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Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
Heroin dealers fined just £499 as punishment for Scotland's mounting drug deaths
The Sunday Mail can reveal the shockingly lenient punishments being handed out despite 1065 fatalities last year - the highest of any European country. Heroin dealers are receiving average court fine of just £499 despite Scotland's drug deaths epidemic, we can reveal. The shockingly lenient punishments are being handed out despite 1065 fatalities last year - the highest of any European country. Meanwhile less than a third of those convicted of dealing offences receive a jail sentence according to official figures. Bereaved families along with politicians and campaigners have reacted furiously and demanded custodial sentences for dealers. Linda McVean, whose son Frankie died of an overdose, has demanded prison for heroin dealers while Lib Dem MSP Jamie Greene branded the puny penalties 'pocket change'. Linda, 56, lost her son Frankie after he dabbling with the drugs while staying at a homeless hostel. She later bought illegal street valium herself to show how pushers were operating with impunity. Linda said: 'I will never get over Frankie's death, it will stay with me forever and it makes me sick to think these dealers are being allowed to sell these deadly drugs more or less openly. 'Drug addicts need to be treated with compassion but the dealers are selling death and misery and should face jail. 'If you walk through the city centre of Glasgow you can see deals being carried out in front of your eyes on street corners and it is unacceptable. 'This is an industry that makes millions of pounds for the people at the top - meanwhile thousands of users who end up hooked are dying. 'How do you possibly think that a fine of less than £500 is going to put anyone off, it is ridiculous, they can make that back in a day. 'The police and the courts and the government all have a responsibility to make clear that there will be consequences for drug dealing and that it will result in a custodial sentence.' Linda paid £10 on Glasgow's Argyle Street for 28 street valium pills months after Frankie died in May 2023. She then made a report to Police Scotland, telling detectives she was disgusted the trade in drugs was allowed to go on in full view of shoppers. When Linda bought the drugs close to Glasgow's Central Station, she told the dealer: 'These are the same pills that killed my son. You should be ashamed of yourself.' Linda, from Penilee, Glasgow, added: 'At every level this trade is being allowed to continue despite people dying every day. 'It is ruining thousands of lives, there are families behind every one of these drug deaths who will never get over the grief of losing their child or brother or sister, it is utterly tragic. 'The people responsible for selling drugs need to take responsibility for their actions but that is never going to happen if they are more or less walking free from court even after a conviction.' Frankie, 30, died while staying at the Queens Park Hotel in Glasgow, where several lives have been claimed by drugs. He was not an addict when he entered the homeless accommodation but dabbled with pills believed to have been sold by low level dealers. His was one of a cluster of deaths at the hotel and Glasgow's Rennie Mackintosh Station Hotel. Liberal Democrat MSP Greene said: 'Communities are only too familiar with the damage that drug dealers can do to vulnerable people. 'Given the vast profits and immense misery that heroin can generate, it seems strange that the punishment is a monetary fine of a sum that major players in the drugs business will treat as pocket change. 'Not only that but the punishments for different drugs feel totally arbitrary. The law acts like there's little difference in the harm caused by drugs like heroin and the harm caused by something as common as cannabis.' The average penalty for possessing heroin with intent to supply was just £499 in 2022-23 - similar to the typical fine for dealing cannabis of £485 and £503 for ecstasy. For cocaine dealing the figure was £719. Opioids like heroin are responsible for up to 80 per cent of the nation's overdose deaths, with 1065 suspected drugs deaths in Scotland last year. Drugs campaigner Annemarie Ward, of charity Faces and Voices of Recovery UK, branded the average fines for dealing as the 'effective decriminalisation' of illicit substances. She said: 'When dealers for huge criminal gangs who are making millions, arguably billions of pounds in Scotland are getting fined 500 quid, that's effectively decriminalisation. 'This push and the language we have around decriminalisation, as taking a 'public health approach' and a 'compassionate approach', is rhetoric and posturing and it's a farce.' Ward, who says Scotland's focus on harm reduction measures like Glasgow's safe injecting facility has come at the expense of drugs rehabilitation and prevention, added: 'Perhaps a new government in 2026 will tackle this with more balance.' The Scottish Government has stated it wants drug possession to no longer be a criminal offence, although this would require Westminster to change the law. Drug dealing would continue to be a crime under its proposals. Convicted drug pushers can face jail, a community sentence or a financial penalty, or a combination under the Scottish justice system. Some 1489 Scots were successfully prosecuted for drugs possession with intent to supply as their main offence in 2022-23, the latest year for which data is available. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Data shows the rate of dealers being locked up has fallen from 54 per cent in 2013-14 to 29 per cent in the most recent year - or around 400 criminals. Around 800 of cases (54 per cent) end in a community sentence instead, up from 37 per cent a decade ago. And in more than 200 (17 per cent) of dealing cases - including for supplying dangerous Class A drugs like heroin - a fine is the main penalty. In recent weeks, we've highlighted the rise of synthetic opioids called nitazenes being cut into street heroin. One superstrong substance, dubbed 'pyro', has already been linked to dozens of heroin deaths this year. It's raised fears that after a slight improvement in the rate of deaths, Scotland's drugs epidemic - still the worst in Europe - could spiral again. Last week, one recovering drug user told how dealers get off 'scot free' even when a contaminated batch of heroin causes a spate of deaths. The dad in his 30s, from Glasgow, said: 'It's going completely under the radar. 'It's incredibly common across the whole UK for one place to get a strong batch then a bunch of folk die, the dealers go into hiding for a bit but no one ever knows because generally families don't want to talk about it… when things have calmed down the cycle repeats.' The Scottish Government said it 'takes the issue of drug dealing very seriously' and that it is 'determined to tackle drug harms'. A spokesman added: 'Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts, taking into account all the facts and circumstances before them.'
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Be fearless and enter the Sunday Mail Transurban Bridge to Brisbane
More than 50 people of all abilities will tackle The Sunday Mail Transurban Bridge to Brisbane for team FEARLSS Coaching. Qualified personal trainer Jacinta Robinson, who founded Fearless Coaching, said it brought her 'so much joy' to see her clients cross the finish line with smiles on their faces. She said her best tip was to make running the whole course non-sop a 'non-negotiable agreement with yourself'. 'Keep running, even if you jog really slowly, almost like jogging on the spot. If that's your goal then don't focus too much on your pace; look around & enjoy the sights & sounds of the race … and keep running,' Ms Robinson said. An estimated 35,000 people will run, jog, walk and wheel along Brisbane streets, bridges and iconic landmarks on September 14. The Sunday Mail Editor Melanie Pilling said the 2024 event sold out and urged Queenslanders to get in early to secure their spot at the starting line. 'The Sunday Mail Transurban Bridge to Brisbane is one of this city's most loved and people of all ages, abilities and aspirations,' Ms Pilling said. 'It inspires an incredible sense of camaraderie on the course and in our communities, while helping to raise funds for more than 300 charities and community groups across Queensland.'
Edinburgh Live
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman living in war torn country fears 'start of World War III'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh woman living under daily bombardment in Tel Aviv in Israel fears Benjamin Netanyahu's strikes on Iran could lead to World War III. Danielle Bett, a Scottish-Israeli who was born in the capital, is an opponent of the Israeli PM's 'horrific' military action in Gaza, has said she worried the country's reputation could be tarnished forever. The 35-year-old, who now lives in the Ramat Gan area, said residents were struggling to cope with their 'dystopian' new lives after Netanyahu plunged the nation into a war against Iran on June 13, reports The Sunday Mail. She spoke of local businesses shuttered up and nightly trips to bomb shelters as an unprecedented barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles rain down on her community. Our sister publication, the Sunday Mail, spoke to Danielle on Thursday, June 19, just hours after a missile strike injured dozens of people in a business district close to her home. Danielle, who works for a pro-peace Jewish charity and has taken part in protests against the assault on Gaza, said: 'It hasn't been a fun week. People are just incredibly exhausted. 'Obviously, this is a country that has gotten quite used to rounds of war and bomb shelters and whatever else, but this is one of the heavier bombardments of bigger missiles that we've had to deal with. "It's a lot scarier. Most nights, you're having to wake up once or twice or more, between 11pm and first thing in the morning. "And the actual bombings themselves are quite terrifying. You can hear very loud explosions from within the bomb shelter, and often you can hear the building shaking, even if it's a kilometre or more away. 'Already Netanyahu has left a pretty terrible legacy for this country, not just in terms of what has been done to Palestinians and the wider region but everything that's happened with democracy in this country. 