/qresearch/ -  Q Research

>>24782659

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/16730886/paedo-teacher-collapses-sentencing/

COURT DRAMA Notorious paedophile teacher branded ‘Scotland’s worst’ COLLAPSES in court during sentencing

Jamie Pyatt

25 Aug 2026

SHAMED ex-teacher Iain Wares – wanted for sex crimes against 68 schoolboys in Scotland – collapsed during a sentencing hearing for indecent assault in South Africa.

Convicted paedophile Wares, 87, could have been jailed for five years after being found guilty of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old former pupil in Cape Town in 1988.

But at Wynberg Magistrates Court yesterday his defence social worker had just begun giving her risk assessment of Wares for potential threats he could pose in the future.

But after 30 minutes of evidence the court broke for lunch and Wares and wife Rosemary went to a nearby café and after sitting down Wares suddenly slumped to his right.

A passer-by caught him and propped him up but the married father-of-one was struggling for breath and while a friend tried to call an ambulance locals rushed to his aid.

He was in a state of collapse and unable to support himself as he sat at a dining bench.

After 3 or 4 minutes Wares opened his eyes and slowly began to breathe normally and was helped back into a seating position and was told a medic was on route to him.

He said he felt too weak to walk the 100 yards back to the court in Cape Town after lunch.

When the court resumed at 2pm magistrate Vanessa Miki was told by Wares’s defence lawyer William Fullard that his client had suffered a medical emergency in the lunch break.

It is understood that Wares suffers from Type 2 Diabetes and when he entered the court at 8am the rules state that he cannot take food inside and he began to feel unwell.

He told his wife after his collapse: “I went too long without food. Did I faint? I have fainted before but nothing like this. I can’t remember anything that happened”

His daughter and son-in-law raced to the cafe and took him away for medical attention.

The magistrate accepted that Wares could not return to court and the social worker giving evidence Mrs Arima Smit was told the case would be adjourned until September 4.

The medical delay follows the forced adjournment of the sentencing hearing last month when Wares failed to appear claiming to have shingles and a warrant was issued for his arrest by the court.

However the warrant was cancelled when his defence lawyer provided a medical letter confirming the decision and on a strict understanding that he would appear before the court yesterday.

It is the second medical delay in a row that has put back sentencing for two months following a string of other defence led adjournments since he was convicted in March of a sex crime.

Social worker Mrs Smit had earlier said that in assessing any potential future dangers Wares posed she would take into account matters against him that had been raised internationally.

That referred to Wares facing extradition to Scotland on 90 charges of rape, indecent assault and physical assault against 65 boys he taught in Edinburgh between 1968 and 1979.

Wares has already been found extraditable from his native South Africa to Scotland on 3 charges of indecent assault on 3 other boys with all 93 victims aged between 8 and 13.

But the extradition case which is running in parallel with the indecent assault case in a separate court cannot send him back to Scotland before the local case is dealt with.

When Wares is sentenced if he gets a prison sentence he cannot be extradited until he has served it but a more lenient suspended sentence or less means he can be extradited.

Wares was found guilty in March of a shocking series of sex attacks against “Stephen” who was aged 12 in the corridors of Rondebosch Boys School in Cape Town in 1988.

The court heard he would push him up against the wall and shout at him for “not having his shirt tucked in” and would tuck it in and then roughly fondle his penis and anus.

The victim who cannot be identified is now a 48-year-old father-of-two who said he was too terrified of teacher Wares to report him at the time to the school or his parents.

Wares had pleaded not guilty but admitted he must have taught the boy geography and rugby but said he did not remember him and never assaulted anyone at the school.

However magistrates Ms Miki found him guilty as charged in March and the case has been adjourned three times since to allow preparation of defence social service reports.

>>24973488

>>24782659

…………………………………………………………………..continued…………………………………………………………………

It was also adjourned a fourth time last month when Wares fell ill with shingles.

Scottish Police had Wares arrested by Interpol in October last year for 90 alleged offences against former pupils in Edinburgh which include rape, indecent and physical assault.

His extradition case is running at Simon’s Town Magistrates Court near his home at an exclusive retirement village in Fish Hoek with both just 20 miles from Cape Town

On September 22 the State prosecutor Miss Maresa Engelbrecht will formally put the 90 charges in front of the court and ask the magistrate to find Wares extraditable on all.

If magistrate Mr Luftie Van Rhodie finds the charges alleged against Wares under Scottish law are also an offence under South African law he will rule that he must be extradited.

The SA Minister of Justice has to rubber stamp the ruling and then the Scottish Police will be invited to fly to Cape Town where Interpol will hand Wares over into their custody.

Wares has instructed advocate Ben Prinsloo to defend his extradition and has also claimed before that it would be unfair to return him due to his old age and his failing health.

Wares was first arrested in 2018 by Interpol for sex crimes in Scotland and was ruled extraditable in 2019 but took the case to the Court of Appeal which he lost in 2024.

It found him extraditable on 3 of the 7 charges that had been made against him.

However during the appeal process Wares was again arrested in 2023 after “Stephen” claimed he had been the victim of indecent assault and SA police then charged him.

Under South African law despite the appeal court ruling in 2024 that Wares could be sent back to Scotland any offence alleged to have happened in SA has to dealt with first.

Which means the indecent assault case had to be completed first at Wynberg Magistrates.

But whilst his extradition was put on ice the Scottish authorities were flooded with claims from dozens of former pupils in Edinburgh that wanted Wares had also abused them.

Whilst Wares was going through the indecent assault case it gave them an opportunity to put together what they believe to be are 90 watertight fresh charges for extradition.

All the alleged offences were said to have happened while Wares was teaching at both the elite Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College before he fled back to South Africa in 1980.

Wares made his 35th appearance today in the long drawn-out case yesterday for sentence.

BBC radio presenter Nicky Campbell has been spearheading the campaign for Wares to be extradited from South Africa on offences for which he dubbed him “Jimmy Savile 2”.

Campbell, OBE, bravely admitted he was abused at one of the two schools Wares taught at, although not by him, but said he witnessed him sexually molesting friends of his.

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/CJSSC_Pandemic_Enforcement_Paradox_Report.pdf

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command and the Paradox of Pandemic Enforcement

A Short Constitutional Analysis

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 14 March 2026

Introduction

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command (CJSSC) appears to operate as a cross‑agency coordination structure designed to ensure that the criminal justice system in England and Wales remains operational during periods of exceptional strain.

Evidence presented to the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry indicates that CJSSC brought together senior leadership from across the justice system, including policing bodies, the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, HM Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice. Such coordination structures are not unusual in modern governance. Large public systems frequently develop mechanisms intended to maintain stability during national emergencies or periods of unusually high demand. However, the experience of pandemic enforcement raises an important constitutional question concerning the relationship between crisis governance and the rule of law.

Pages 1-4 of 7

>>24982127

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/CJSSC_Pandemic_Enforcement_Paradox_Report.pdf

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command and the Paradox of Pandemic Enforcement

A Short Constitutional Analysis

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 14 March 2026

Introduction

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command (CJSSC) appears to operate as a cross‑agency coordination structure designed to ensure that the criminal justice system in England and Wales remains operational during periods of exceptional strain.

Evidence presented to the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry indicates that CJSSC brought together senior leadership from across the justice system, including policing bodies, the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, HM Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice. Such coordination structures are not unusual in modern governance. Large public systems frequently develop mechanisms intended to maintain stability during national emergencies or periods of unusually high demand. However, the experience of pandemic enforcement raises an important constitutional question concerning the relationship between crisis governance and the rule of law.

Pages 5-7 of 7

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/CJSSC_Hypothesis_Paper.pdf

Was CJSSC Designed to Prevent Systemic Overload in the Criminal Justice System?

A Hypothesis Paper on Emergency Governance and Criminal Justice Capacity

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 12 March 2026

Introduction

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command (CJSSC) is a cross‑agency coordination structure operating across the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

Evidence provided to the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry indicates that CJSSC brought together senior leadership from multiple institutions responsible for different stages of the justice process.

These institutions included policing leadership, the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, HM Prison and Probation Service and relevant government departments.

Witness evidence describes the CJSSC as taking “overall responsibility for the multi‑agency management of an incident or crisis” and establishing “a common policy and strategic framework” across participating agencies.

