No, This One's Not A Tragedy...

A killer who took part in the murder of a teenager 30 years ago has died, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed. Donna Marie Brand, 47, was serving a minimum of 17 years at HMP & YOI Stirling for her role in the murder of 14-year-old Caroline Glachan.The SPS said Brand had died in hospital on Wednesday while serving her sentence, which she began serving in 2024 

.…it’s the justice she should have had, arriving late and via natural causes, rather than through the too-lenient justice system. 

On Thursday, an SPS spokesperson said: "Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities is a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual."

Now, I hate some aspects of my job, burt at least it's not a job that expects me to state that it's a bad thing when a criminal kicks the bucket.  

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?

It's A 'Truly Atrocious' Bit Of Justice Too

A 55-year-old man has been told he is facing a “lengthy” prison sentence after he admitted causing the death of a pensioner by dangerous driving.

Yes, Reader, it's this story.

On Friday, Garden admitted five charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, causing death by dangerous driving, and driving without insurance. He also admitted driving while disqualified and failing to provide a blood sample for drugs testing. Judge Lord Braid told Garden: “First of all this is a truly appalling piece of driving.He adjourned sentencing for a criminal justice social work report to be drawn up, telling the court: “To be honest, it is such an appalling episode of driving that every last piece of information I can get can only assist”.

Just what more information could you possibly need? Even his brief admits he’s a recidivist who has clearly been given far too many chances by the justice system already and now it has resulted in a man’s death!

The lawyer also told the court Garden had 90 previous convictions including “numerous” motoring offences, and that he had been under three separate disqualifications from driving on the day of the incident.“

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him get another one. 

Another Good Reason to Euthanise at the Scene - H&S

The death of a kennel owner who died after being attacked by a dog is to be investigated. Adam Watts was the owner and operator of Juniper Kennels and Cattery in Angus when he was attacked on December 22, 2021.

Scotland again. And it's not like similar hasn't happened this side of the Border.  

A Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be held into the death and is expected to focus on the management of potentially dangerous dogs in temporary kennels and how Police Scotland shares dogs’ histories and behaviours with kennel operators.

When they have actually seized a snarling ball of muscle and teeth instead of ignoring it and leaving it in the community , do you really need details? Can't you tell for yourself that it's dangerous? 

Save Our Siezed Dogs and Salt’s Helping Hounds Rescue said Mr Watts had died while “working with the dogs he loved and was so passionate about”.

Perhaps if he hadn't been so 'passionate' he'd have been more careful? Perhaps the inquiry should recommend that being an 'animal lover' isn't sufficient qualification to run kennels like these, and is in fact contra-indicated. 

Debbie Carroll of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s death investigation authority, said:  “The death of Adam Watts occurred while in the course of his employment and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.        

“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.            

“Mr Watts’ family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.” 

Mr Watts family woulf be best advised to secure a lawyer as feral and vicious as the mutt that killed him, who can point out that if police standing orders were to shoot such beasts at the scene, he'd still be alive. 

It's Just The 'New Scots' Trying To Fit In....

It’s not exactly the Campbells and the McDonalds, is it?

Three senseless killings in the space of six months, all involving teenagers and bladed weapons, have raised concern over youth-related knife crime in Scotland to a level not seen for many years. The deaths of Amen Teklay, Kayden Moy and John McNab last year left many wondering whether the country was going backwards to the shameful time when Scotland endured one of the worst homicide rates in western Europe.

Probably, but it’s not going to stick out too much, as every part of the country is afflicted with knife crime and youth culture now. And the stories of the murders will be familiar reading to Londoners.

 A jury at the High Court in Glasgow found them both not guilty. The boys are now aged 16 and 17 but cannot be named because of their age. The 16-year-old said both he and Amen had swords and claimed that he stabbed him in self-defence. The older teenager said he had been standing a distance away and did not attack Amen. There were emotional scenes in court as Amen's family and friends heard the verdict.

