumstances leading to Mr Bayoh’s death, the investigation into his death and whether or not race was a factor. Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell met with Mr Bayoh’s family last month and offered an apology to them for their ordeal.A joint statement from Police Scotland and solicitor Aamer Anwar, who has been representing the family, said on Monday a settlement has now been agreed without any admission of liability by the force.

How much? We don't know, it's our money, and we aren't allowed to know. 

The statement said that to “respect the privacy of the family, the details of the agreement will remain confidential”.

The actual rank and file police aren't happy, either. 

A spokesperson for the Scottish Police Federation said the organisation, which represents rank-and-file officers, was “surprised to find that the chief constable has decided to settle this claim”.

The spokesperson said: “As the inquiry continues, it would be inappropriate to say any more at this stage, other than to remind the public that the clear position of the officers involved in the apprehension of Mr Bayoh is that they acted reasonably, in the public interest in the circumstances, given the danger that he presented.”

But with the state of the justice system they don't want to take a chance, and there's always more taxpayer cash where that came from, isn't there? 

Protect The Public? Nah, Costs Too Much..

It seems Police Scotland are plumbing new depths of incompetence:

The message on January 7 from a senior officer also confirmed a seized XL bully called Blue was returned to its owner – despite still not having an exemption certificate – after spending four months in kennels.

Isn't transferring one of these mutts without a certificate a crime then? Should they not investigate themselves? They seem quite happy to do so in other - equally ridiculous - circumstances, after all....

H/T: ProtectOurPets via Twitter

Sometimes I Have Trouble Believing What I'm Reading....

Neighbours last night claimed the tragedy comes just months after the grey dog was reported to police and the city dog warden after the ‘aggressive’ animal attacked another pet in July.

And once again, the police have a death on their hands through inaction - at least this time it's only the brainless owner and not an innocent, as in Stratford.  

Dog owner Ryan Gray, 25, said he was out with his ten-year-old collie, Clyde, when Bailey lunged for his pet and punctured its neck, leaving him with a £180 vet bill. He said: ‘Even with a muzzle, he managed to get a grip of my dog’s neck. I really felt like that the dog was trying to kill him. I was really pleading with her to get him [Bailey] off.’ Mr Gray, who was also injured trying to prise the dog’s teeth from his pet, told how Ms McLeod struggled to control the muscular pet and would shout at him and others to keep their dogs away from him.

So why wasn't it seized then? Was it the attitude of the victim that stopped the police? 

But he said: ‘It is really horrible what has happened. No one deserves that to happen to them. I never wanted to see that dog put down – I would have liked to see it go to someone who could have controlled it better.

‘It was only a year-and-a-half-old, so just a pup. This should never have happened.’

Imagine what the thing would do fully grown! Who exactly was he hoping would come forward who'd be able to control it, Kraven the Hunter?  

They've Failed More Than One Family, They've Failed Society...

The pit bull’s owners were not home but a friend of theirs, a woman, was in the property at the time. She reportedly came out after hearing the child’s scream and threw water on the dog to get it off.

And called an ambulance? No, let the sobbing child run home covered in blood! 

Gillian rushed her crying daughter to hospital and police were called to A&E to note down a report of the attack.

But clearly, not to actually do anything about it. 

But the mum isn’t happy with how the case has been treated and is now hitting back at Police Scotland, saying they have “failed” her family. The attack happened on 11 September this year. Nearly two months later, on 8 November, the police went back to the family with an update.

She said: “Knowing that Rose is lucky to be still here makes me so angry. “[I am even] angrier that the police don't see this as serious as it is.

“The police said that they wouldn't be charging or having the dog destroyed as Rose wasn't in a public place, and the dog hadn’t attacked anyone before.

“No dog should be able to live after attacking anyone – even more so a child.

Quite! They've already had several attacks and one recent death to these dogs in Scotland so what the hell is with the nonsensical 'one bite' policy? 

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 8.40pm on Wednesday, 11 September 2024, officers received a report of a dog attack on Tresta Road, Glasgow.

"Enquiries were carried out and advice and assistance were given.

“No further police action was required.”

Oh, it was required all right, it just wasn't undertaken. Why not? 

H/T: Baz via Twitter 

Why Do You Wait For A ‘Specialist Dog Unit’ When You Have Armed Officers At The Scene?

Cops were forced to use batons on a pack of savage 'pit bulls' that mauled a small pet to death.

'Forced to use'...? *rolls eyes* 

A small dog was killed in the horrific attack in Kinross, which left a woman and two other dogs injured. Police locked down High Street and Burns-Begg Street in the town earlier today. One local, who declined to be named, told how police officers arrived within minutes of the attack and had to use batons to get the beasts off the woman who was being dragged about the ground like a “rag doll.”

Why are they so apologetic? Why are they so bloody useless at protecting the public? 