'Democratic institutions have been worn down by his government and his willingness to legitimise the far-right and bring them into power. It's important to remember the difference between him and his government and ordinary civilians just trying to get through the day. 'We can't pick and choose when it comes to human lives, who we see as innocent when it comes to civilians, be it a hospital in Gaza or a hospital in Israel. 'We're so concerned with who are the bad guys and who are not that we've stopped separating governments who actually have the power and responsibility from populations. 'In this region, that's become incredibly dehumanising.' Danielle questioned Netanyahu's motives in escalating the Iran conflict at a time when he faces corruption charges and unpopularity at home. She added: 'It is both true - and it is true - that Iran is a serious threat and also that there are very big question over the current Israeli leadership. 'In the war in Gaza, Netanyahu has proven himself to be inadequate and unable to save the Israeli hostages who are still there. 'I can't say, even with the threat of Iran, that I can put my faith in what I see as a very dangerous leadership. 'Unfortunately, the same goes for Trump's interventions and his comments which have been so unclear.' Danielle, who is active on X as @daniellebett in opposing war and civilian suffering in the Middle East, added she was wary of any direct Western military involvement - including from Keir Starmer's UK Government. She said: 'I definitely have concerns about US involvement. 'We need to know if their end game is to reach a diplomatic resolution with Iran with regards to the nuclear programme, or if this is going to spill over into a regional war, or indeed, a global war. 'The level of instability in this region really needs to be taken into account. I'm very wary of this escalating without knowing what the plan is. 'Clearly, Iran is also a concern for the UK and others in Europe. "When it comes to helping with defence, defending civilians from missile launches which the UK has helped with in the past, that's one thing I would put support behind. I think protecting civilians on the ground is the most important thing, not just for us but for everyone. "But diplomacy is always the thing that's brought us the most security… that is what brings us safety, not war."
Daily Record
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Scottish-Israeli citizen speaks out on 'dystopian' life in Tel Aviv amid missile strikes
Edinburgh-born Danielle Bet told of local firms shuttered and nightly trips to bomb shelters amid unprecedented barrages from Iranian ballistic missiles. A Scottish- Israeli living under daily bombardment in Tel Aviv fears Benjamin Netanyahu's strikes on Iran could lead to World War III. Edinburgh-born Danielle Bett, an opponent of the Israeli PM's 'horrific' military action in Gaza, said she worried the country's reputation could be tarnished forever. The 35-year-old, who lives in the Ramat Gan area, said residents were struggling to cope with their 'dystopian' new lives after Netanyahu plunged the nation into war against Iran on June 13. She told of local firms shuttered and nightly trips to bomb shelters amid unprecedented barrages from Iranian ballistic missiles. The Sunday Mail spoke to Danielle on Thursday hours after a missile strike injured dozens of people in a business district close to her home. Danielle, who works for a pro-peace Jewish charity and has taken part in protests against the assault on Gaza, said: 'It hasn't been a fun week. People are just incredibly exhausted. 'Obviously, this is a country that has gotten quite used to rounds of war and bomb shelters and whatever else, but this is one of the heavier bombardments of bigger missiles that we've had to deal with. "It's a lot scarier. Most nights, you're having to wake up once or twice or more, between 11pm and first thing in the morning. "And the actual bombings themselves are quite terrifying. You can hear very loud explosions from within the bomb shelter, and often you can hear the building shaking, even if it's a kilometre or more away. 'Already Netanyahu has left a pretty terrible legacy for this country, not just in terms of what has been done to Palestinians and the wider region but everything that's happened with democracy in this country. 'Democratic institutions have been worn down by his government and his willingness to legitimise the far-right and bring them into power. It's important to remember the difference between him and his government and ordinary civilians just trying to get through the day. 'We can't pick and choose when it comes to human lives, who we see as innocent when it comes to civilians, be it a hospital in Gaza or a hospital in Israel. 'We're so concerned with who are the bad guys and who are not that we've stopped separating governments who actually have the power and responsibility from populations. 'In this region, that's become incredibly dehumanising.' Danielle questioned Netanyahu's motives in escalating the Iran conflict at a time when he faces corruption charges and unpopularity at home. She added: 'It is both true - and it is true - that Iran is a serious threat and also that there are very big question over the current Israeli leadership. 'In the war in Gaza, Netanyahu has proven himself to be inadequate and unable to save the Israeli hostages who are still there. 