Source:

https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/18143405/INQ000188838.pdf

The existence of such a structure raises a broader governance question: What types of crisis scenarios were these coordination mechanisms designed to manage?

Whilst the so-called pandemic represented one such apparent crisis, evidence suggests that CJSSC existed prior to COVID‑19 as part of wider resilience planning.

This paper therefore explores the hypothesis that CJSSC may represent a contingency structure intended to prevent systemic overload in the criminal justice system when faced with other potential or perceived extraordinary investigative or operational demand.

Pages 1-5 of 9

>>24982315

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/CJSSC_Hypothesis_Paper.pdf

Was CJSSC Designed to Prevent Systemic Overload in the Criminal Justice System?

A Hypothesis Paper on Emergency Governance and Criminal Justice Capacity

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 12 March 2026

Introduction

The Criminal Justice System Strategic Command (CJSSC) is a cross‑agency coordination structure operating across the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

Evidence provided to the UK Covid‑19 Inquiry indicates that CJSSC brought together senior leadership from multiple institutions responsible for different stages of the justice process.

These institutions included policing leadership, the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, HM Prison and Probation Service and relevant government departments.

Witness evidence describes the CJSSC as taking “overall responsibility for the multi‑agency management of an incident or crisis” and establishing “a common policy and strategic framework” across participating agencies.

Source:

https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/18143405/INQ000188838.pdf

The existence of such a structure raises a broader governance question: What types of crisis scenarios were these coordination mechanisms designed to manage?

Whilst the so-called pandemic represented one such apparent crisis, evidence suggests that CJSSC existed prior to COVID‑19 as part of wider resilience planning.

This paper therefore explores the hypothesis that CJSSC may represent a contingency structure intended to prevent systemic overload in the criminal justice system when faced with other potential or perceived extraordinary investigative or operational demand.

Pages 6-9 of 9

>>24782664

>>24983627

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/anger-nicola-sturgeon-top-nats-37597002

Anger as Nicola Sturgeon and other top Nats STILL haven't given evidence to SNP's Covid Inquiry

Exclusive: Alex Cole-Hamilton says it is 'shocking' that no SNP ministers have given written statements to the pandemic inquiry they set up more than four years ago

Ben Borland

27 Aug 2026

More than four years after the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry was set up in February 2022, no current or former Scottish Government ministers have supplied written statements or testimony under oath.

This includes former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was tearfully hauled over the coals at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry as long ago as January 2024 and then lambasted in its official report into political decision-making published in November last year.

Earlier this week, the leading solicitor Aamer Anwar blasted the inquiry – which has cost £60million to date – and asked why none of the "implementers" of healthcare policy and decisions had been heard from to this point.

More than 400 written statements have been published by the inquiry team, from a huge range of individuals and organisations. They range from Professor Anders Tegnell, the former State Epidemiologist of Sweden, to the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Pagan Federation.

However, nothing has yet been submitted in writing by the first minister who led the Scottish Government through the pandemic, her successor Humza Yousaf who was appointed health secretary in 2021 or the current occupant of Bute House who was Covid recovery secretary.

In fact, the Scottish Government has submitted nothing since an opening statement was delivered by Geoffrey Mitchell KC in October 2023. He said the "pain, suffering, sacrifice and endurance" of people across the country was "recognised, understood and acknowledged by the Scottish Government".

He added: "Yet, 'recognition', 'understanding' and 'acknowledgement' are plainly not sufficient. The Scottish Government understands that legitimate questions arise as to whether the suffering needed to have been so great."

Dozens of those people who made sacrifices and experienced pain and suffering have spoken to the inquiry over the past three years since the first hearings were held in August 2023, including frontline workers and those who lost loved ones due to the disease.

>>24983733

……………………………………………………………..continued………………………………………………………………

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: "It is shocking that no minister appears to have given evidence to the Scottish inquiry, despite it being set up over four years ago. People deserve an inquiry that will explain why the SNP government allowed Covid positive patients to be discharged into care homes.

"They deserve to know why Nicola Sturgeon broke her promise to bereaved families by deleting every single one of her WhatsApp messages. Lessons need to be learned, and they need to be learned without any further delay."

In his statement, Mr Anwar contrasted the inquiry's progress under Lord Brailsford with the rapid pace of the parallel UK-wide probe Baroness Heather Hallett. He said: "Meanwhile, the UK Covid Inquiry, which was established after the Scottish Inquiry, has completed all its evidential hearings, it called successive Prime Ministers, former First Ministers, senior civil servants, chief scientists, chief medical officers, health ministers and cabinet secretaries for health and key decision-makers from all sectors."

In an update earlier this week, Lord Brailsford said the next phase of the inquiry will hear from seven organisations: COSLA, NHS National Services Scotland, Public Health Scotland, the Care Inspectorate, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA – now Qualifications Scotland), the Private Care Sector, and Police Scotland.

He explained that the inquiry had been deliberately structured to keep "senior government officials and elected Ministers" to the latter stages when "all available evidence" has been heard.

A spokesman for the inquiry said: "The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry started its investigations by examining the public impacts of the pandemic in Scotland. We finished those oral hearings in June 2025.

"The Inquiry has now shifted its focus to implementation and decision-making, including by Scottish politicians. The Inquiry chose to hear the evidence of those most impacted by the pandemic at the earliest possible opportunity to allow them to give their best evidence, and to help inform the Inquiry’s further investigations. Structuring our investigations in this way means that the Inquiry can ensure that it has at its full disposal all available evidence, before hearing from the senior government officials and elected Ministers, who were responsible for taking the decisions on how best to respond to the pandemic.

"The Chair remains fully committed to conducting a comprehensive and robust investigation and to reporting as soon as possible."

Where are they now?

What has happened to the key Scottish Government decision-makers from the pandemic?

Nicola Sturgeon: Retired from frontline politics and living in London to avoid the fall-out after her husband, Peter Murrell, admitted embezzling more than £400k from the SNP

John Swinney: He was Education Secretary during the two lengthy school closures before being appointed as Covid Recovery Secretary in May 2021. He is now the First Minister

Humza Yousaf: Appointed as Health Secretary in May 2021, he undermined the claim that it was government policy to delete WhatsApp messages by retaining his. He is retired from frontline politics and working on his memoirs

Jeane Freeman: She was health secretary from the outset of the health emergency until the 2021 election. She died in February, aged 72

Jason Leitch: The National Clinical Adviser was a regular face on TV during the daily briefings. He has left the government and now works for a private healthcare firm

Kate Forbes: Although she was finance secretary at the outset of the pandemic, she was given little input into decisions made by Sturgeon and her inner circle. She too has retired from frontline politics

>>24782659

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/victims-jimmy-savile-air-cadets-37598911

Victims of 'Jimmy Savile of the air cadets' receive £2.5m payout from Ministry of Defence

The pervert air cadet leader from Kilmarnock, aged 81, has been jailed for 22 years for crimes against 17 young boys – but lawyers fear many more victims are out there

Ben Borland

27 Aug 2026

Abuse victims have recovered nearly £2.5million from Ministry of Defence bosses after they were attacked as boys by the 'Jimmy Savile of the cadet force'.

Survivors took legal action against the MoD after being attacked by Ronald Hardman at 327 Air Training Corp in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire.

The former warrant officer, now aged 81, has received three different jail terms totalling 22 years for crimes against 17 young boys. Victims are now receiving military compensation payments with individual settlements ranging from £150,000 to £750,000.

But lawyers, who have fought for justice for three years, fear dozens more people are likely to be affected and have encouraged people to report their experience to the police.

Richard Pitts, Partner at Digby Brown Solicitors and specialist in military claims, said: "The scale of Hardman's abuse is unlike anything we’ve seen before – he is undoubtedly the Savile of the cadet force. Ever since his crimes first came to light eight years ago there's just been a continuous prosecution and charge sheet against him – and rightly so.

"The evidence paints a clear and consistent picture of what happened in 327 – which is Hardman weaponised his trusted position to target, groom and attack."

Hardman's crimes first came to light in 2018 when he was jailed for five years after being found guilty of abusing three cadets between 1981-95. This sparked a massive police investigation where, after reportedly speaking with 300 former cadets, a catalogue of fresh allegations emerged.