Perhaps if the families had spend more time knowing what they were up to, there'd be less surprise at consequences catching up with them? 

On the day of the attack the teenagers took a train to Irvine after discovering through social media that Kayden and his friends were among a large group of teenagers who had congregated there. Cole Turley, 18, admitted the killing, while Jay Stewart, 19 and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. At the same court on Tuesday morning, the judge Lord Scott sentenced both Stewart and Turley to a minimum of 16 years in detention, and the 15-year-old to a minimum of 14 years.

So Scotland is noy alone in this, sad to say. 

So Shame Does Still Exist...

Four councillors who voted to allow a rapist taxi driver to keep his operator's licence have quit Highland Council's licensing committee.

Good!  

David Brown, 50, was jailed for six years and nine months in May after attacking an 18-year-old female passenger in December 2023. Last month, following a request from Brown's family, the committee's six male councillors voted to allow his operator's licence to continue, while its four female councillors voted against it.

 What were they thinking?

After criticism of the decision, the chairman Sean Kennedy along with John Grafton, Duncan Macpherson and Willie MacKay have resigned from the committee. Independent councillor MacKay has also resigned as a councillor, while Grafton has been suspended by the Scottish Liberal Democrat group on Highland Council.

SNP councillor Chris Birt, another one of the six male councillors, has been asked by his party's leader on the council, Raymond Bremner, to resign from the committee.

Asked? He should have been fired! 

Because They Aren't Cooked In Beef Dripping, That's Why!

London leads the way in so many culinary fields. It can’t be beaten for fine dining. We have a sandwich game second to none. And the sushi is so good people have been known to travel from Japan for it. But Achilles had his heel, and we have fish and chips.

Not entirely true, I feel, my local - which provides my regular Friday night supper - is good. I wouldn't use it if it wasn't. But I've had better. On holiday recently, walking the John Muir Way from Dunbar to Belhaven on Bank Holiday Monday (and getting sunburned!) we stopped in at the Brig and Barrel for a meal before heading back to Edinburgh. 

Now, cod is not the usual up there, it's haddock, so I had beer battered haddock, and it was quite different from the occasional haddock I've ordered here just for a change. Probably because it was locally caught and fresh, not frozen. And even the beer that went into the batter was local, from the brewery next door.

The truth of it is, the capital is the worst place in the country to eat our national dish. I should know: I wrote The Standard’s best fish and chip guide. The best in London, sure. But if anyone told me that these were the best fish and chips in Britain, I’d feel as if I’d been slapped round the face with a wet haddock.

Two of my picks for best London chippies, Golden Union in Soho and Seashell of Lisson Grove in Marylebone, were nominated for this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards. Neither were eventual winners though as York’s The Scrap Box was named best takeaway and Trenchers of Whitby won best restaurant.

Both from 'oop North', it should be noted. 

Why are fish and chips in London such a damp squib when the capital excels at every style of cooking under the sun?

He then laboriously tries various suggestions: that cod is tasteless compared to haddock (true, if haddock is fresh), that whatever fish is used, it's not as fresh (sone truth to that!), that it just doesn't taste as good unless it's eaten at the seaside (rubbish! though I'll test that theory if I take a day trip to Rye next month as planned) but he never thinks to question the cooking oil. 

Beef dripping is far preferable! Forget health worries, it just is...

They Should Never Have Been Given This Power!

Little Rowan Antolovi, who has a rare genetic eye disorder, is struggling to manage in the classroom because of his failing eyesight. But when his concerned NHS hospital consultant referred him for urgent assistance to help him cope, he was turned away when the local council found out he went to a private day school.

This is of course in Scotland, where gesture politics override even safety concerns, but who gave a local council the power to refuse service on the NHS in the first place?  Weren't we subjected to endless sneering on social media last week at Reform's policy on the NHS, and assured that local council elections had no bearing on it!?