“The dogs then ran back inside the house and haven't been seen since.”

Officers were standing guard around the house and locals are being kept on the street.

Growing up, the idea that police would keep you outside your house for hours because of savage dogs would have been something that only happens in Third World countries, but I suppose that's what we are now... 

Police marksmen were on ladders at the garden of the property and the dogs could be heard barking aggressively. Around five hours after the dogs launched their vicious attack shocked neighbours were allowed to return to their homes.

The four dogs were still in the living room of the house and were barking as officers stood guard outside the end-terraced property.

It's understood they will remain in their home until a specialist police unit is available to carefully remove them and take them to kennels.

You have a specialist police unit on hand with their guns. Use them.  

And If That’s The Case, Who Is Committing Them, Sandy?

A senior police officer has said that the 1,400 rape allegations made in Scotland in the space of six months this year probably represents "the tip of the iceberg". The total number of cases recorded by Police Scotland between April and September was 19.5% higher than in the same period last year. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said police were hoping it represented victims having increased confidence in coming forward to report sex crimes.

And if it doesn't represent this, but instead represents an actual increase, Sandy? What then? 

Police Scotland revealed the figures as it launched the latest phase of its award-winning That Guy social media campaign, which aims to prevent sexual offending by addressing male behaviour.

It's noticable that almost all the men in this campaign are white Scots. There's the odd token dusky-hued chap, but they are very much in the minority.  

Praised by campaigners, That Guy was launched in 2021 and targets men aged between 18 and 35, the main age of people convicted of sexual crime.

And though they've considered age, it seems they've not looked at race.  But then, ignoring the obvious in order to skew the stats appears to be a thing south of the border too...

When Did 'Scotland The Brave' ....

...become 'Scotland The Virtuesignaller'?

Scotland's police officers will be paid to take part in Pride parades despite the force cutting back on fighting crime, the Mail can reveal. Uniformed officers are being urged to represent the overstretched force at LGBTI marches in exchange for pay or a day off in lieu. While hundreds will be on active duty policing the marches, senior officers have requested that other staff join the parades to show support for the marchers.

And what if they don't want to? Will they be forced to?  

The 'astonishing' move will also see plain-clothed officers on light duties given special Pride badges.

And told to wear them or else?  

Calum Steele, the former general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), said: 'Moving to a situation where officers are now paid to march (and actively encouraged with the inducement of payment to do so) is an astonishing development and has to raise questions over the effective use of resources.'

Well, der, Calum!  

The new policy comes after Scotland's police chief was accused of 'virtue-signalling nonsense' when she apologised for enforcing laws which 'criminalised love'. Chief Constable Jo Farrell said in May that she was sorry for 'recent and historical injustices' suffered by 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex' people.

I can't wait for the next season of 'Rebus' on the BBC! It's going to be quite something... 

'Understood' By Whom, Stevie Wonder?

This is the moment a crazed dog sinks its teeth into a pug and refuses to let go as bystanders attempt to halt the attack by fighting it off with a chair. Horrifying footage of the attack in Leith, Edinburgh, yesterday captured the moment the helpless pug wails in agony as it is mauled by a dog more than double its size. During the video, a group of five bystanders are seen trying to remove the dog's tight grip on the pug, but its strength proves too much.

Unsurprisingly, as it's yet another XL Bully type.

One man is heard shouting: 'Get off, I swear to god I'll kill it!' While the man filming the video can be heard saying: 'I knew that dog was f***ing trouble when I saw it... that's outrageous!'

Police in Scotland said they were aware of the attack but the dog has not been seized. They could not confirm the breed of the dog but it's understood that it is not an XL Bully.

Huh? If they know what it isn't, they must surely know what it is. And whatever breed it is, it's clearly a dangerous dog. In the keeping of someone who can't or won't control it. 

Last month, a woman suffered serious ­injuries after two XL bullies mauled her in a vicious attack, also in Leith. It came after two XL bully-type dogs killed a chihuahua in March and bit its owner’s shoulder in an incident in Glasgow. In the same month, two children were injured in a suspected XL bully attack in Ayrshire. Police also shot dead an XL bully-type animal earlier this year after it injured three people and another dog in East Kilbride.

Which was predicted when the SNP prevaricated over adopting the DDA's revision because their loathing of England far outweighed their love of Scottish people.  

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 1.15pm on Monday, 3 June, 2024 officers were made aware a dog had bitten another dog in the Newkirkgate area of Edinburgh.

'There were no reports of anyone being injured during the incident.

'The owners of both dogs were traced and appropriate advice given.'

What 'advice' did you give the victim? Not to have a dog of prey size?  

We All Know What's Really Behind This Decision...

...it's the desire not to have 'We told you so!' writ large on the headlines:

The owner of an XL Bully dog which attacked him and another man before being shot dead by police will not face criminal proceedings over the incident.