The following year, Hardman was then given a nine-year jail sentence after admitting to 15 further charges against 12 boys which related to lewd and libidinous behaviour and indecent assault. Then in 2025 Hardman was convicted for a third time at the High Court in Glasgow of molesting two other boys – this time being jailed for eight years.

Mr Pitts added: "The passage of time should never prevent abusers from being brought to justice but the reality is that Hardman is now in his 80s so I’d encourage those who are yet to step forward to do so now while he can still be questioned and civil actions can be pursued.

"So far, we have recovered just short of £2.5m for seven victims and these settlements go towards helping support them in an adult life which Hardman's crimes stole from them. That's why it is right for the MoD to compensate victims – the abuse was carried out by their man, on their watch, and we will continue to support all people affected by these disgusting crimes."

Police were first alerted to Hardman's behaviour in about 2004. He abused his position to "groom and control" the young cadet and would also try to buy their silence by giving them money, sweets or takeaway meals.

In the 2019 case, the court heard that he molested one boy during a uniform fitting and in another case attacked a teenager with the help of two other cadets. In some instances, the abuse involved him showing the boys pornographic magazines and getting them to play strip poker or swim naked.

The attacks occurred at different locations, including the 327 squadron hall in Kilmarnock, a campsite and at Drumness Forest in Dumfries and Galloway.

In delivering his sentence, Lord Beckett described the crimes as "pre-meditated" and "grossly corrupting". The judge added: "It is apparent that you deceived, manipulated, groomed and coerced the boys."

>>24782670

>>24782672

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/stink-snp-cronyism-peter-murrells-37606127

'Stink of SNP cronyism' as Peter Murrell's former digital guru wins £10k government contract

A company owned by a tech entrepreneur who helped the Nats win the 2011 election the beneficiary of ANOTHER £10k contract awarded without competition

Ben Borland

29 Aug 2026

There are growing calls for an investigation into whether senior civil servants are regularly breaching procurement rules after another fishy SNP government contract was uncovered.

A company owned by a digital guru who helped the Nats win the 2011 election was awarded a £10,000 taxpayer-funded contract in February to help senior civil servants "enable new thinking".

Stephen Noon, who was also part of the team, is now a special adviser to First Minister John Swinney. Alongside Kirk Torrance, McIntosh and Noon helped mobilise support for the SNP on social media.

At the time, targeting voters on the likes of Twitter and Facebook was considered a revolutionary idea – and the same tactics were later employed to drive up votes for separation ahead of the 2014 referendum.

There is no suggestion McIntosh acted improperly over the contract award, which was made just weeks before another £10k contract was awarded without competition for a 'team-building workshop' at Silver Sands beach in Aberdour, Fife.

The seaside awayday for Joe Griffin, head of the Scottish civil service, and seven other 'Sir Humphreys' has sparked anger among junior colleagues who are being asked to make painful spending cuts.

The Scottish Conservatives have renewed their call for Audit Scotland, the public spending watchdog, to investigate whether senior civil servants are regularly breaching procurement rules.

Craig Hoy, the party's finance spokesman, told The Times: "This stinks of SNP cronyism. Yet again, taxpayers' money has been handed out without proper competition to someone with close links to the SNP. This growing pattern of contracts, SNP connections and unanswered questions demands scrutiny from Audit Scotland."

McIntosh, 48, is a former teacher who set up NoTosh in 2009 as an education consultancy working with schools. He owns the company with his wife, Morgane, 46.

Alongside Torrance – a Scot who had worked in Silicon Valley – he used a new software programme called NationBuilder to integrate Twitter and Facebook into the snp.org party platform, borrowing a social media-led campaign strategy first used by Barack Obama in 2008.

According to reports at the time, it allowed the "SNP's small but fanatically dedicated web team to identify, instantaneously, every social media user who typed the letters SNP into Twitter, or discussed a candidate or an issue relevant to the election campaign".

>>24990184

………………………………………………………….continued………………………………………………………….

From being 15 points down on Scottish Labour in February, Salmond surged ahead to win Holyrood's only ever majority. The result was breathlessly compared to the "Arab Spring" with Murrell – now serving five years for embezzling £400k from the party – widely quoted as declaring: "Look, the sun has come out."

Speaking in 2012 about his work with the Nats, McIntosh said: "I was apolitical, but the more I got to understand SNP policies, I thought they were head and shoulders above everyone else … [Now] I'm a card-carrying member."

According to reports, he and Torrance had daily meetings with Murrell as well as SNP spin doctors Kevin Pringle and Liz Lloyd to "thrash out new ideas".

'Scant regard for taxpayers' money'

In February, NoTosh was handed £9,900 (£11,880 including VAT) to act as "technical adviser on government performance and delivery". Contract documents state that NoTosh's task was "to complement existing roles and functions while enabling new thinking, including the development of a strong delivery narrative and on the 'outcomes, delivery, performance' cycle".

Contracts under £50,000 CAN be awarded without an open call for tenders. However, government procurement rules state that "goods, services, and works must be bought by genuine and effective competition unless there are exceptional reasons".

This means that civil servants should still seek out a range of quotes before deciding who to hire, even for smaller contracts. A non-competitive action (NCA), where only one supplier is considered, is permitted only where there is "extreme urgency" or only one contractor available.

Scottish Labour's interim leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: "At the heart of this is taxpayers' money, which far too often, the SNP have shown themselves to have scant regard for.

"Officials must provide assurances that where contracts are awarded, there is a fair, open and transparent tendering process. But the real question here is how on earth the Scottish government can spend £10,000 on an awayday in Fife when they have so many empty offices to choose from."

McInosh told The Times: "The contract was for a short, defined piece of advisory work on government performance and delivery. It involved providing specialist advice on the development of a more outcome-focused approach, including how priorities, evidence, measurement and delivery assurance could be brought together more effectively. The work began in April and concluded end [of] June."

A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed the contract was awarded following "non-competitive action procedures", adding: "NoTosh was appointed as the company was deemed to be the only provider with a suitable track record of providing a specialist external perspective, high-quality analysis and advice to Scottish government and other public agencies, along with the capacity to deliver within a tight timeframe."

There is no suggestion the NoTosh contract award is connected to the awayday commissioned by Griffin for himself and senior colleagues. Equally, there is no suggestion that Noon as a special adviser to the First Minister had any input into the contract decision.

>>24782659

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62452gxv89o

Military pays out £2.5m to abuse victims of former air cadet leader

27 August 2026

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has paid £2.5m in compensation to former air cadets who were sexually abused by their group leader, according to a legal firm.

Ronald Hardman, 81, an ex-officer with 327 Kilmarnock Squadron Air Training Corps in Ayrshire, is behind bars for attacks on young boys from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Digby Brown Solicitors said it had recovered the money for seven of Hardman's victims after he used his position to "target, groom and attack".

In 2018 he was sentenced to five years for abusing three boys, nine years in 2019 for attacks on 12 others, then eight years in 2025 for abusing two more boys.

The MoD said Hardman's offences were "heinous and deeply shocking".

Digby Brown partner Richard Pitts, a specialist in military claims, said: "The scale of Hardman's abuse is unlike anything we've seen before.

"Ever since his crimes first came to light eight years ago there's just been a continuous prosecution and charge sheet against him – and rightly so.

"The evidence paints a clear and consistent picture of what happened in 327 – which is Hardman weaponised his trusted position to target, groom and attack."

In 2018 Hardman was found guilty at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court after denying charges of indecent assault and lewd and libidinous behaviour.

The court heard that the volunteer warrant officer had identified potential victims when they were being fitted for their air cadet uniforms.

He plied the youngsters, who were aged between 13 and 17, with alcohol and showed them pornographic magazines

One former cadet said he was 14 when Hardman made him sit on his lap to drive his car and groped him while he tried to reach the pedals.

In 2019, Hardman was given nine more years in jail after admitting 15 further charges at the High Court in Glasgow.

Attacks took place at several locations, including the squadron hall, a campsite, and at Drumness Forest in Dumfries and Galloway.

'Grossly corrupting'

Lord Beckett described his crimes as pre-meditated and "grossly corrupting".

The court was told that one boy - aged 13 when he joined the ATC - was abused between 15 to 20 times.

Hardman would try to buy his victims' silence by giving them money, sweets, or takeaway meals.

In May 2025 he was jailed for a further eight years for the abuse of two boys at the Kilmarnock squadron and at his home in the Ayrshire town.