'I can't say, even with the threat of Iran, that I can put my faith in what I see as a very dangerous leadership. 'Unfortunately, the same goes for Trump's interventions and his comments which have been so unclear.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Danielle, who is active on X as @daniellebett in opposing war and civilian suffering in the Middle East, added she was wary of any direct Western military involvement - including from Keir Starmer's UK Government. She said: 'I definitely have concerns about US involvement. 'We need to know if their end game is to reach a diplomatic resolution with Iran with regards to the nuclear programme, or if this is going to spill over into a regional war, or indeed, a global war. 'The level of instability in this region really needs to be taken into account. I'm very wary of this escalating without knowing what the plan is. 'Clearly, Iran is also a concern for the UK and others in Europe. "When it comes to helping with defence, defending civilians from missile launches which the UK has helped with in the past, that's one thing I would put support behind. I think protecting civilians on the ground is the most important thing, not just for us but for everyone. "But diplomacy is always the thing that's brought us the most security… that is what brings us safety, not war."
Daily Record
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Demands for cops to investigate deaths of hundreds of babies across Scotland
Campaigners are concerned about the number of newborns dying in maternity units and have called for urgent action. Police are facing demands to investigate the deaths of hundreds of babies across Scotland. The Sunday Mail has learned campaigners reported concerns about the number of newborns dying in maternity units and have called for urgent action. But Police Scotland insists it has 'noted' the concerns, but has so far refused to open a formal investigation. It comes as forces in England are currently probing the deaths of hundreds of babies at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust after a review found catastrophic failings. Scottish campaign group ASAP-NHS, led by former Crown prosecutor for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Roger Livermore, contacted Police Scotland in February over their concerns about baby death rates in Scotland. Recent figures show about 500 babies have died since 2019, with health boards paying compensation in 131 cases of baby death or injury. The total compensation bill in the last five years is more than £74million with about a third of that being paid out by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Livermore said: 'We have been very concerned about the large number of babies dying unnecessarily and unlawfully all over Scotland. We have reported them to the police and Lord Advocate but no effective action has been taken. 'There are major problems in maternity services across all parts of the UK. Current scandals in England are being investigated by the police. Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain has held a very small number of fatal accident inquiries on the situation at individual health boards. This is not sufficient. 'Overarching law requires that deaths must be handled and investigated by a person and body independent of government – not a member of it. In the rest of the UK this is the HM Coroner system.' Livermore said he was concerned that Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the NHS watchdog in Scotland, had never carried out maternity unit inspections before this year. He said that reviews into serious incidents which have resulted in death or harm to patients, known as serious adverse event reviews, are also not being routinely published. He said: 'Frontline staff such as midwives are aware of the problems and have already raised concerns about the situation across the country. The internal reports, when they are forced out of NHS boards under Freedom of Information, show that the same problems are endlessly repeated. Lessons are not learnt. The public are totally kept in the dark.' As previously reported by the Sunday Mail, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was rapped by health watchdogs after it emerged hundreds of serious adverse event reviews had not been carried out, years after the incidents had happened. The health board recorded more than 1000 'Category 1 significant adverse events' that may have contributed to or resulted in permanent harm or death of patients in the last five years. Police Scotland said that it had received the report but was not planning on taking any action. The force said: 'There is no police investigation into baby deaths at Scottish maternity units.' Between January and October last year, 262 incidents were recorded with just 14 reviews completed at all, and just one within the 90-day timescale. In 2017, NHS Ayrshire and Arran was criticised over the 'unnecessary' deaths of six babies at Crosshouse hospital, with staff shortages affecting patient care. In 2018, Freya Murphy died at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after medics failed to notice she was being starved of oxygen during delivery. An FAI found staffing levels were an issue.
