Latest news with #Finlay
The Courier
6 hours ago
- Health
- The Courier
Pupil sentenced for throwing teacher 'like ragdoll' in Dundee school
A Dundee school pupil who knocked his teacher unconscious and covered in blood has been given a community-based sentence. Keiran Matthew, 18, narrowly avoided inflicting life-threatening injuries on the woman during an explosive outburst at St Paul's Academy. After throwing her on a concrete floor 'like a ragdoll', Matthew put his feet up on a teacher's desk and said: 'The stupid cow deserved it.' She has now been left with an 'obvious and permanent' scar and is terrified to return to work. Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith: 'It's difficult for me doing this job everyday to imagine a more serious assault than this particular assault having regard to the consequences of your attack.' Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Matthew, who has diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a learning difficulty, had refused to get changed separately from other pupils before PE. He was described as 'heightened' and 'agitated' before attacking the teacher, who it was claimed was a 'safe' person for the then-S5 pupil. Matthew – who was educated outside the mainstream system – returned to the dock following the preparation of social work reports with solicitor Theo Finlay previously tendering an extensive, clinical psychological report. The lawyer said: 'He appears to be experiencing signs of complex trauma in relation to early childhood experiences. 'The explanation of not being allowed to enter the changing rooms had feelings of unfairness. 'He described becoming agitated that the teacher moved others away which made him feel more agitated and singled out.' Mr Finlay said it was to the 'everlasting dismay' of Matthew's foster mum that she was not contacted to pick him up after he became agitated, which she had done three days earlier. Reference was made to signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in Matthew as well as cognitive impairment, autism, suffering from nightmares and years of involvement with the childhood mental health team. 'He could not cope with custody and there would be a real likelihood of a significant breakdown of his mental health,' Mr Finlay added. Prosecutor Laura Bruce previously described how the teacher was attacked. 'She recalls him gripping her in a rugby-style grip with her arms pinned to her sides and the next thing she felt was the horrific impact of her head striking the floor. 'The accused sat at a teacher's desk, with his feet on the desk and using his mobile phone. 'He told a teacher 'Sir, it wasn't an outburst of anger – she deserved it'.' He later banged on the desk and said: 'The stupid cow deserved it.' A plastic surgeon later determined the assault could have been life-threatening. After being cautioned and charged, Matthew, of Dundee, replied: 'I am sorry,' and later told a social worker he wished he could turn back time. Matthew pled guilty to seizing the teacher's neck and body, throwing her to the floor, causing her to strike her head and be rendered unconscious. He admitted the assault was to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and the danger of her life. Sheriff Niven-Smith held up the photograph showing the teacher's injury while addressing Matthew. The sheriff said: 'It's not over-egging the pudding to say your attack on her has affected her life in every aspect. 'The photos that I have been provided of your teacher, she has an extensive, significant scar on her head. 'You caused that by your actions. You have permanently marked her head for the rest of her life.' The court heard the woman's confidence has been 'extremely' affected and experiences night terrors. 'She was your safe person and a safe place for you to seek sanctuary if you felt overwhelmed,' the sheriff added. 'She has dedicated her life to support people such as you who are vulnerable school children.' As an alternative to custody, Matthew was placed on supervision for three years with a mentoring programme requirement along with an associated anger management requirement. He is also subject to a restriction of liberty order (9pm until 7am) for 12 months. The sheriff said he took account of Matthew's age, lack of previous convictions and reduced culpability in reaching the community-based disposal.