Digby Brown said Hardman's victims had received MoD compensation with individual settlements ranging from £150,000 to £750,000.

Pitts added: "The passage of time should never prevent abusers from being brought to justice, but the reality is that Hardman is now in his 80s.

"So I'd encourage those who are yet to step forward to do so now while he can still be questioned and civil actions can be pursued."

An MoD spokesperson said: "Ronald Hardman's crimes were heinous and deeply shocking. Our thoughts remain with the victims of his abuse.

"We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to protect young people, including mandatory security and background checks for all adults working with children, strict disclosure requirements, and regular safeguarding training."

>>24993701

>>24782663

>>24782667

>>24782670

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-hauled-back-supreme-37600312

SNP Government hauled back to Supreme Court in bid to lift 'cloak of secrecy' over Salmond inquiry

It marks the first time that any UK government has been hauled before Britain's highest court to account for its failure to release documents when ordered to do so

Ben Borland

27 Aug 2026

Scotland's Freedom of Information Commissioner is appealing to the Supreme Court in a bid to secure the disclosure of information by the secretive SNP Government.

The long-running case relates to a request for correspondence relating to the investigation into claims that Nicola Sturgeon broke the ministerial code during the Holyrood inquiry into the handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Alex Salmond.

Irish lawyer James Hamilton eventually concluded that she had not, although his unredacted report and the other evidence he gathered has never been released. A member of the public named Benjamin Harrop asked for information "held" in relation to the affair.

The government then went to court on a technicality to say it didn't "hold" any information. Mr Harrop then asked for "communications/WhatsApps/documents" in relation to this first appeal.

This request was also refused, with this second case being taken up by the FOI Commissioner, David Hamilton. It eventually landed at the Court of Session in March, which found in favour of the Scottish Government.

Explaining his decision to seek a final ruling from the UK's highest court, Mr Hamilton said: "My decision to seek leave to appeal this ruling to the Supreme Court has not been taken lightly. It is my view that this ruling runs contrary to the Parliament's clear intention behind the FOI Act. There are significant implications and risks placed on the public's right to access information because of this ruling – it is therefore clearly in the public interest that I seek to challenge this at the Supreme Court."

At the weekend, the Express exclusively revealed the secretive SNP Government has racked up a bill of more than £100,000 in a bid to keep these documents hidden from the public.

The Commissioner is concerned that the Court of Session ruling substantially limits the scope for the balance of the public interest weighing in favour of disclosure for this exemption. He is also concerned that it could have wider implications for the application of that balancing exercise in relation to other exemptions.

Scottish Labour's acting leader Jackie Baillie said: "Too often the SNP operates under a cloak of secrecy. Freedom of Information laws provide much-needed accountability in that context and the FOI Commissioner has been a powerful champion for transparency in public life.

"This legal challenge could have significant implications for the disclosure of information. However, it should not take lengthy legal disputes to get answers from the SNP government. We need to see an end to the culture of cover-up that the SNP has created and a renewed commitment to openness and integrity in government."

Posting on social media, Mr Harrop said: "We are going to the UK supreme court! As confirmed by the below this is the first time this has happened! I think there were some cases taken by the House of Lords before the SC was set up, but this is certainly going to be very interesting!"

Meanwhile, he added that the original case was also still going through the courts with a further hearing scheduled in Edinburgh on September 22.

Comments on article included

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/uk_courts_and_the_rule_of_law.pdf

Have UK Courts Abdicated their Commitment and Responsibility to the Rule of Law?

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 16 May 2026

Introduction

The constitutional legitimacy of any democratic State ultimately rests not upon Parliament, Government, policing institutions, or prosecutorial authorities, but upon the judiciary’s willingness to uphold the Rule of Law impartially, fearlessly and independently.

Courts exist not merely to administer legal process, but to ensure that power itself remains subject to law.

That principle becomes most important precisely when:

• political pressure intensifies;

• institutional interests converge;

• public fear is elevated;

• or State actors themselves become the subject of scrutiny.

The true constitutional test of a judiciary is therefore not how it behaves in ordinary times, but how it behaves during periods of national pressure, institutional alignment, or perceived emergency.

It is against that constitutional standard that increasingly serious questions are now emerging in the United Kingdom.

The issue is no longer confined to isolated legal controversies, individual disclosure failures, or procedural irregularities. Rather, a broader concern is beginning to crystallise - whether the courts themselves have progressively adopted a posture of excessive institutional deference toward executive, bureaucratic, and operational

State power.

If so, the implications are profound because once courts become reluctant to scrutinise the State meaningfully, constitutional safeguards cease to function as intended.

The Rule of Law then risks becoming procedural in appearance whilst substantively weakened in practice.

The Constitutional Role of the Judiciary

Historically, the British constitutional model has relied heavily upon judicial independence as the ultimate safeguard against arbitrary power.

The courts were expected to:

• compel lawful accountability;

• restrain executive overreach;

• uphold procedural fairness;

• ensure evidential integrity;

• and protect citizens from unlawful State conduct.

Importantly, judicial legitimacy derives not from democratic election, but from public confidence that courts will apply law impartially, irrespective of political consequence.

That confidence depends upon several foundational assumptions:

• that courts remain institutionally independent;

• that judges scrutinise State conduct rigorously;

• that procedural fairness applies equally to citizen and State alike;

• and that no institution becomes effectively insulated from

legal accountability.

Where those assumptions weaken, constitutional trust deteriorates.

Pages 1-5 of 13

>>24997453

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/uk_courts_and_the_rule_of_law.pdf

Have UK Courts Abdicated their Commitment and Responsibility to the Rule of Law?

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 16 May 2026

Introduction

The constitutional legitimacy of any democratic State ultimately rests not upon Parliament, Government, policing institutions, or prosecutorial authorities, but upon the judiciary’s willingness to uphold the Rule of Law impartially, fearlessly and independently.

Courts exist not merely to administer legal process, but to ensure that power itself remains subject to law.

That principle becomes most important precisely when:

• political pressure intensifies;

• institutional interests converge;

• public fear is elevated;

• or State actors themselves become the subject of scrutiny.

The true constitutional test of a judiciary is therefore not how it behaves in ordinary times, but how it behaves during periods of national pressure, institutional alignment, or perceived emergency.

It is against that constitutional standard that increasingly serious questions are now emerging in the United Kingdom.

The issue is no longer confined to isolated legal controversies, individual disclosure failures, or procedural irregularities. Rather, a broader concern is beginning to crystallise - whether the courts themselves have progressively adopted a posture of excessive institutional deference toward executive, bureaucratic, and operational

State power.

If so, the implications are profound because once courts become reluctant to scrutinise the State meaningfully, constitutional safeguards cease to function as intended.

The Rule of Law then risks becoming procedural in appearance whilst substantively weakened in practice.

The Constitutional Role of the Judiciary

Historically, the British constitutional model has relied heavily upon judicial independence as the ultimate safeguard against arbitrary power.

The courts were expected to:

• compel lawful accountability;

• restrain executive overreach;

• uphold procedural fairness;

• ensure evidential integrity;

• and protect citizens from unlawful State conduct.

Importantly, judicial legitimacy derives not from democratic election, but from public confidence that courts will apply law impartially, irrespective of political consequence.

That confidence depends upon several foundational assumptions:

• that courts remain institutionally independent;

• that judges scrutinise State conduct rigorously;

• that procedural fairness applies equally to citizen and State alike;

• and that no institution becomes effectively insulated from

legal accountability.

Where those assumptions weaken, constitutional trust deteriorates.

Pages 6-10 of 13

>>24997453

>>24997679

>>24782679

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/uk_courts_and_the_rule_of_law.pdf

Have UK Courts Abdicated their Commitment and Responsibility to the Rule of Law?

Author: Ian Clayton

Date: 16 May 2026

Introduction

The constitutional legitimacy of any democratic State ultimately rests not upon Parliament, Government, policing institutions, or prosecutorial authorities, but upon the judiciary’s willingness to uphold the Rule of Law impartially, fearlessly and independently.

Courts exist not merely to administer legal process, but to ensure that power itself remains subject to law.

That principle becomes most important precisely when:

• political pressure intensifies;

• institutional interests converge;

• public fear is elevated;

• or State actors themselves become the subject of scrutiny.

The true constitutional test of a judiciary is therefore not how it behaves in ordinary times, but how it behaves during periods of national pressure, institutional alignment, or perceived emergency.