Now Rowan's furious mother Virginia Osborne has accused them of discriminating against a little boy who needs help because 'of a decision we made as parents about where to educate him'. 

'We are not rich. We are an ordinary working family as are most at his school. We have saved money for the government by sending our child to a private school.' 

'As a result of our choice we are now precluded from accessing council provision for children even though we have also paid all of our taxes which pay for those services.'

Many funding decisions of local councils seem power-crazed or shortsighted - this is one that seems truly evil! 

 

The Modern Day Scourge Of The 'Influencer'

An influencer has been charged after allegedly headbutting a charity worker who refused to let him film himself handing food to the homeless. The incident, which happened at Homeless Project Scotland's Glassford Street shelter on Thursday just after 11pm, saw an influencer allegedly turn violent after his request for a photo opportunity was refused.

These young folk, with their TikToks, eh?  

A 49-year-old man was arrested at the scene at 11.38pm and then charged in connection to the alleged incident. He will appear in court at a later date.

Isn't that a bit old to be an influencer?  

It is not known who the 49-year-old influencer is, but it is understood that he was staying at the House of Gods Hotel in Glasgow, where rooms start from about £150 per night. The charity claimed that House of Gods hotel staff attended the scene and asked their guest to return.

Wow, that's good hotel service if it includes negotiating a way out of chokey for you!  

When The Politics Of Envy Creep Into Journalism

 

How awful, a luxury car no less. Is that the most salient fact about the vehicle? Well, no...

John Bell, 74, was hit by the Maserati Quattraporte - which was allegedly stolen - at the property on Forthill Road in Broughty Ferry at about 13:00 on Monday. 

The driver, 55-year-old Fraser Garden, was taken to hospital for treatment and released before being charged over the collision. 

Garden faces a total of nine charges including causing death by dangerous driving. He is accused of stealing the car before losing control of the vehicle, entering a garden at speed and trapping Bell against a house. 

He is also accused of failing to stop to give his name and address, refusing a blood test and failing to report the collision. 

Garden appeared in court on Tuesday, made no plea and was remanded in custody.

At least he was remanded. In the Met , he'd probably be freed on bail.  

Oh Look, It's The Consequences Of Our Actions Once Again!

 How it started: 

How it's going: 

Just once, I'd like the conseqences to fall on those ptoposing something, and not on everyone else. 

I Find It A Perfectly Acceptable Risk...

 ...and so, I suspect, would most people: 

Requiring transgender prisoners to be held in jails matching their sex at birth would breach their human rights and create an unacceptable risk of suicide, a court has been told.

Oh, well...the suicide risk for those not in prison is pretty high too, due to their mental condition,  so *shrug* 

The case follows a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law in April last year. The Scottish government insists it respects that judgement - but said it did not override the need to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The sooner we elect Reform and junk this bloody thing, the better!  

The Scottish government's KC, Gerry Moynihan, said the ECHR meant transgender people had the right to live their lives in their acquired gender. He added there had long been recognition in the UK that this included the right to be held in prisons aligning with that.

He said trans women also had vulnerabilities and needs, and the government's judgement was they were best dealt with in the female estate "assuming they don't pose risks to others". He said this offered them "protection against mental health difficulties and the route to rehabilitation," noting that a "trans woman will return to the community as a trans woman".

They will return to the community a man, because that's what they are and what they always will be... 

O'Neill told the court on Tuesday that there was "incredible sensitivity" to the rights, dignity and privacy of trans people, while the rights of "incredibly vulnerable" female prisoners were not factored in. He said the government wanted to retain the flexibility to put "a totally non-violent trans-identifying man" in the women's estate but questioned why female prisoners had to "bear the risk" of this and act as "human shields". O'Neill continued: "What is required is the preservation of women's only spaces. 

"All I am interested in, because of the situation of women, is the preservation of women's dignity, security and sense of safety vis a vis men - that's all."