The Courier
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Dundee's kilted yoga star marks 5 years since 'joyous' garden wedding with a difference
Kilted yoga star Finlay Wilson is deliriously happy. He's just marked five years of marriage to the love-of-his-life, fellow yoga teacher Alan Lambie. 'We're both each other's favourite person,' beams Finlay, 38. 'We laugh riotously on a daily basis.' The couple are fresh back from a trip to Italy – but haven't yet had a chance to celebrate their anniversary with friends and family. Finlay, who lives in Dundee's West End, became known globally as the 'kilted yogi' after performing cheeky tartan-clad exercise routines in social media clips that went viral. He and Alan, 46, had planned to get married on June 7, 2020, to mark the anniversary of their engagement – when Finlay proposed during a Pride parade in Washington DC in 2019. But thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, they feared they would be forced to cancel. That was until RuPaul's Drag race star Michelle Visage stepped in to save the day. Ultimately, she enabled the couple to tie the knot during a virtual ceremony that was slap, bang in the middle of the pandemic – on May 29, 2020. It was a wedding with a difference, thrown together quickly with bits and bobs from B&Q and on a seriously tight budget. Finlay, who runs Heart Space Yoga & Bodyworks on Scott Street, takes up the story. 'We'd been doing loads of work on our garden and hoped to use it as our wedding venue, with around 30 to 40 guests in an intimate ceremony,' he says. 'We were really disappointed when we thought we'd have to cancel and posted on Instagram.' The post attracted loads of attention, and fans suggested Finlay and Alan contact Michelle Visage – who was offering her services as an ordained minister to marry couples. 'We thought, och, it's never going to happen, but we sent an email anyway,' says Finlay. 'They came back, and were like, yeah, let's do it.' It was a frantic dash to get everything organised. Pandemic rules meant there were few places you could go, so the couple dressed their house for the wedding from B&Q. 'The day before the wedding, we queued up outside B&Q so we could get stones to make our front path – the aisle – look nicer,' recalls Finlay. 'It was a budget wedding. We only had 36 hours to get everything together. 'One of our friends is a baker who had a cancelled wedding cake that he rapidly re-iced for us. 'We also managed to convince the florist up the road, which wasn't technically open, to put some bits together for us. 'Our neighbours were amazing, too, putting out plants, flowers, bunting and balloons, and using rose petals as confetti. It was very boujee.' The rules only allowed Finlay and Alan – plus two close friends – in the garden during the ceremony. But neighbours stood on stepladders to celebrate over the garden wall, and folk on the street looked in, too. 'It was great to see people in their glad rags, smiling and laughing, despite the 2m distance,' says Finlay. 'Our families were on Zoom. My family dressed up but my dad didn't quite believe what was happening, so he was wearing a running vest! He stood out like a sore thumb. 'And I swear my mum didn't think it was real because she wasn't there in person.' Finlay and Alan cut each other's hair and cobbled together clothes they found in their wardrobes. Thankfully, there was no shortage of kilts. Another highlight was when two kids Finlay had taught yoga piped the couple down the aisle. 'There were lots of really sweet moments,' he muses. 'After the ceremony we went down the street to Magdalen Green for the party bit. 'We had our first dance in the bandstand. Our friend, Farrah Fawcett, brought her violin and played her version of Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head by request.' Finlay's twin brother, Alastair, took the wedding photos, which Finlay describes as 'really joyous'. Michelle, who was in LA, conducted proceedings via a tablet on a stick in her garden. The wedding featured on her BBC programme How's Your Head, Hun? a few weeks later. And the star, who sent Alan and Finlay a framed wedding certificate, messages to congratulate them every anniversary. However, the couple's dreams of a transatlantic honeymoon were foiled by the 'traffic light' travel system. It was a year before they had a 'mini-trip' to Lanzarote. 'We treated that as 'honeymoon part one', and then went to Mexico not long after,' says Finlay. So, to 2025 and five years on from the big day, have they marked their fifth anniversary yet? 'We're in talks with our family about that because they never had a party for the actual wedding!' says Finlay. 'I don't think Alan and I going out for breakfast on our anniversary cut the mustard. 'But for us, going to Naples was convenient timing. We were both like, 'gosh, how the heck is it five years?'' The couple have been together eight years, having met in Edinburgh when Finlay was teaching a yoga workshop. Finlay jokes that he 'poached' Alan for Dundee: he's originally from West Lothian. Finlay reckons the ritual of sitting down to eat together has huge significance. 'We do have different interests but we really centre our days around meals. 'We eat three meals a day together. And I prepare all of our meals. That gives us a lot of time together. 'When I hear of other couples that have separate dinners at different times, I'm like, 'oooh'. 'We've also got a dog to walk – and we're just really fond of each other's company.'+ So how has life change in the five years since they got married? Finlay laughs. 'We're older and more in bits! That's from doing a physical job. 'Other than that, I don't think much has changed. We didn't stop working during the pandemic. We were either teaching online, or when possible, in person. 'The pandemic didn't change our day-to-day lifestyle. If anything we got closer because we're both each other's favourite person. 'We're really close. We laugh riotously every day.' Would the couple consider adopting? 'Woah, no,' says Finlay. 'Because I teach kids, I'm more than happy to have them for 45 minutes and hand them back! 'I have an identical twin brother who has three kids, so genetically that's as close as I really need to get to children.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
