Latest news with #Dunbartonshire
Times
01-07-2025
- Times
Former boarding school teacher jailed over sex abuse of boys
A former boarding school teacher who 'exploited his position of trust' has been jailed for nine years for the abuse of boys under his care. William Bain preyed on the pupils while working at three different fee-paying schools across Scotland. The victims included a boy who had gone to Bain for help as he was being bullied. The former physics teacher, 72, was due to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow but instead pleaded guilty on Monday to 11 sex abuse charges. Bain had previously been sentenced to six and a half years in 2016 for similar offences against five boys at a school in Dunbartonshire. He was freed in 2020. It is believed the latest crimes were reported after publicity around that earlier case. Judge Lord Young reduced Bain's sentence from ten years in recognition of his guilty pleas. The charges, for offences committed between 1978 and 1999, consisted of ten charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices against boys aged 13 or younger and one charge of indecent assault on a slightly older boy. Bain first abused a 12-year-old boy at a private school in Edinburgh, where he was later a house tutor. He abused the child after ordering him to stay behind for detention. The next boy would often go to Bain for help with his homework. Shanti Maguire, for the prosecution, told the court: 'It was during these occasions of tutoring that Bain would sexually abuse him.' Bain ordered the child to keep quiet about what happened. • Edinburgh boarding school 'protected' abusers for 60 years Revealing the effect on this victim, Maguire said: 'Due to the nature of these events, he has spent many years blocking out the memory of the incidents in that he cannot recall all of the details.' By the mid-1980s, Bain had moved to a private school in Aberdeen, where he targeted another boy. The pupil was described as 'isolated and homesick' having moved from England to attend the school. Bain, who was a house master, invited the child into his room and told him he would 'look after him'. But, Maguire told the court, instead the teacher abused the child and stopped only when the school bell rang. Bain's next victims were at the same boarding school in Dunbartonshire involved in the 2016 case. One student, then a teenager, was molested on three occasions in the physics teacher's laboratory. Maguire said: 'These incidents took place in view of other pupils. Bain acted as if it was mere wrestling. However, [the victim] believed it was done for other purposes — namely an opportunity for Bain to touch him.' Another boy was the victim of bullying and had described the school as a 'brutal environment'. He was preyed upon in Bain's lab; in a dark room at a photography club run by the teacher; and groped during rugby training sessions and walking trips. • Boarding school agrees six-figure payout over pupil abuse claim A third boy at the school had also been bullied and was grieving following the death of his brother. He was 'drawn' to Bain due to his apparently 'kindly nature'. Bain, a Cambridge graduate, groomed the child by giving him sweets and taking him to fast-food restaurants. The teacher initially exposed himself in the camera club dark room and went on to grope the boy, who described feeling 'trapped'. Other incidents occurred in the lab and in Bain's private flat in the grounds of the school, to which 'a number of pupils' were given access. It was there another teenager was molested while a film was being shown. A further assault occurred while this boy was using a computer at the flat. A sixth boy studying at the school was inappropriately touched but was told by Bain casually 'not to worry'. The victim spoke of feeling 'uncomfortable' as the teacher stood watching him and other pupils as they showered. Another student initially regarded Bain as 'friendly' but was later abused in his bed and while alone with Bain in the flat. The court was told that Bain, of Crieff, Perthshire, had recently been living with his 99-year-old mother. Brian McConnachie KC, for the defence, told the hearing: 'Around the time of the millennium, [Bain] accepted that his behaviour had been out of control and he was determined to put an end to it. 'He has given evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. He not only spoke about his own offending, but assisted with evidence of the culture that existed at the schools that he was involved with.' Sentencing, the judge said he had read a number of victim impact statements describing the 'terrible legacy' left by Bain's abuse. He said those men were left feeling 'alone and lost' as boys, thinking they would not be believed had they spoken out. Lord Young said: 'These children were entrusted by their parents to the schools. They ought to have been nurtured and educated in a safe environment. 'Instead, it seems that throughout your career as a teacher, you abused this position to pursue your own sexual deviances.' Bain remains on the sex offenders list. Fiona Kirkby, procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, said: 'William Bain is a prolific offender who repeatedly exploited his position of trust as a teacher to sexually abuse children in his care. He has now been held accountable and imprisoned for his depraved actions.'
Glasgow Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
There is nothing, though, that is in the slightest bit routine about the new owner of Dumbarton, the larger-than-life French-Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe. Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
The National
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
There is nothing, though, that is in the slightest bit routine about the new owner of Dumbarton, the larger-than-life French-Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe. Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
The National
14-06-2025
- Climate
- The National
Scotland weather: Met Office extends today's warning for thunderstorms
The warning now covers all areas below and is valid until 6pm today. England and Wales saw the major storm reach the county at around 10pm on Friday, as it now makes its way north. READ MORE: 'Show some respect': Scots hit out at Danish influencer for 'damaging' protected land Regions and local authorities affected: Central, Tayside and Fife Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee Falkirk Fife Perth and Kinross Stirling Grampian Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Highlands and Eilean Siar Highland North East England Darlington Durham Gateshead Hartlepool Middlesbrough Newcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside Northumberland Redcar and Cleveland South Tyneside Stockton-on-Tees Sunderland North West England Blackburn with Darwen Blackpool Cumbria Lancashire SW Scotland, Lothian Borders Dumfries and Galloway East Lothian Edinburgh Midlothian Council Scottish Borders West Lothian Strathclyde Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow Inverclyde North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire West Dunbartonshire Yorkshire & Humber North Yorkshire West Yorkshire York The Met Office said: "Areas of heavy and thundery rain continue to push northwards across the country, as shown in the latest radar sequence. So far there have been over 30,000 lightning strikes, the vast majority of which have been over the sea." Torrential downpours also hit land, causing significant flooding and disruption in Kent. Social media users reported mass blackouts as a result of the flooding. One X user posted: 'That storm was the worst one I've ever seen. 'This area really got a direct hit. So much flooding across the Dover/Deal area and so many homes without power.' Another said: 'I've not seen rain like we've had tonight in a very long time. 'Local roads flooded, people's windows and doors leaking, and undoubtedly, storm overflows will mean sewage spills into the sea.' Kent Police shut down the A256 in Tilmanstone, where one driver was seen sitting on the roof of their car after getting stuck in floodwater.