It is against that constitutional standard that increasingly serious questions are now emerging in the United Kingdom.

The issue is no longer confined to isolated legal controversies, individual disclosure failures, or procedural irregularities. Rather, a broader concern is beginning to crystallise - whether the courts themselves have progressively adopted a posture of excessive institutional deference toward executive, bureaucratic, and operational

State power.

If so, the implications are profound because once courts become reluctant to scrutinise the State meaningfully, constitutional safeguards cease to function as intended.

The Rule of Law then risks becoming procedural in appearance whilst substantively weakened in practice.

The Constitutional Role of the Judiciary

Historically, the British constitutional model has relied heavily upon judicial independence as the ultimate safeguard against arbitrary power.

The courts were expected to:

• compel lawful accountability;

• restrain executive overreach;

• uphold procedural fairness;

• ensure evidential integrity;

• and protect citizens from unlawful State conduct.

Importantly, judicial legitimacy derives not from democratic election, but from public confidence that courts will apply law impartially, irrespective of political consequence.

That confidence depends upon several foundational assumptions:

• that courts remain institutionally independent;

• that judges scrutinise State conduct rigorously;

• that procedural fairness applies equally to citizen and State alike;

• and that no institution becomes effectively insulated from

legal accountability.

Where those assumptions weaken, constitutional trust deteriorates.

Pages 11-13 of 13

>>24782659

>>24782670

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16104805/Freed-child-abuser-jailed-ex-SNP-adviser.html

EXCLUSIVE Freed, child abuser who was jailed along with ex-SNP adviser

GRAHAM GRANT

4 September 2026

One of Britain’s most notorious paedophiles – who was jailed alongside a former SNP government adviser as part of a child abuse network – has been freed from prison.

Neil Strachan, 58, described by a High Court judge as ‘sadistic and aggressive’, was recently let out of jail on licence, months after the release of his accomplice James Rennie, 54.

Rennie, an ex-chief executive of gay and trans rights charity LGBT Youth Scotland, was also an SNP government adviser on child sex issues.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said: ‘This is a truly sickening and the public need absolute assurances he will be monitored relentlessly for the rest of his life.’

Strachan, who tried to rape a toddler, had been held at Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee. The pair, both from Edinburgh, were serving sentences reduced to eight-and-a-half and nine years respectively.

Strachan was originally ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years before becoming eligible to seek release. However, the punishment part of his sentence was cut to nine years by appeal judges in 2011.

He was convicted of attempting to rape an 18-month-old boy and of downloading child abuse images.

Former Scottish Government adviser Rennie was jailed after molesting the toddler son of unsuspecting friends.

The child Strachan tried to rape was not the same one as Rennie’s principal victim.

Both were made subject to Orders for Lifelong Restriction, meaning they could only be released if deemed safe by the Parole Board and would remain on licence for the rest of their lives.

A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: ‘We don’t comment on individual prisoners.’

>>24782670

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdx5lxdwyqzo

Lord Advocate 'concerned' as domestic abuse charges rise by 14%

8 September 2026

Scotland's top law officer has said it is "concerning for all of us" that the number of domestic abuse charges has increased.

New figures show that 34,586 charges were reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) last year - an increase of 14% on the previous year. Court action was ordered in 91% of cases.

Lord Advocate Ruth Charteris KC said protecting women and girls from abusive men would be a clear priority during her time in office.

It follows several high-profile cases in Scotland, including that of Stacy Hunter who was murdered by her husband while he was out on bail for allegedly strangling her.

Her family told BBC Scotland News that there were clear signs she was being manipulated, controlled and abused by Jim Mair long before he murdered her.

Campaigners have since called for high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators or suspects released on bail to have their location monitored using GPS equipment.

Stacy was killed just six days after the death of another domestic abuse victim, Vikki Soloman, in Edinburgh.

The Lord Advocate said prevention was essential, but there were victims who needed the protection of the law today.

"I am acutely aware that every one of the 34,586 charges received by Copfs reflects the suffering of a victim – in the overwhelming majority of cases, a woman harmed by a man," she said.

"It is concerning for all of us that the number of reports has increased, particularly those involving some of the most serious offending.

"Scotland must change. Ending domestic abuse in our communities is an issue for each of us to address every day, challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours wherever we see them."

She said the justice system would "respond firmly" and hold abusive men to account through "robust prosecution that reflects the nature and seriousness of their offending".

"Victims should be assured they will be listened to and taken seriously by prosecutors; their experiences will be recognised; they will be supported through the legal process," she added.

'Crisis point'

Dr Emma Forbes, the Crown Office's lead prosecutor for domestic abuse, said the service had worked to better understand the experience of victims and their children.

She urged anyone who had witnessed or endured abuse, or was worried about a friend or relative, to speak to someone they trusted or report it to Police Scotland.

"Scotland has legislation which allows us to capture abuse as a course of conduct, which may have gone on for some time, not just an isolated incident," she said.

"To anyone experiencing abuse; it is not your fault. You deserve safety, not fear."

Scottish Labour's justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said the figures were "extremely concerning" and showed violence against women was "reaching a crisis point".

"Women are being failed even after abusers are known to the justice system," she added.

Scottish Conservative equalities spokesperson Meghan Gallacher said First Minister John Swinney must "act urgently" and back measures to improve the situation.

She said: "Victims deserve a justice system that protects and keeps dangerous perpetrators off the streets - not another SNP promise that they fail to deliver on."

>>24782659

>>24782670

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/26525674.ex-cop-derek-mcnee-pled-guilty-raping-sleeping-woman-milngaive/

Grant McCabe

6th September

A former police officer who filmed himself raping a sleeping woman is facing a lengthy jail term.

Derek McNee repeatedly preyed on his victim at a house in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, in 2025.

The 42–year–old, who was seven years in the police before later running a dog grooming business in Paisley, was snared after police found four incriminating videos on his mobile phone, which he had captured.

McNee appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow where he pled guilty to a rape charge.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced next month.

The hearing said that heavily tattooed McNee had asked the woman if it would "arouse" her if he "did things" when she was sleeping.

She agreed. He also suggested filming what he was doing, and the woman – who had personal issues - replied: "he could if he wanted to".

McNee later sent her footage he had recorded. She looked at the clips, but told him to delete them.

Prosecutor Ruaraidh Ferguson explained to the court: "Four videos were recovered from his telephone which depict McNee performing sexual acts on the woman while she is clearly and obviously intoxicated.

"At various stages, she is asleep or unconscious."

Mr Ferguson went on to give graphic detail of what McNee filmed.

This included a 35-minute video during which he states to the woman: "Do not f***ing move. Do not wriggle about. Stay still, shut up."

At one stage, she "audibly objects" to what he is doing. McNee calls her “useless”.

In another clip, the ex-officer is wearing a mask across his eyes. The woman is described as “fully unresponsive throughout”.

During the final video found, the victim is initially awake. McNee asked what was going to happen, and she replied: “Get raped.”

McNee, who had a history of drug use, then called her “a s**t”.

The woman stated she was “drunk” before eventually falling asleep. McNee again went on to take advantage of her condition.

McNee was held for the sex attacks in December 2025.

He also pled guilty to hounding another woman between 2021 and 2025 in Glasgow and Paisley, Renfrewshire.

This included making insulting remarks to her. She was forced to change her phone number, but McNee found what it was and contacted her almost 30 times in two days.

McNee further admitted today/yesterday to having a stun gun after a search of his car in August 2025.

Judge David Young KC deferred sentencing for reports and put the attacker on the sex offenders' list in the meantime.

McNee had previously been spared jail in 2021 for terrorising a young woman, who recalled “the devil in his eyes”.

He put this victim through a frightening ordeal over several months at his then home in Glasgow's west end.

This included being assaulted, threatened with death and having her designer jacket torn up with tweezers.

McNee was put on supervision and a curfew after he was convicted of engaging in abusive conduct following a trial at the city's sheriff court.

>>24782677

>>24782659

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/16812142/us-snatch-squad-nabs-paedo-london-flat/

YANKED OUT OF BRITAIN Paedo US diplomat seized in dawn raid on London flat and smuggled out of UK on cargo plane before cops can investigate

Michael Hamilton

12 Sep 2026

AMERICAN spies grabbed a paedophile working for the US Embassy in London and flew him back to the States — without informing ­British police.