New Perthshire Covid memorial hoped to spark reflection
Finlay told The Herald about his vision for the new memorial, which drew on the folly tradition that can be seen throughout Highland Perthshire. He pointed to sites like The Hermitage near Dunkeld as key sources of inspiration. 'Follies', which are ornamental structures which have been designed to evoke historical buildings or scenic landscapes, were common in the 18th and 19th centuries at estates across the UK. 'In one way I thought I was done with Covid, but then I met the team planning the memorial in Perthshire', Finlay said. 'There's a proud tradition of capturing these scenic Highland themes on 'follies', of seeing the wild as beautiful. 'This inspired me to make a contemporary response to the Perthshire tradition. I wanted to create a space that doesn't insist on the event of Covid, but encourages people to reflect and remember.' The 'folly' tradition inspired Finlay's work. (Image: Alec Finlay) The memorial consists of a series of trellises which are designed to evoke five mountain skylines: Schiehallion, Farragon Hill, Meall Tairneachan, Ben Vrackie, and Beinn a' Ghlò. Finlay told The Herald: 'It's a space for people affected by Covid, and it also reflects how the past of Castle Menzies is being renewed. Through our work, we were able to enlarge an existing historical garden and give it a new sense of purpose.' 'The artwork itself is made of larch, which is the most well-known type of tree in Highland Perthshire.' More on Covid-19 remembrance COVID-19 'Day of Reflection' to be held to mark five years since pandemic Five lives, five years: How Covid changed Scotland forever "Robert Carlyle broke down. I did too." Alec Finlay on making Scotland's Covid Memorial How Scotland's Covid Memorial is beginning to help heal Originally built in the 1500s, Castle Menzies was restored by the Menzies Clan Society during the 20th century. As part of the installation, five cherry trees were planted on the grounds of the castle, the first step in restoring a historic orchard which was planted on the site. While the site has been open since last summer, Finlay wanted to take time to celebrate the community behind the memorial. A small ceremony was held on the 18th of May at the castle. 'We collected memories from people using the simple formula 'I remember', and read those out at the ceremony', Finlay said. 'We then buried them in a wooden kist with white roses.' Roses were buried atop a wooden kist (Image: George Logan).Several speakers read poems and memoires at the event; including Finlay, Edinburgh-based poet Ken Cockburn, and Perthshire author Morag Anderson. Finlay contracted Covid the week before lockdown began and still suffers from Long Covid. He says his artwork helps to keep the issue at the forefront of the public's imagination. 'I'll never forget the two million people who were changed by Covid', he said. 'The government has not done enough. 'We need to come to terms with the trauma. This can take the form of works of art and fiction.' Finlay worked alongside The Herald and other stakeholders to create Scotland's Covid memorial in Pollok Country Park, which was completed in the spring of 2023. Herald readers raised more than £240,000 in support of the memorial, which was backed by the Scottish Government and leading entrepreneurs Sir Tom Hunter and Lord Willie Haughey. Members of the public gathered at the event. (Image: George Logan) The memorial, which consists of 40 'rune-like' wooden tree supports lined along a woodland path, is intended to serve as a space for solace and quiet contemplation. Finlay and his team solicited 'I remember' statements from members of the public, asking them to recall moments and memories of their loved ones. At the time, he said: 'My inbox has been like a burn flowing and then, some days, there are waterfalls, where it fills up. 'Each person's memory helps to make the individual experience of the pandemic real – sometimes tragic personal losses are expressed in simple almost mundane memories, which are moving – bad Dad jokes, shared walks, the texture of a wall – while others strike to the heart – the fears we've all sometimes felt, a son lost too early, a beloved mum now gone.' Five years have passed since the pandemic began, and while many have moved on with their lives, Finlay says it is imperative that people do not forget what happened. He notes: 'We're still within the shadow of the pandemic. The beauty of art is that it can bring that time back into public discourse. 'It's like living through a war. We are now in the post-war reconstruction period, and it's going very poorly.' Indeed, for those who have experienced Long Covid, or the death of a loved one, or the various issues caused by social isolation, the trauma is far from being reconstructed. Finlay hopes that his work can give voice to these individuals, and play a part, no matter how small, in helping them heal.
