Latest news with #Moir
Press and Journal
5 days ago
- Press and Journal
Moray ‘monster' serial rapist could face life sentence after breaching order
A serial rapist who flouted a strict sex offence order by contacting two women and a girl from behind bars could be facing a life sentence. Edward Moir was jailed for seven years in 2014 for attacking three vulnerable females in Elgin, Moray and Macduff. The 34 year-old – who once claimed to be a 'new kind of monster' – was made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in January 2023. He had been locked up again for sending what was described as a 'disgusting' letter to a woman while in jail for the rapes. These latest crimes then occurred while he was in HMP Edinburgh in 2024. Moir today appeared via video-link from prison at the High Court in Glasgow having admitted, at a hearing last month, three charges of breaching the SOPO. Lord Colbeck said a pre-sentencing report had assessed the rapist as remaining at a 'high-risk' of further sexual offending. The judge told Moir's lawyer Simon Gilbride: 'What concerns me is the apparent unwillingness to take part in the necessary courses within prison to address difficulties. 'It almost seems controlling like: 'I am only doing what I want to do'. 'This is a worry in the context of sexual offending.' Mr Gilbride accepted the report was 'concerning' and that he could not oppose a full risk assessment being carried out on Moir. This could eventually lead to a strict Order for Lifelong Restriction being imposed. The case was adjourned and a further hearing is to take place in Inverness on August 26. Prosecutor Vish Kathuria told the court last month how police and prison authorities became aware of phone contact which breached the terms of Moir's SOPO. Moir had been in touch with one woman dozens of times between March and June 2024. He had also been in contact with a five-year-old girl around that time. There had been nearly 30 calls to the number of another woman, which eventually led to her blocking him. Moir raped three women during attacks between 2010 and 2013. He was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen. In 2021, Moir was guilty of indecently communicating with a woman who he barely knew. In the letter, he asked her to be his 'secret lover'. Moir also chillingly stated prison had 'turned him into a new kind of monster'. The woman who received the letter was said to be 'absolutely disgusted' and contacted police.
The National
5 days ago
- General
- The National
Is Larkhall all that 'staunch'? Local historians say maybe not
With its caged-in green traffic lights and the world's only black Subway sandwich shop, Larkhall has long-held a reputation for being deeply anti-Catholic and pro-Unionist — local historians, however, want to set the record straight. Members of Larkhall Heritage Group spoke to The National about the town's history, its community spirit, and why they believe Larkhall's sectarian reputation may be unfair. READ MORE:£150m renewable energy site proposed for former coal terminal The history of Larkhall Helen Moir, head chairperson of the group and local historian, gave a brief overview of the town's history: 'Larkhall as we know it now really didn't come into being until the 18th century, around 1740, but when they were digging up the foundations to build the Asda they found evidence of habitation that went back 8000 years. 'What really made this town grow was the fact that Larkhall sits in the main Glasgow to Carlisle coach road.' Moir explained that Larkhall was initially a domestic weaving town, where families would work with looms in one room of a cottage and live in the other, but the discovery of a coal seam — like many towns in South Lanarkshire — was what really put it on the map, leading to an influx of new residents and the creation of both a cooperative and the Larkhall Victualling Society. Larkhall's victualling society, pictured above, was set up to provide essential goods and services at affordable prices for community members (Image: Larkhall Heritage Group) It was described by Moir as a place that has always been forward thinking, being an early adopter of a cooperative movement and having tram and train links by the early 20th century, but acknowledged the sectarian reputation it holds. 'It's always been a forward thinking wee village, and I know we get a reputation for sectarianism but that's not totally true — this group has studied Larkhall inside and out. 'There was a huge mix of Catholic and Protestant Irish people who came to the west of Scotland and settled in Larkhall, and local records show absolutely no evidence of sectarian violence.' Whilst still a predominantly 'Rangers' area, and being home to a historic Orange Lodge, Moir said that interest in Orange Walks had died down in recent years and stressed there is a thriving Catholic congregation in the area — as well as setting the record straight on the infamous red-white-and-blue railings. 'They were painted that colour for Queen Elizabeth's father's coronation and they just remained that colour — it wasn't a deliberate act," she explained, referencing how the fence was green prior to the coronation. She added: 'I think this all needs to be kind of put to bed now.' Shifting the focus Instead of Larkhall being known for its sectarian roots, Moir wants people to focus on the wealth of history the area has, the revival of train services following the Beeching cuts, its tight-knit and pro-active community, and the fact it still has a thriving high street amongst other things. READ MORE:Drivers to face permanent 20mph limits across Highlands 'We should talk about the fact there's been habitation here for thousands of years, talk about how Larkhall had advanced with trains, trams and all of its shops; it has always been a village that's moved on', she said. 'The aim of this group is to archive as much local history as possible and to present it and save it for generations to come, rather than talk about Rangers and Celtic and Orange Parades and all of that stuff. 'Since the trains were brought back, the town has expanded like many others. It brought investments, new houses and with that more folk. Anything that brings more diversity, more community spirit — that can only be a good thing, no matter the faith background.'