The cloak-and-dagger operation was sparked by officials probing his US-based brother.

The brother is accused of sending abusive material to the diplomat, an ex-serviceman based at the US Embassy in Nine Elms, South London.

Authorities were believed to have sought a court order in the States before storming the diplomat’s flat in Putney on August 25.

Our source said they found child abuse images at the address and seized the man despite having no legal powers of arrest in the UK.

Flight data shows that on August 24, the day before the dawn raid, Kalitta Air flight K49709 — a Boeing 747-4R7F — flew from Chicago to RAF Fairford, Gloucs, where the US Air Force has a large presence.

On August 25 the same plane, now flight K4529, left Fairford at 5.33pm and arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 7.44pm local time after a seven-hour, 11-minute journey.

The same plane left there at 11.22pm and landed at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois, after a one-hour 38-minute journey.

Records show the Boeing — listed as a cargo plane — had not travelled to Fairford for at least two months before August 25.

The Met Police and other British authorities were informed only after the diplomat’s extraction.

Our source added: “They should have told Scotland Yard when they carried out the raid, and certainly when they found material.

“Instead we think they have taken him to a US airbase and flown him 4,000-plus miles to where his brother was being investigated. We think it was a dawn raid before they then took him to the base in a US military convoy.

“The man may well face justice in the US but he should be before the courts here.”

Marine Security Guards, who patrol the US Embassy in London, are believed to have led the raid.

Their action, a huge blow to UK-US relations, has sparked accusations of a cover-up and prompted crisis meetings between Scotland Yard and senior Cabinet ministers including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is being kept updated.

It threatens to cast a shadow over PM Andy Burnham’s planned meeting with Donald Trump at the UN in New York in just over a week.

A source said: “This has caused enormous ripples right through to Downing Street and the Home Office — everyone is talking about it.

“The Americans’ actions have been outrageous and left people utterly furious.

“At first, when they told Scotland Yard they wouldn’t even give the address. It’s astonishing as this man was living in a private address and potentially committing crimes here yet we weren’t told in time.

>>25034615

>>24782659

…………………………………………………………..continued…………………………………………………………..

“The case was prompted by them investigating the man’s brother, who was apparently sending him images.

“But he could also have been in touch with paedophiles here.

“And if there are child-abuse crimes, there are possibly other crimes he could have committed. There are fears the Yanks are trying to keep this in-house and it’s a cover-up. And we now don’t know if we’ll ever get him back to face British justice.”

Well-placed sources said meetings over the alleged paedo diplomat row had “gone to the very top” and taken place in Sir Mark Rowley’s office this week.

A US diplomatic source hit back yesterday, saying: “We acted decisively. If we had ceded ground and waited there could have been delays and diplomacy that could have gone on for weeks or months.”

Leading extradition lawyer Edward Grange, a partner at Corker Binning, told The Sun on Sunday: “The US Embassy is not American territory and diplomatic status does not give US law enforcement a free hand to exercise police powers on British soil.

“If someone in Britain is wanted to face criminal charges in America and will not return voluntarily, the proper route is extradition.

“If extradition was deliberately bypassed, that would raise very serious questions about the legality of the operation.”

The Met Police said: “On August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children. We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.”

The Government said: “We expect all foreign diplomats in the UK to abide by our laws. As a US investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

A US Embassy spokesperson said: “We are aware of allegations concerning an individual assigned to the Embassy. The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously.”

Echoes of Harry

By Michael Hamilton

THE diplomatic row echoes the case of biker Harry Dunn, who was killed by US citizen Anne Sacoolas in a collision on the wrong side of the road.

Her Volvo hit the 19-year-old’s Kawasaki head-on in August 2019 near RAF Croughton, Northants, where her husband worked as a US intelligence official.

Her car had been on the right-hand side of the road when it should have been on the left.

Mum-of-two Sacoolas, now 49, fled the UK for the States 19 days after the crash, claiming diplomatic immunity.

The Government sought her return, but the US declined the extradition request in 2020.

She has never come back.

In December 2022, Sacoolas appeared at London’s Old Bailey via video link and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

She got an eight-month jail term, suspended for a year.

>>24782659

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/16808383/paedophile-raped-assaulted-children-jailed/

CAMPAIGN OF ABUSE Paedophile, 62, who raped and assaulted multiple children keeping one as ‘sexual slave’ jailed for 37 years

Jon Rogers

11 Sep 2026

A VILE paedophile who raped and assaulted multiple children, keeping one as a “sexual slave”, has begun a 37-year prison sentence.

Paul Benstock, 62, was found guilty following his trial in July at Leeds Crown Court of more than 40 sickening offences dating back over decades.

These included rape, sexual assault and physical assaults.

During his trial, the jury heard that Benstock used fear, violence, intimidation and humiliation to keep his victims silent.

Judge Neil Clark said he had committed the “most unpleasant sexual offending that can be imagined” and treated one victim as his “sexual slave”.

He said: “You ruined their lives by using and threatening extreme violence.”

Benstock, of East Ardsley, West Yorkshire, showed no emotion as he was hit with an extended 37-year jail sentence with the judge finding him to be a dangerous offender.

Prosecutor Kitty Colley read out heartbreaking statements written by his victims to the court.

One victim said he still “wakes up fighting” Benstock and hasn’t gotten over his ordeal.

He added that he had turned to drugs and alcohol in order to “numb the pain”.

A female victim said: “You not only stole my childhood, you stole my adult life too.

“I have nightmares so often it’s just better and easier to stay awake.

“I have completely lost myself.

“You are a monster who used power and control to take what you wanted.

“I carry so much shame around every day. It’s not mine, it’s yours.

“I will never forgive you for putting me through the court process.

“You have never taken any accountability.”

Benstock’s abuse dated back to the 1990s, the court was told.

It was only after his last victim came forward and spoke out that others then followed.

His youngest victim was aged just nine and he would then threaten them into staying silent.

As well as sexually abusing youngsters, he would also attack them with weapons in ways Judge Clark said were “ghastly”.

After his arrest, it was discovered he had been searching out child abuse images online just the day before.

He was given a 30-year custodial sentence, with a seven-year extended licence period.

Benstock was put on the sex offenders registry for life.

Detective Sergeant Michelle Barnes, of Leeds Safeguarding Unit, said previously: “We had one victim come forward to us to reporting that they had been the victim of offences at the hands of Benstock.

“As a result of our enquiries, we identified four other victims who then also had the courage to detail the crimes they had been subjected to.

“Much of Benstock’s offending was against victims who were children at the time.

“His victims have shown incredible bravery in giving us detailed accounts of what has taken place and then again supporting the trial process by giving evidence when Benstock refused to take accountability for his awful crimes.

“Benstock is yet to be sentenced and I know that that date will be another significant milestone in the journey that his victims have been through, but I do hope that today having got these verdicts that it brings them some comfort knowing that they were believed.

“I do not underestimate how hard it is to take that step to report physical or sexual offences to the police but if you have been a victim, please reach out for help and support when you are ready.”

>>24782659

>>24782669

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/more-one-three-sex-offenders-37651021

More than one in three sex offenders not recorded as British by Police Scotland last year

Ben Borland

11 Sep 2026

Police Scotland has revealed that 35.2% of sex offenders last year were not marked as British when their nationality was recorded.

The force recorded 16,236 sexual offences in 2025, including 3,988 crimes of rape, attempted rape or assault by penetration and 3,639 crimes of sexual assault. Of the total, 9,634 sex crimes were marked as "detected" (59.3%) by the police.

A new national crime recording system was introduced in January 2024 which records the ethnicity or nationality of the suspect/accused, although this is not mandatory and the fields can be left blank.

Figures released under Freedom of Information show the ethnicity/nationality was recorded in 5,861 cases between January 1 and December 31, 2025. That equates to just under 61% of all "detected" sex crimes, although one offender could be linked to multiple offences.

In total, the suspect/accused was recorded as having UK nationality in 3,800 cases – or 64.8% of the total recorded by Police Scotland last year. "Other" was recorded on 1,153 crime reports (19.7%) followed by "Unknown" or "Not Stated" on 227 forms (3.8%).

There were 681 cases (11.6%) where a non-British nationality was recorded for the suspect/accused. After British, the most common nationality in the police records was Polish, with a count of 95, followed by Romanian (71), Pakistani (54) and Nigerian (42).

