My brother’s court case in Scotland

[Saladmakesmesad]

Posting for traffic. V difficult situation so please be kind. 😢

My brother has been charged with a very serious crime in Scotland. Arrested in July last year. My family are trying to hush it all up and minimise it. I found out from regularly checking the court rolls that he appeared in court yesterday. As I understand it, this will have been to finalise the charges following the investigation. He will have pleaded guilty and I think there will be another hearing now for sentencing.

My question is - how do I find out what he’s been charged with exactly and what he is sentenced to? Remember that it’s Scotland so different to England (where I am). It hasn’t hit the press as far as I can find out, but might.

Thanks for any help. Sorry if I sound cold, I’m very distressed and trying to get facts so I can move forward.

@GottenGottenGotten Your comment really gave me courage.

Hope you manage to keep trying @Saladmakesmesad. It must be very difficult for you.

Glad also that you're strong enough to filter out the nasty crap. There's too much of @charlestonchaplin's nonsense on MN lately, although it's heartening to see other posters calling it out. That's the only way to restore sanity I feel.

Hope you get through.

Certainly in my local sheriff court, in days where there are trials actively happening the admin staff are pulled away from the desk to assist with that, so it might just be they are doing other things. You might get on better towards the end of the day, first thing or a different day.

I'm glad my post helped a bit 🙂

Finally got through but they wouldn’t tell me anything due to ‘data protection’. Feels like they’re putting the protection of data (and therefore criminals) above the protection of families, victims and children.

At least you tried, and you now know that's not an option. If you hadn't, you'd still be wondering.

I hope you get the information somehow.

I wonder if freedom of information request would be an option?

Like @UnspeakableBode, I was going to suggest The Digger. You can subscribe online for a short time and it’s not dear. It’s an oddly compulsive magazine that’s sold in corner shops, but it has a listing of all court cases.

Finally got through but they wouldn’t tell me anything due to ‘data protection’

That doesn’t sound right.

FFS salad. If I was closer to the relevant court I'd go in for you myself.

Would this site be any help?
www.scotcourts.gov.uk/search-judgments/advanced?judgmentsType=sheriff-court-judgments?judgmentsType=sheriff-court-judgments?judgmentsType=

Data protection trumps FoI.

But court details are usually public unless a vulnerable victim's identity would be revealed.

Keep searching OP..

Perhaps approach it from the opposite position, OP ie what services would your brother have engaged with or contact victim support groups to see if they have any advice on how to access information.

Hope you get what you need op

Isn't everything published after sentencing anyway ? where would it be ? the information must be out there OP...

I'm glad I don't live in Scotland. I ring my local Courts in England and they just tell you.

It's in the public domain in Scotland too I'm sure it is...

I'm glad I don't live in England. I've never had cause to phone my local court for information, and even if I had, I don't think that would be even close to enough to change my mind on the matter.

Nearly all convictions are a matter of public record in Scotland.
The person you spoke to obviously couldn't be bothered to look it up.

@Thestuffwasbad

That's you having a nice life where it's not necessary.

Which has nothing to do with the country you live in 🙄

It's not necessary to have a nice live?

I guess that's why you don't want to move here!

I'm sorry, I really don't understand your post.

I'm glad I don't live in England. I've never had cause to phone my local court for information, and even if I had, I don't think that would be even close to enough to change my mind on the matter.

What the fuck are you talking about... you sound like a simpering hand wringing idiot.. FFS

Call them again op.
I’m in Scotland and the courts here definitely tell you if you contact them. My uncles wife was charged with offences and didn’t tell him. We read it in the paper. She said it was all lies so my dad phoned the court and they told him the charges and when she would be sentenced. He phoned later and they told him what her sentence was.

I'm glad I don't live in England.

Why?