William Hunter, 49, and neighbour Michael McCafferty, 27, were set upon by nine stone Zeus in Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Police were called to the scene but were unable to bring the savage incident under control in January. Zeus tried to attack an officer as police used a taser to stop him but it had no impact. Armed officers then moved in and killed Zeus by shooting him four times.

Who could have seen that coming? Oh, lots of people.   

Hunter was later reported to prosecutors under the Dangerous Dogs Act but they have now revealed a review of the evidence will see no proceedings taken against him.

Hunter, who brought the dog to Scotland a week before the attack, was left with wounds to his hip, hands, wrists and leg.

To hell with him, he brought it on himself, literally. What about the poor neighbour? Where's his justice?  

A Crown Office spokeswoman said: "The procurator fiscal received a report relating to a 49-year-old male and an incident said to have occurred on 23rd January 2024.

"After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, the procurator fiscal decided that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.

"The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future."

You'll have lots of opportunity. Hopefully, that means you might actually do your job in this case. 

H/T: BullyWatch via Twitter

That Accident North Of The Wall Is No Longer Waiting To Happen...

...it's happened: 

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being savaged by an 'out-of-control' XL bully-type dog that had attacked another man in the street minutes before.

The man was attacked by the 'bulldog-type' animal in the area of Tinto View, Hamilton, Scotland at around 5pm, prompting Police Scotland to send armed response officers to the scene who subsequently shot the animal dead.

The blood's on your hands as well as the idiot owner, Siobhian, if this turns out to be true:

The Record understands the canine had been rescued from England. Police say inquiries to establish the animal's breed are ongoing.

I've had a quick glance at social media, which is exactly as I suspected, full of smooth-brained 'animal lovers' claiming 'any dog can be savage' and 'it's the owner, not the dog' and 'why did the police not tranquilise it' as they always do in these instances. 

At least the Scottish taxpayer's not on the hook for the mutant mutt's long stay in kennels until a judge finally signs a destruction order so well done, Police Scotland, well done indeed.

Procurator Fiscal Service Are Just As Useless North Of The Border As CPS South Of It...

So, the inevitable result of this case.

A police officer has been cleared by a jury in Edinburgh of raping a woman and a six-year-old girl after doubts emerged about the dates of the alleged attacks. Martyn Coulter, 36, a Police Scotland constable currently on suspension, was found not guilty of six of the charges by verdicts and a seventh charge was not proven – a verdict of acquittal, after the jury deliberated for nearly four hours.

Sounds like that was three hours longer than needed: 

He said that the second alleged rape of the woman at his former home in Dunbar at lunchtime in September 2013 “could not have happened” as he was in Hampshire taking part in military police training. His alleged victim, now 36, has claimed he wanted sex with her to celebrate his forthcoming posting to Afghanistan and forced himself on her, but Coulter said he only discovered he was going there in November. The court also heard evidence she went on a night out with him later that day.

What on earth possessed them to go to trial with this?

Duguid challenged the prosecution’s account by producing Google maps, timelines, bank statements and social media posts showing Coulter’s locations on the day of the alleged rape in September 2013. His army records showed he had been on an army training course for most of the month.

Someone should be investigated for this. 

Oh, wait. Someone will...but not, of course, who you'd think: 

Police Scotland said: “The officer remains suspended and, given that criminal proceedings have concluded, the matter will now be assessed for misconduct by Police Scotland’s professional standards department.”

Translation: "We couldn't get you for that but we still want our pound of flesh..." 

What The Hell Is Going On In Scotland?

A Scottish police officer is accused of horrendous sexual crimes against women and children:

Coulter denies all charges against him and has lodged a special defence, saying that between 6 and 21 September 2013 he was in England on a military police training course.

Wait, what? Surely this is a matter of record? Don't the police themselves know where he was? Don't they keep scrupulous records?

Defending Coulter, Ian Duguid KC asked a police officer who had been involved in the case if the child had been medically examined, but the officer said she did not know.

Oh. I guess not...I'll have to rewatch 'Taggart' with new eyes next time it's repeated.

All The Technology In The World Won't Help...

Police took three days to find the missing body of an 85-year-old man in his car​...

Yeah, Police Scotland does have a reputation for this, after all. 

...that had automatically called 999 when he crashed.

Wait, what? You couldn't make it up, could you?

It's Clearly Different When It's Children...

Police Scotland said two children aged three and 10 sustained minor injuries and a mini Yorkshire terrier died.

The force said a 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy have been charged in connection with the incident.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "A 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old male youth have been charged in connection with a dog attack in a park in Bathgate.

"The incident happened around 6.20pm on Wednesday January 5 near Blackburnhall Gardens when two children, aged 10 and three, sustained minor injuries and a mini Yorkshire terrier died."

A full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

Don't drop the ball this time, eh?