Overall, there were 78 different nationalities recorded by Police Scotland in relation to sex crimes detected in 2025.

The nationality of sex offenders has been thrust into the spotlight by anti-migrant protests and rallies over the past 12 to 18 months. A series of protests in Falkirk last year followed the rape of a schoolgirl by an Afghan asylum seeker.

Meanwhile, a knife attack in Belfast earlier this year led to violent scenes in Glasgow city centre. Critics say the backlash is being engineered and hijacked by members of far-right groups

Although nationality is now being recorded in most cases, Police Scotland do not record the asylum status of the suspect/accused. The most common nationalities of those claiming asylum in the UK are Pakistani, Eritrean, Iranian, Sudanese, and Afghan.

>>25065589

……………………………………………………………….continued………………………………………………………………..

Meanwhile, some countries with large numbers of expats living in Scotland, such as Australia, Canada and South Africa, are near the bottom of the table with only one or two crimes recorded.

Full table

British: 2,731, 46.60%

Other: 1,153, 19.67%

Scottish: 997, 17.01%

Unknown: 225, 3.84%

Polish: 95, 1.62%

Romanian: 71, 1.21%

English: 62, 1.06%

Pakistani: 54, 0.92%

Nigerian: 42, 0.72%

Indian: 37, 0.53%

Irish: 31, 0.53%

Afghan: 26, 0.44%

Iranian: 22, 0.38%

Iraqi: 19, 0.32%

Sudanese: 18, 0.31%

Lithuanian: 17, 0.29%

Syrian: 15, 0.26%

Turkish: 13, 0.22%

Latvian: 12, 0.20%

Chinese: 10, 0.17%

Italian: 10, 0.17%

American: 9, 0.15%

Hungarian: 9, 0.15%

Portuguese: 8, 0.14%

Ukrainian: 8, 0.14%

Thai: 7, 0.12%

Belgian: 6, 0.10%

Bulgarian: 6, 0.10%

Congolese: 6, 0.10%

Libyan: 6, 0.10%

Sri Lankan: 6, 0.10%

Eritrean: 5, 0.09%

German: 5, 0.09%

Nepalese: 5, 0.09%

Zimbabwean: 5, 0.09%

Northern Irish: 5, 0.09%

Welsh: 5, 0.09%

Brazilian: 4, 0.07%

Egyptian: 4, 0.07%

Namibian: 4, 0.07%

Sierra Leonean: 4, 0.07%

Somali: 4, 0.07%

Spanish: 4, 0.07%

Uzbek: 4, 0.07%

Danish: 3, 0.05%

French: 3, 0.05%

Jamaican: 3, 0.05%

Lebanese: 3, 0.05%

Moroccan: 3, 0.05%

New Zealander: 3, 0.05%

Tunisian: 3, 0.05%

Bangladeshi: 2, 0.03%

Central African: 2, 0.03%

Czech: 2, 0.03%

Fijian: 2, 0.03%

Gambian: 2, 0.03%

Ghanian: 2, 0.03%

Guinean: 2, 0.03%

Jordanian: 2, 0.03%

Omani: 2, 0.03%

Palestinian: 2, 0.03%

Panamanian: 2, 0.03%

Rwandan: 2, 0.03%

South African: 2, 0.03%

Timorese: 2, 0.03%

Yemeni: 2, 0.03%

Not Stated: 2, 0.03%

Algerian: 1, 0.02%

Argentine: 1, 0.02%

Australian: 1, 0.02%

Belizean: 1, 0.02%

Bermudian: 1, 0.02%

Canadian: 1, 0.02%

Cape Verdean: 1, 0.02%

Dutch: 1, 0.02%

Emirati: 1, 0.02%

Estonian: 1, 0.02%

Gibraltarian: 1, 0.02%

Greek: 1, 0.02%

Ivorian: 1, 0.02%

Kazakh: 1, 0.02%

Kuwaiti: 1, 0.02%

Malaysian: 1, 0.02%

Moldovan: 1, 0.02%

Slovenian: 1, 0.02%

Zambian: 1, 0.02%

In the FOI response, a force official said: "Police Scotland introduced a new, national crime recording system in January 2024. The system has fields for ethnicity and nationality of the suspect/accused individual and this extends to all crime types. These fields are not mandatory however, and as such, in some cases, these fields are blank. Therefore, there may be difference in figures for the number of crimes and nationalities recorded."

They added: "The nationality was identified by matching the detected crimes in 2025 to the number of accused records. More than one offender can be linked to a crime."

>>24782664

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/trans-people-tougher-during-pandemic-37595027

Trans people had it tougher during the pandemic, taxpayer-funded group says in evidence to the SNP's toothless inquiry

Scottish Trans highlights 'unsupportive family members', lack of access to hormone jabs, 'misgendering' by nurses and facial ID failing to recognise someone's new gender

Ben Borland

26 Aug 2026

A taxpayer-funded body has claimed the Covid-19 pandemic was "particularly difficult for many trans people" due to "unsupportive family members" and the loss of medical treatments such as hormone injections.

Scottish Trans is one of dozens of groups to supply written evidence to the Scottish Covid Inquiry, which has come under fire for the amount of time it is taking with £60million spent over more than four years so far.

In a written statement, Florence Oulds tells the inquiry that "trans people did (and in some ways still do) experience differential impacts from the pandemic and the Scottish Government's pandemic response".

The first reason for this was because during the lockdowns some were "made to spend a lot more time with people who did not recognise, or who intentionally disregarded, their identity".

Oulds writes: "For many trans people, being referred to by a name we no longer identify with (sometimes called a 'dead name' within the community) or by pronouns that do not match our gender can be incredibly harmful. While it can still be difficult and upsetting if this happens accidentally, if it happens consistently and purposefully it can have huge mental health impacts, especially if coming from people who should love and care for us, such as family members. This is why being 'stuck' in lockdowns with unsupportive family members or other cohabitants was particularly difficult for many trans people."

The statement goes on to say that "some trans men and trans masculine people" were denied access to hormone replacement therapy when many NHS services were put on hold in 2020 in order to deal with the flood of critically ill coronavirus patients.

Oulds writes that despite guidance for GPs, "concerns persisted about the de-prioritisation of trans healthcare and medicine, as some perceive it to be 'cosmetic' or a 'lifestyle choice', rather than essential medical care. This was also the case for those who had their gender affirming surgeries and other transition related medical appointments cancelled due to lockdowns and travel restrictions."

Travel restrictions imposed by then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – who effectively 'closed the border' with England for months at a time – also meant that transgender Scots couldn't get to hospitals down south for major gender reassignment surgery.

>>25069342

…………………………………………………………..continued…………………………………………………………..

Further complaints were raised about the family 'bubbles' introduced by Sturgeon to limit contact between households, which caused issues for LGBTI+ people in "non-traditional romantic relationships, including polyamory" – especially those with "unsupportive neighbours" who might report them to the authorities.

Vaccines were also a problem for the trans community, Oulds declares, due to their gender status having been changed in their NHS medical records. The statement adds: "Likewise, some people were worried about how they would be referred to when they attended their vaccinations, that they would be called by a name or pronouns that they do not identify with, or that they would be challenged as to whether they were really who they said they were."

Further, the Scottish Government's vaccine certification digital app used facial recognition software which might not recognise the trans person's altered gender in their medical records.

Oulds writes: "The app compared how a person looked in an ID photo versus how they currently looked, but for people who have changed their appearance since they last renewed their ID, they may have had difficulty getting a match.

"Updating name and gender on passports and driving licences can be a tedious administrative process where 'evidence' of living in the acquired gender is required, but can also include significant expense. Some studies also suggest that facial recognition software can have issues detecting the faces of trans people, as it typically trained on images of people who are not trans, and this is even more problematic for those who have darker skin, as facial recognition software often has profound racial biases."

As a result, some trans people were unable to get a vaccine certificate and were not "able to access spaces that required certification, unlike those who were vaccinated but were not trans. As some countries required proof of vaccine status for entry, it could have also posed issues for trans people's ability to travel."

In conclusion, Oulds writes that the lifting of the lockdowns and the reintroduction of in-person services was also a problem for trans people, because many "experience discrimination and harassment when going about public life, and when trying to use services like public toilets".