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Man locked in bitter war with neighbour as 160ft-long hedge ‘ruins' view of Donald Trump's Scottish golf course
He claims approximately 50 per cent of his window light is obstructed SHRUB SNUB Man locked in bitter war with neighbour as 160ft-long hedge 'ruins' view of Donald Trump's Scottish golf course Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN who claims a farmer's hedge has ruined his views of Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course has taken his fight to the government. Graeme Moir lives next to a farm owned by James Duthie on the outskirts of Foveran, Aberdeenshire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Mr Moir has claimed the hedge stops him seeing the Menie dunes Credit: PA 4 He insists the 10ft high and 160ft long hedge restricts light coming into his cottage Credit: Pressteam Scotland 4 He has turned to the Scottish Government to try and overturn the decision Credit: Pressteam Scotland 4 The golf course is owned by US President Donald Trump Credit: Getty Mr Moir has claimed the hedge stops him seeing the Menie dunes, the North Sea and the golf course owned by the US President. He also insists the 10ft high and 160ft long hedge restricts light coming into his cottage and causes him to have increased heating and lighting costs. Mr Moir went to Aberdeenshire Council under high hedge legislation in a bid to have it lopped but was left frustrated when the bid was rejected. He has now turned to the Scottish Government to try and overturn the decision. In a letter to the council, he said: "I have lived here for over 37 years. "We are on top of a hill with excellent views of the Menie dunes and Trump's golf course. "The hedge has formed a total block of light on my garden, especially my garage window and also my house. "It is ruining the enjoyment of my property as my garden is mostly in shade and the view I bought the house for is now only hedge or sky." Mr Moir told the council he would have 'no further complaint' if the hedge was cut to 6.5ft. He added: "Clearly the impact to the west of my property is currently approximately 50 percent of the window light is obstructed. "The horizon is a metre below the top of the hedge; therefore, I am of the opinion that my living condition is impacted. UK Government Pushes for Trump Turnberry to Host The Open to Woo President "This is exacerbated in the winter when the light is lower in the horizon and fails to reach above the hedge. This is reflected in my heating and lighting costs." Mr Duthie said the hedge had been planted as part of a scheme to reintroduce hedgerows in the countryside and could only be trimmed at certain times. He added: "The hedgerow scheme schedules place limitations on the work that can be done to the hedgerow; such as the time periods between trimming cuts, quantity of hedgerow that can be cut in one season and set dimensions for the cut all to encourage the hedgerow development as a diverse shelter and food supply for a range of animals, birds and insects." Rejecting the move, the council told Moir the impact of the hedge on his cottage was considered 'minimal' and did not 'adversely affect' his 'reasonable enjoyment' of the property. They added: "It is not deemed a significant barrier due to the height of the hedge, the size and configuration of the garden, the presence of existing structures within the applicant's garden, and the separation distance between the hedge and the nearest habitable room windows." A government reporter is expected to issue a decision in due course.
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury councillor blames subdivisions for making floods worse
There is concern that subdivisions are making flooding in parts of the Sewlyn district worse. As more land, which was once open farmland, gets replaced by roading and houses, more pressure is being put on the Selwyn district's drainage networks. Selwyn was recently plunged into a state of emergency as it was hit by two months of rainfall in 48 hours on ground already wet from heavy rain over Easter weekend. It led to bad flooding at Tai Tapu, Ladbrooks and Doyleston. Springs Ward Selwyn district councillor Grant Miller said people should expect this to be the new normal. 'The developers have been very good at building subdivisions, roads and stormwater plans to get the water in a pipe and to the river, but once it hits the river, there has been very little thought given to how to manage the increased water flows,' he said. Miller said two waterways particularly affected were the L II River, which runs from Lincoln out to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, and the Halswell River, which runs from Halswell through Tai Tapu and out to the lake. Since the earthquakes, Halswell and Lincoln have grown rapidly. Halswell has grown from an estimated population of 11,000 to 20,000, while Lincoln has grown from an estimated 3600 to 11,600. In Lincoln, another 2100 homes are expected to be built as part of Earlsbrook, formerly Lincoln South. In the subdivision plan, part of the land has been allocated for a wetland area which will feed into the L II. While tricky to link stormwater run-off from subdivisions, each hard surface such as a house has replaced what was once farmland, which would have drained naturally rather than via drains. Miller said in Tai Tapu where previously one pump would be needed to keep the township dry, five were needed during the rain event. Residents along part of Old Tai Tapu Rd also were asked to evacuate due to the rising Halswell River. Since the February 2011 earthquake, new homes must be built on technical category 1 land. This means in places like Lincoln developers have to strip the soil back and compact it so there is an impermeable layer, forcing water to run off via the stormwater network rather than through the soil. Environment Canterbury general manager of hazards Leigh Griffiths said there are no major upgrades to the Halswell drainage scheme planned, but it is investigating additional storage in the upper Halswell catchment to improve water management. 