Spot on. How have we come to this as a nation? Still, we are at least marginally ahead of the open air asylum that is Canada: 

Van Rootselaar was understood to have used his mother's name, Strang, socially and at school. He was named by Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Wednesday and described as a woman.

But he wasn't.  

Amid questions over how Van Rootselaar was described in alerts, McDonald said police “identified the suspect as they chose to be identified” in public and in social media.

The Trans 'community'  is reacting with all the decorum you would expect from a crowd of narcissitic men in frocks, of course:

                            

 

Hard Cases Make Bad Law...

Joe and Kate Duffy were devastated and baffled when the man accused of their daughter's murder walked free from court. They had felt certain that Francis Auld would be found guilty of killing 19-year-old Amanda in Hamilton in 1992. But a jury found the charges against him not proven - one of two verdicts of acquittal which could be returned in criminal trials in Scotland.

But not any longer - for ‘progress’, it would seem. Has ever a word been so misused?

Joe and Kate did not initially understand what the jury's verdict meant – and have now spent more than three decades campaigning for the abolition of not proven.

From 1 January, this centuries-old verdict has been consigned to the history books and Scottish trials will end with the accused being found either guilty or not guilty.

Making Scotland no longer unique. 

A common interpretation of not proven was that the jury suspected the accused was guilty, but felt the prosecution had failed to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

Good luck finding that in a law book. As Joe and Kate were to discover, there was no written legal definition of not proven. Over the years, whenever juries asked, all judges could tell them was that it was a verdict of acquittal, just like not guilty. Research has also shown that some people thought - incorrectly - that the accused could be tried again if the verdict was not proven.

If that was a reason for throwing out the baby with the bathwater, it was the wrong one: 

That has been allowed in exceptional circumstances since 2011 under double jeopardy legislation, but the method of acquittal plays no part in that process.

So why the push to throw out centuries of Scottish legal tradition, something native born Scots usually rail against?  

Joe explained: "I've never understood why you can have two verdicts which mean exactly the same thing. 

"The only difference in law between not proven and not guilty is spelling. "That's it. Why do we need them? Either you're guilty or not guilty."

Well, now that's indeed all you can be. It's too early to tell if it's been a terrible mistake or not. I know how I'd vote, though... 

See, It Is Possible To Recover From Foreign Invasion

If you're a squirrel, that is!

Red squirrels have expanded their range across the Highlands by more than a quarter after a 10-year reintroduction programme moved hundreds to new homes. The species once came close to extinction in Britain when foresters killed them as pests and their natural habitat was destroyed. A deadly virus carried by invasive grey squirrels has hampered their recovery.

It's nice to see some good news. And a native species recovering from an influx of disease-ridden invaders gradually enchoaching on their last strogholscertainly fits that bill. Even if the 'Guardian' would go into a fit of the vapours if the same scheme was proposed for white English people. 

Scotland is the red’s heartland, home to 80% of the UK’s population of about 200,000. The reintroduction project, run by the rewilding charity Trees for Life, has established more than a dozen thriving new sites, from Ullapool to Morvern to Lairg.

I've still never seen one in the wild. Perhaps this gives me a better chance in future. 

Are You Not Reassured?

Scotland’s most senior law officer has moved to reassure victims of sexual abuse that they will be protected after a supreme court ruling warned that Scottish laws designed to limit intrusive cross-examination could be breaching men’s right to a fair trial. In a strongly worded statement, the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, said: “I would like to make clear that I understand sexual abuse inflicted upon women and children to be the single greatest challenge our justice system faces.

A justice system in a country still confused about what women actually are? WEll, good luck with that, dear!  

“It is unacceptable and victims should feel able to speak out without further fear,” she continued, before underlining: “The supreme court ruling does not alter the statutory protections for those giving evidence.”