North Wales Chronicle
15-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Smacking ban is needed to protect children, health experts say
Experts from a number of medical specialties, including children's doctors and psychiatrists, said that decades of research shows the 'detrimental effects of physical punishment'. According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is 'reasonable punishment', and this is judged on a case-by-case basis. But experts said these laws are 'vague and dangerous'. Now 13 health organisations are calling on the Government to back an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would remove the 'reasonable punishment' defence from law in England. They said that the Bill reaching committee stage in the House of Lords is a 'pivotal moment' in the smacking ban campaign. Baroness Finlay has proposed an amendment to eliminate the 'reasonable punishment' defence. In an open letter, the organisations said this defence is 'archaic' and 'allows for the physical punishment of children'. 'This leaves them with less protection from assault than adults, an unacceptable disparity in our modern society,' they wrote. 'The evidence is clear: physical punishment is harmful, ineffective, and has no place in a society that values the well-being of its children.' The organisations called on the Government to 'stand on the side of our children and ensure their fundamental right to safety and protection', adding: 'By removing this archaic defence, we can send a clear message that violence against children is never acceptable.' Professor Andrew Rowland, child protection officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a consultant paediatrician, said: 'There is now strong agreement from health and social care professionals that the current laws around physical punishment of children, including smacking, are unjust, vague and ultimately dangerous. 'It is time to bring protection from physical assault for children in line with the protection afforded to adults. 'Every child deserves the best possible start to life, and eradicating physical punishment of children is a key part of that aim.' Dr Elaine Lockhart, head of the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, added: 'The physical punishment of children is not just cruel, it is dangerous: the practice has been shown to be detrimental to children's mental health and leads to poor developmental outcomes.' Dr Tamasin Knight, from the British Medical Association's public health medicine committee, added: 'We believe that children should have full legal protection from all forms of physical punishment.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'The landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation. 'This government has prioritised significant reform of the children's social care system, driving better child protection and information sharing between education, health, and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks. 'While we are looking closely at the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to smacking, we have no plans to legislate at this stage. 'This government is committed, through our Plan for Change, to ensure children growing up in our country get the best start in life.' The full list of signatories on the letter are: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; Faculty of Public Health; Royal Society of Medicine; School and Public Health Nurses Association; Institute of Health Promotion and Education; Institute of Health Visitors; Royal Society for Public Health; British Association for Child and Adolescent Public Health; British Medical Association; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Aldey Hey Hospital Charity; Alliance 4 Children and Barnardo's.
Rhyl Journal
15-05-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Smacking ban is needed to protect children, health experts say
Experts from a number of medical specialties, including children's doctors and psychiatrists, said that decades of research shows the 'detrimental effects of physical punishment'. According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is 'reasonable punishment', and this is judged on a case-by-case basis. But experts said these laws are 'vague and dangerous'. Now 13 health organisations are calling on the Government to back an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would remove the 'reasonable punishment' defence from law in England. They said that the Bill reaching committee stage in the House of Lords is a 'pivotal moment' in the smacking ban campaign. Baroness Finlay has proposed an amendment to eliminate the 'reasonable punishment' defence. In an open letter, the organisations said this defence is 'archaic' and 'allows for the physical punishment of children'. 'This leaves them with less protection from assault than adults, an unacceptable disparity in our modern society,' they wrote. 'The evidence is clear: physical punishment is harmful, ineffective, and has no place in a society that values the well-being of its children.' The organisations called on the Government to 'stand on the side of our children and ensure their fundamental right to safety and protection', adding: 'By removing this archaic defence, we can send a clear message that violence against children is never acceptable.' Professor Andrew Rowland, child protection officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a consultant paediatrician, said: 'There is now strong agreement from health and social care professionals that the current laws around physical punishment of children, including smacking, are unjust, vague and ultimately dangerous. 'It is time to bring protection from physical assault for children in line with the protection afforded to adults. 'Every child deserves the best possible start to life, and eradicating physical punishment of children is a key part of that aim.' Dr Elaine Lockhart, head of the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, added: 'The physical punishment of children is not just cruel, it is dangerous: the practice has been shown to be detrimental to children's mental health and leads to poor developmental outcomes.' Dr Tamasin Knight, from the British Medical Association's public health medicine committee, added: 'We believe that children should have full legal protection from all forms of physical punishment.' The full list of signatories on the letter are: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; Faculty of Public Health; Royal Society of Medicine; School and Public Health Nurses Association; Institute of Health Promotion and Education; Institute of Health Visitors; Royal Society for Public Health; British Association for Child and Adolescent Public Health; British Medical Association; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Aldey Hey Hospital Charity; Alliance 4 Children and Barnardo's. The Government has been approached for comment.