The statement ends: "Because of this, our community, among many others, have not benefitted from the 'return to normal' that has taken place since many Covid precautions were dropped in 2022, and are harmed by a lack of responsibility in taking this deadly disease seriously."

Scottish Trans receives public funding primarily from the Scottish Government via the Equality and Human Rights Fund (EHRF), which has handed out £5.2million to LGBTQI+ organisations over the past five years.

>>24782664

>>24983733

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scottish-covid-inquiry-slammed-top-37591227

Scottish Covid Inquiry slammed by top lawyer over its failure to call vital witnesses

Aamer Anwar says the SNP's public inquiry – which has been set up for Scotland-only – is grinding along at a far slower pace than the UK-wide probe

Richard Elias

25 Aug 2026

A leading lawyer has asked for an explanation as to where the £60million so far spent on the Scottish Covid inquiry has actually gone.

Aamer Anwar also criticised the time that the investigation was taking when compared to the UK-wide probe which has already heard large swathes of evidence.

Another concern which he has raised is the fact that none of the so-called health care "implementers" – those tasked with implementing the major decisions to fight the pandemic – have been called to give evidence.

In particular, many questions remain over why so many people with Covid were discharged from hospitals and sent directly into care homes. On Tuesday, one woman whose husband died from the virus said that a failure to call such individuals would clearly be a dereliction of duty.

David Waterton from North Lanarkshire was 71-years-old when he passed away in January 2021. His widow, Maggie Waterton said: "If those who implemented decisions within the Scottish healthcare system are not called to give evidence in the October, it will be a monumental error of judgement and it makes me thinks that this inquiry is treating as worthless those who died in of hospital acquired Covid."

Another of the bereaved group lost both of her parents, William and Violet Allen, aged 90 and 93-years-old respectively, during the pandemic. Their daughter, Rhona Arthur said: "We had hoped to see this Scottish Inquiry robustly interrogate the Scottish Government guidelines for health and social care, to interrogate who decisions in public, this was an inquiry for the people of Scotland, yet, once again, we feel betrayed. How many more times will they break the promises they made to us?"

Mr Anwar is the lawyer representing the Scottish Covid Bereaved (SCB), an umbrella group made up of family and friends of those who died during the crisis. He said: "It looks likely that the SCB will not get the chance to hear evidence until next year at the earliest

"Our clients find it unbelievable that the decision-making hearings will now not commence until 2027. Our clients are entitled to ask the question why this inquiry will report some eight years after the Covid-19 pandemic began. According to the inquiry’s website, nearly £60m has been spent thus far, which begs the question: What on?"

Speaking on Tuesday, he outlined his main worries about the way the inquiry in Scotland is being handled. Mr Anwar went on: "Today, a preliminary hearing took place where Lord Brailsford, chairman of the inquiry, outlined the procedural arrangements for the Inquiry's Implementation Hearings, due to commence on 6th October 2026.

"In advance of the preliminary hearing, I wrote to express the SCB's deep concerns, frustration and distress at what many of the families believe is a betrayal of the promise to place them 'front and centre' of this inquiry. Nothing said today by Lord Brailsford has allayed those concerns."

The lawyer continued: "The official establishment of this inquiry took place on 28th February 2022. At the first preliminary hearing of the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry on August 28, 2023, the chair promised a 'robust investigation without fear or favour' to establish the facts, learn lessons and make recommendations regarding the handling of the pandemic.

>>24782664

>>24983733

…………………………………………………………………continued………………………………………………………………..

"It stated that no person or institution, regardless of how powerful or whether based in Westminster or Holyrood, would be able to obstruct the search for the truth."

Mr Anwar added: "It was stated the inquiry would not hold back in identifying mistakes in strategic decision-making. The whole purpose of a Scottish Inquiry was to drill down into matters pertaining to Scotland, so that that the key devolved responsibilities including health and adult social care, would be interrogated in much more detail by the Scottish Covid Inquiry, which UK inquiry was unable to do.

"Four years later, many in the SCB believe that the promises have been betrayed and the bereaved are yet to hear from a single decision-maker, whether it be in the Scottish Government, Scottish health care or adult social care sectors.

"Meanwhile, the UK Covid Inquiry, which was established after the Scottish Inquiry, has completed all its evidential hearings, it called successive Prime Ministers, former First Ministers, senior civil servants, chief scientists, chief medical officers, health ministers and cabinet secretaries for health and key decision-makers from all sectors."

The lawyer continued: "A significant number of SCB members loved ones died from hospital-acquired Covid-19 infection. Those members, alongside those whose loved ones died in hospital, have concerns relating to both hospital care and the wider healthcare systems, including clinical decision-making, DNACPR ('Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation') and escalation of care decisions, visiting guidance and restrictions and infection, prevention and control guidance and practice and the way these issues were managed not only by the Scottish Government but by health boards, hospitals and ward-level leadership across Scotland.

"It is distressing for those who lost loved ones, that the issue of discharge of untested and/ or positive patients from hospitals to care homes, is highly unlikely to be addressed by the witnesses called."

Mr Anwar stated: "Many of our clients are left bewildered that no Scottish healthcare system 'implementers' are to be called to give evidence in October. It raises serious questions about whether the inquiry is genuinely committed to examining the issues that matter most to bereaved families in Scotland. Our clients had the experience and huge benefit of core participant status in the UK Covid Inquiry.

"It has delivered a 'gold-plated' inquiry but much of what was excluded for Scotland, was on the basis that the Scottish Inquiry was expected to take up the specific scrutiny of what took place in Scotland."

>>24782659

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/graeme-dott-behind-bars-after-37587437

Graeme Dott behind bars after former snooker world champion convicted of abusing children

The 49-year-old pervert subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse

Lucinda Cameron & Nick Forbes

24 Aug 2026

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school age children.

The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993-1996 and the boy between 2006-2010.

A five-day trial the High Court in Glasgow heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately, and kissed them. On Monday, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them.

Dott had been on bail for the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, but was remanded in custody by Lord Harrower. He was handcuffed as he was led away to the cells and he faces a lengthy jail-term when he is sentenced next month.

In both cases the abuse happened in the Glasgow area. During the trial, jurors heard from one of Dott's victims, a woman now in her 40s, who told the court Dott had sexually abused her on multiple separate occasions while she was a child.

She said the abuse had started with Dott "caressing" her bottom over her clothing while giving her a piggy back. The woman also described an occasion when she said Dott suggested playing a "guessing game" where she had to guess what he was doing.

She told the court she lay down and he exposed himself to her and then began touching her with different parts of his body, including his penis. The woman told the court that Dott told her not to tell anyone he was sexually abusing her.

The second victim, a man who is now in his late 20s, said he was sexually abused by Dott on multiple occasions, with the snooker player touching him inappropriately, kissing him, and performing sexual acts.

He told the court a lot of the abuse took place while he was in a shower, when Dott would come in either partly or completely undressed. "He would… come into the shower and put soap on my body and wash me in the shower," the man told the court. "While he was washing me he would touch me in inappropriate places."

He said looking back at it now, Dott was "clearly getting sexual gratification from it", and he was "pleasuring himself" while this was taking place. The man said that because of his age at the time, he "did not know what was going on", and it was only later he realised the interaction "wasn't right".

The witness also described abuse which took place in a car, where he said Dott would kiss him on the face, head and lips, and "push himself up against me".

Giving evidence last week, Dott had said there was "absolutely no way" he sexually abused two children. Under cross-examination by prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel, Dott denied being attracted to the girl when she was young, calling the idea "disgusting".

When Ms Dalziel put it to Dott that he touched the first victim and told her what to do, he denied the allegation and called it "lies". Speaking about the second victim, Dott said he was "never in my company" and denied all allegations of abuse.

In her closing speech on Friday, Ms Dalziel called on the jury to find Dott guilty of both charges. She said: "The Crown's case is that Graeme Dott subjected vulnerable children to the worst kind of abuse with a course of conduct which relied on opportunity, for his own gratification."

Dott's lawyer, Euan Dow, had invited jurors to clear his client of both charges. But Dott was found guilty on Monday following the trial which began on August 18.

Dott, who turned professional in 1994, won the World Snooker Championship in 2006, defeating Peter Ebdon in the final at the Crucible in Sheffield. He reached the final in two other years but was beaten by Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2004 and Neil Robertson in 2010.