Then why have a Supreme Court at all? if you're just going to ignore what they say because you think you know better  

Last Wednesday, the supreme court delivered its judgment in the case of two men appealing against rape convictions delivered in Scottish courts. Although both appeals were dismissed, the five judges ruled that Scotland’s courts needed to change their approach to the admission of evidence in such cases, warning its current process “is liable to result in violations of defendants’ rights to a fair trial under article 6 of the convention”.

So the lord advocate would rather not have fair trials under their jurisdiction? 

Now Do 'Men Becoming Women', Teachers...

 It's become a pre-Christmas tradition, someone telling small children there's no Father Christmas and outrage ensuing. And this year is no different....

A city school is under investigation after a teacher allegedly ruined Christmas by telling pupils 'Santa is not real'. The remark was said to have been made at Greenbrae Primary School in Aberdeen during a lesson on All Saints' Day.

'Under investigation'? Serioiusly? By whom?  

It caused upset among nine and 10-year-old students who had asked a series of questions about saints, including St Nicholas - also known as Father Christmas.

Sorry, but at that age, they should be well aware that there's no Father Bloody Christmas!  

A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said: 'We are aware that a group of primary six pupils engaged in a conversation about All Saints' Day, which led to some children posing questions about other saints, including St Nicholas. 

'Families can be assured that investigation learnings have been shared to support our staff to help navigate sensitive discussions.

Guess you forgot to add that one into the list, along with 'Why does daddy wear a dress?' and 'Why does Mummy have a special lady friend she drinks gin in the aftetnoon with' eh?   

'The council values the magic and joy of the festive season (Ed: clearly not enough to call it what it is!) and appreciates the small number of parents and carers who brought their concerns to us.'

Bet that was typed reluctantly and with gritted teeth!  

Even King Canute Knew A Losing Proposal When He Saw It

When Charis Duthie moved to Johnshaven with her husband in 1984, she could cycle along the coastal path out of the village. Now, she meets a dead end where the sea has snatched the land and is instead greeted with a big red warning sign of what is to come: Danger Coastal Erosion.

Which would have been predicted at the time. And yet they still bought a house there? 

“You can see gardens that were there and now they’re gone,” she says. The north-east coast of Scotland is experiencing a rapidly worsening erosion problem that will only be exacerbated by recurrent patterns of extreme weather and rising sea levels.

And rather than moving a little further inland, there are people working to try to halt this! 

Finding a solution to the problem has taken on an urgency like never before. Three years ago came the announcement of the Platinum Jubilee Path, named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne. The aim is for it to start in St Cyrus, four miles south of Johnshaven, and end about 90 miles further north in Cullen, a village with close associations to Robert the Bruce.With the markets that have traditionally fuelled its economy – fishing and oil and gas – dwindling, Johnshaven wants to attract more visitors through the coastal path plans. The aim is to be part of Scotland’s Great Trails, which offers a map of named, walkable trails around Scotland. Currently, there is a gap in the map along the north-east coast between Aberdeen and Dundee, and Johnshaven sits in the middle of it.

Awkward!  

For Duthie, 71, helping to fill this gap is an increasingly daunting task. She is part of a small team called the Mearns Coastal Heritage Trail (Merchat) who work to restore and create coastal paths in Aberdeenshire. But as they work in one area, the sea snatches land away in another.

Is the penny ever going to drop? 

To complete areas of the trail, Merchat has had to gain funding through grant applications. The food ingredients firm Macphie has donated £30,000, and a further £40,000 has come from Aberdeenshire council’s allocation of crown estate Scotland cash from the Coastal Communities Fund, money allocated by the government to help coastal communities “flourish and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit”. Caspar Lampkin, project officer for the Aberdeenshire coastal paths on Benholm and Johnshaven community council, says further help from Aberdeenshire council is likely to be minimal. “They’ve told us that they don’t have the resources to do anything,” he says.

Learn your lesson!  

Hang The Cost, Full Steam Ahead

Peak rail fares have been scrapped on ScotRail trains, meaning passengers will no longer pay higher prices for travelling on busy weekday trains.

