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Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Killer's criminal record ‘wiped clean' after self-identifying as woman
A killer's criminal record was 'wiped clean' after they self-identified as a woman, it has emerged. The SNP's 'reckless' gender policy has been blamed for an administrative mistake that led to a murderer's criminal record being 'cleaned'. The Crown Office and Police Scotland are now under pressure to investigate the 'serious lapse' amid concern the case may not be isolated. The bungle was discovered after a solicitor requested a previous convictions disclosure on prosecution witnesses in a case involving alleged conflict inside HMP Greenock. The witnesses included the trans woman Alex Stewart, who went by the name Alan Baker before being convicted of murder in 2013. Prior convictions for all witnesses were provided, except for Stewart, who appeared to have a clean sheet. Sharon Dowey MSP, Scottish Conservative shadow minister for victims and community safety, warned: 'This appalling shambles, which will rightly enrage the public, demands full accountability and transparency from the Crown Office and Police Scotland. 'This won't be an isolated case' 'We already have dangerous male offenders cynically gaming the system to serve their sentences in women's prisons, and that number is only likely to rise if they spot an opportunity of having their records wiped via this ruse. 'Scotland's justice system, like all our public bodies, has been in thrall to the SNP's reckless gender policy, which the Supreme Court has ruled unlawful. 'We urgently need a directive from John Swinney to public bodies telling them to uphold the Supreme Court ruling.' Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman, added: 'There should be no way to erase a criminal record and we need to ensure there are policies in place to ensure that is the case.' Dr Kate Coleman, of the campaign group Keep Prisons Single Sex, said their research had shown that individuals who switched gender 'are awarded uniquely enhanced individual privacy rights which enable exactly this sort of thing'. She added: 'This won't be an isolated case – this is standard practice north and south of the border. 'It has widespread ramifications, including for safeguarding and the operation of Disclosure Scotland checks. For years we have been calling for urgent changes – not just for the recording of data, but the handling and disclosure of data.' The Daily Record said the scandal came to light during the case of the hairdresser Jayney Sutherley, who killed a man with a pair of scissors. Sutherley, 51, was acquitted at Greenock Sheriff Court last month of carrying out a four-year campaign of transphobic and homophobic abuse against Stewart, 33, and lover Nyomi Fee, 37, a child killer. Both are serving time for murder in HMP Greenock, where Stewart was sent from a male prison after deciding to self-identify as a woman. When disclosure requests were made by Sutherley's defence solicitor, Paul Lynch, for both killers, they returned an accurate record for Fee but a blank sheet for Stewart. A correction was only made after the Crown was told that Stewart was appearing in the witness box as a prisoner and serving a life sentence for murder. A new search under the killer's former name revealed their criminal history, including a conviction for the murder of John Weir, 36. 'Wicked and brutal' attack In Jan 2013, Alan Baker, 25, invited Mr Weir into his home in Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire, before stabbing him at least 16 times. He claimed to have acted in self-defence but was convicted of murder and attempting to cover up his crime. In Aug 2013, at the High Court in Glasgow, Baker was told he must serve at least 19 years in jail before being eligible for parole. Judge Lord Boyd told Baker he was guilty of a 'wicked and brutal' attack. A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: 'Although the initial witness check showed no previous convictions, on further inquiry by the Procurator Fiscal this was corrected prior to trial. 'Information about previous convictions is provided to COPFS by the police following a check of the relevant databases. 'COPFS have asked Police Scotland to review and confirm the processes for recording and sharing information on previous convictions.'
Daily Record
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
'Abhorrent' prison chiefs forced women to live among trans rapists, killers and paedos
Prison chiefs acted 'abhorrently' by forcing women to live among trans rapists , murderers and paedophiles for more than a decade, it has been claimed. Campaigners say the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) opened the floodgates for violent trans prisoners to switch into female jails in 2014 with scores of violent cons taking advantage of its transgender policy. It led to dozens of transfers for killers such as Sophie Eastwood, Alex Stewart and Paris Green , along with 6ft 5in paedophile Katie Dolatowski into female jails, along with others whose names have been kept under wraps. Double rapist Isla Bryson was sent to all-women Cornton Vale prison near Stirling before a public outcry forced prison bosses into a climbdown by moving him to a male facility. Bryson – previously Adam Graham – had been pictured outside court wearing tight leggings and a blonde wig. Pressure is increasing on First Minister John Swinney to remove violent offenders from women's prisons after the recent Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under UK law. Mary Howden, coordinator of the Women's Rights Network Scotland, called for the 'immediate removal of male prisoners from the female estate'. She added: 'The Scottish Government and Scottish Prison Service have allowed sadistic violent men to be incarcerated with vulnerable women for far too long. "The Supreme Court ruling is very clear that sex refers to biological sex and men should not be in the female estate. It is abhorrent that this was ever allowed.' Judges unanimously upheld an appeal by For Women Scotland against Scottish Government ministers by ruling the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, a decision set to have ramifications for public bodies. There are currently 16 trans inmates behind bars but their placement and convictions are kept under wraps by the SPS. Caroline McAllister, of Women Won't Wheesht, also called on the SNP government to change direction. She said: 'It's beyond time Justice Secretary Angela Constance addressed the failing of vulnerable women in prison under her watch.' The SPS updated its policy last year but caused uproar after it emerged trans criminals with a history of violence against women could be allowed to serve sentences in female jails if deemed not to present an 'unacceptable risk'. It also emerged that violent trans convicts deemed too dangerous for a permanent switch into the female estate could still be allowed to mingle with women in work parties, activities or programmes. The SPS said: 'We received the Supreme Court's judgment and are considering any potential impact it may have.' Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