'Previous work in other areas has found that subdivisions don't significantly affect peak flood levels. However, they can increase the overall volume of water in the drainage network,' Griffiths said. L II Drainage Committee secretary Brian Moir said it was fortunate the L II had its weed cut before the storm, assisting flow. 'If we hadn't done that, it would have been chaos.' The L II river peaked at 11.761m3, which is about the most it can handle. Moir said when he was young the L II used to have silt removed by a drag line. While not to the same extent, Moir said some sort of silt removal could happen in sections over a five-year period. 'If it gets high because there is too much silt or weed in it, the high water level kills the grass on the banks, and when the water level drops, the banks fall, so we want to try and prevent that from happening.' District council head of operational delivery Gareth Morgan said it has recently engaged separate engineering consultants to re-survey the L II in order to understand its capacity, changes over time, and inform future development requests that may feed into or impact this network. Another issue that has increased is landowners being less co-operative about drain maintenance. Said Miller: 'What we are seeing is that your traditional Selwyn landowner was a farmer who understood the value of drainage and the need to maintain it. 'With the advent of lifestyle blocks, there is a proliferation of people who may not have the rural knowledge or don't understand the value of drainage, so they don't commit funds to maintaining their drains or allowing access to the council contractors to maintain their drains.' Also questioned during the flooding was whether Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere could have been opened earlier. Said Griffiths: 'A consultation group made up of organisations representing different interests gives advice on the potential opening. We will meet with this group within the next month to discuss lake management. For now, we are happy with how the process is managed.' In the group are Te Taumutu Rūnanga, the Department of Conservation, the Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora Rating District liaison committee, North Canterbury Fish and Game Council, Lake Ellesmere Commercial Fishermen, the district council, Christchurch City Council and the Waihora Ellesmere Trust.
The Courier
11-05-2025
- The Courier
Careless driver struck 'stumbling' pensioner after St Johnstone match in Perth
A Perthshire driver has admitted carelessly striking a pensioner with his 'big lump of a car' as fans left a St Johnstone match at McDiarmid Park. Robbie Bruce, of East Huntingtower, had his plea of guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving accepted after a trial at Forfar Sheriff Court. He struck James Moir, then aged 74, as the pensioner crossed the road near the bus stop at the B&Q on Crieff Road. Mr Moir was rushed to hospital after the collision with the three-litre Chrysler 300C Touring. He was treated for four broken ribs and a serious hand injury. Bruce, initially charged with causing serious injury by driving dangerously, had offered to plead guilty to the lesser offence before the jury was balloted. More than 3,300 fans were in attendance when St Johnstone beat Livingston 1-0 on April 2 in 2022 and many left McDiarmid Park on foot after the final whistle. Bruce had picked up his partner from Perth city centre and was driving home along Crieff Road when the collision occurred. She told jurors: 'There were cars coming around the roundabout. Robbie stopped. 'When it was clear to go, he went. 'This man stumbled onto the road. He fell into the car. 'There was lots of traffic, cars and pedestrians. 'I tried to get out the car. Somebody had opened all of the doors and was shouting. 'Robbie was getting dragged out the car.' Mr Moir was taken to Ninewells by ambulance, where he was found to have four fractured ribs and a fracture to the middle finger on his right hand. Both his hands and knees were cut and another cut to his head was cleansed and dressed. Three days later, he was taken into the operating theatre for exploration, washout, fixation and repair work to be carried out on his fractured finger. The injury required bony fixation – a procedure whereby bone fragments are realigned and held together with implants – and repair of soft tissue. He required more medical attention under local anaesthetic two weeks after that as the repair had begun 'tenting' and threatening to erupt the skin. Bruce's trial also heard from road traffic investigation consultant George Gilfillan, who later inspected the site. The former roads police officer said of the 24-year-old's Chrysler: 'I wouldn't describe it as a high performance car – in laymen's terms, it's a big lump of a car. 'From the information I've heard and the information I've read, Mr Moir's not been knocked down by this car, he's been on the ground when the car's come into contact with him. 'I think it's careless, overall.' Jurors were not ultimately asked to deliberate over the evidence, as following final defence witness Mr Gilfillan's evidence, Bruce's reduced guilty plea was accepted. He admitted he drove off at an excessive speed while surrounded by heavy pedestrian traffic and failed to observe Mr Moir crossing the road before colliding with him. The first offender will be sentenced in June after background reports have been compiled. Sheriff Mark Thorley disqualified him from driving in the meantime and told him: 'I'm not considering custody – it's alternatives I'm looking at.' In the days after the collision, a spokesperson for St Johnstone said: 'The family of the gentleman who was involved in the road traffic incident on Crieff Road after the game on Saturday have confirmed to us that although he has sustained serious injuries, he is in a stable condition in hospital. 'The family would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to all members of the public who offered their help and assistance. 'Everyone at the club would like to wish the man involved a speedy recovery.'