Making people pay the same price for something that's in greater demand? Adam Smith must be rolling in his grave.

The Scottish government-owned operator said its aim was to get more commuters out of cars and onto trains.

Ah, I see. It's for Gaia so any economic nonsense can be excused. They've already rejected it once:

A pilot scheme scrapping peak-time fares, a policy championed by the Scottish Greens, was introduced in 2023 but ended in September 2024 after ministers said the costs of the subsidy could not be justified. However, in his programme for government speech in May, First Minister John Swinney announced that peak fares would again be scrapped.

Who said Scotland wasn't a deeply unserious country? 

Speaking at the launch of the scheme in Edinburgh on Monday, he said it would help people to move "from their cars onto trains", which would provide environmental benefits. He added: "This is financially sustainable because it's an investment in the rail network and it's an investment in the people of Scotland. "People in Scotland simply travelling from Edinburgh to Glasgow on a daily basis will see their travel costs fall by almost 50%. That's a massive saving when people are struggling financially."

But how are you going to pay for it. John?  

Maybe Because We’ve Imported People At A Staggering Rate And Failed To Upgrade The Infrastructure To Cope?

Scotland is known for its rainfall, famed as a lush, green, soggy nation. Not this year. Water levels are way below average after the driest spring since 1964 and a hot summer. The problem is especially acute in the east of the country, where the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is now introducing curbs on some water use.

I mean, try playing any building/management type sim, keep up the residential zone creation without increasing service capacity, and you're heading for failure! 

It said two catchment areas - Ythan in Aberdeenshire and North Fife - had reached significant scarcity, the highest level of alert.

Gosh, it's a mystery to rival Loch Ness, isn't it? 

 

 

 

This Isn't Just Any Male Pervert Wanting To Get His Hands On Your 14 Year Old Daughter...

....This is an M&S male pervert who feels entitled to put his hands all over your 14 year old daughter!

And you thought the worst thing M&S had ever done was those Christmas adverts with Dawn French! 

Marks & Spencer has apologised after a transgender employee approached a 14-year-old girl in the bra section and offered to help. The child's furious mother complained and said it was 'completely inappropriate' for her daughter to be approached by a 'biological male' in the lingerie section, where she was hoping to have a bra fitting.

So, did M&S train a man to perform bra fitting duty? They claim they didn’t!  

The retailer replied and said they were 'truly sorry' and 'deeply regret the distress your daughter felt during her visit to our store'. It added they took her concerns 'very seriously' and wish to make arrangements for a better experience in their next visit, including 'assistance from a female colleague'. An M&S spokesman said: 'We want our stores to be inclusive and welcoming places for our colleagues and customers. 'We have written to this customer and explained that our colleagues typically work across all departments in our stores and customers can always ask to speak to the colleague they feel most comfortable with.'

She didn’t get a chance - the man approached HER! So there are more red flags here than Red Square on Parade Day!

It is understood the employee works across the clothing section and does not carry out bra fittings.

Many respondents on Twitter have been surprised that they were approached, saying they’d had to hunt up an assistant when they needed one. And I concur; though I’ve never had a bra fitting in M&S I’ve shopped there often, and never been approached when needing help, I’ve always had to do the same. Which makes this incident worse, though - this being Scotland, Ayr to be precise - the police were dismissive and simply said all they had to do was refuse the help offered. Clearly, they have no concerns about a man in womanface approaching children. Hell, it’s probably legal up there by now! 

Human rights boss of the charity Sex Matters, Fiona McAnena, told The Telegraph: 'M&S needs to rethink its priorities and remember that women and girls have rights too, and that this man should not be permitted to hang around in the women's underwear department as a matter of common decency. 'This is what happens when a business centres the feelings of men who identify as women, even at the expense of their own customers. It is entirely inappropriate for a man to approach a teenage girl in a lingerie department.'

I guess beyond the Wall it’s only to be expected. Has any area been captured by the trans cult more completely than Scotland?