Tackling threat, harm and risk

Significant court outcomes following police investigations
In March, a 25-year-old man was convicted of the murder of 62-year-old Douglas Struthers in Bo’ness in September 2022. Daniel Gauld was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment at the High Court in Edinburgh. This was an attack which affected the whole community and we want to thank the public for their support as our officers worked to get the justice the family of Mr Struthers deserved.
A man was also jailed for 12 years after being convicted of a series of domestic abuse offences in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas. 33-year-old Callum Gordon committed the crimes over an 11-year period from 2009 to 2020. The testimony of three women was crucial to building such a compelling case against him and this sends a clear message that domestic abuse, in any form, will not be tolerated.
In April, five men, aged between 32 and 60, were sentenced to a total of 31 years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to serious organised crime offences in Greenock. The group’s illegal activities were brought to light thanks to a protracted and complex investigation led by the Serious and Organised Crime Team working in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
We also saw 46-year-old Kevin Geoghegan sentenced to a minimum of 18 years imprisonment for murdering 24-year-old Peter Kirkwood, who died in Lanark in July 2022. Our thoughts remain with Peter’s family and hope this result has brought them some justice.
All of these cases illustrate the hard work that our officers put in over a number of months and years to deliver the justice that victims and families deserve.
Murder of Brian Low - Aberfeldy
Our officers continue to work in the community in Aberfeldy and the surrounding area to establish the circumstances around the murder of Brian Low, who was shot dead in February.
We are fully committed to tracing the person responsible as soon as possible, almost 500 properties have been visited and 2400 hours of CCTV footage are being examined, and we have detectives from our Major Investigations Teams across the country assisting local officers.
Murder of Jack Trainner – Port Glasgow
At the end of April, 27-year-old Jack Trainner died in Port Glasgow after being found with serious injuries.
An investigation was carried out and on Wednesday, 8 May, a 23-year-old man was arrested. The man subsequently appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court charged with murder and made no plea and no declaration.
Death of John Cairns – Shotts
On Thursday, 9 May, officers were called to a report of a man being found seriously injured at a property in Shotts, Lanarkshire. Emergency services attended and 24-year-old John Cairns was pronounced dead at the scene.
Last week, a 39-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the death of a man in Lanarkshire.
My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives. I know such incidents also have a significant impact on communities. I thank the communities for their support and assistance during investigations and the officers and staff involved.
Operation Branchform
A 59-year-old man was arrested and charged in April in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party. This is a significant point in what has been a complex and protracted investigation and enquiries remain ongoing.
Attempted murder charge – Paisley
On Monday, 6 May, 2024, a disturbance involving a weapon occurred following a collision involving a car and a stationary police vehicle on Glasgow Road in Paisley.
A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged and later appeared on petition charged with attempted murder, breach of the peace, road traffic offences and possession of an offensive weapon where he made no plea and no declaration.
Two officers were injured and treated by paramedics. Senior officers have been supporting colleagues who have been affected and welfare measures are in place to give our dedicated officers the support they need and deserve.
Cyber attack – NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Earlier this month, NHS Dumfries and Galloway advised that patient and staff data stolen during a cyber attack had been published.
Our specialist officers continue to investigate the attack and we are working with NHS Dumfries and Galloway and other partners, including the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Crime Agency and the Scottish Government, to provide relevant support and advice.