Tackling threat, harm and risk

Death of Brian Low – Aberfeldy

On Thursday, 23 May, a man was arrested in connection with the death of 65-year-old Brian Low. The man, aged 75, subsequently appeared in private at Perth Sheriff Court charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Mr Low's body was discovered in the Pitllie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, around 8.30am on Saturday, 17 February, 2024. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Our officers have been working tirelessly in what has been a protracted investigation examining 2400 hours of CCTV and visiting almost 500 properties in the area.

Death of Kory McCrimmon

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of 16-year-old Kory McCrimmon following a disturbance at Greenfield Park in the Cranhill area of Glasgow around 8.15pm on Friday, 31 May, 2024.
Kory McCrimmon was seriously injured and taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he died on the afternoon of Sunday, 2 June, 2024.
Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and our thoughts very much remain with the family of Kory at this unimaginable time.

Significant court outcomes for sexual crimes

A 61-year-old man pled guilty to the serious sexual assault of a child and possession of indecent images of children. The man, who lives in Thailand but is originally from Dunfermline, pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, 11 June.
Specialist officers from the National Child Abuse Investigations Unit carried out this enquiry which also established the man had also sexually assaulted a young girl in Thailand.
Officers were able to pursue him under legislation which protects children anywhere in the world from sexual abuse by British nationals. This outcome underlines our commitment to protecting children by relentlessly pursuing individuals who carry out these heinous crimes.
Steven McMath, aged 24, was sentenced to five years imprisonment on Thursday, 23 May for sexual offences against two women in the Dumfries area. He was previously found guilty of rape and sexual assault charges following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in April this year.
On Tuesday, 28 May, Clifford Hodgkins, 42, was jailed for 12 years for serious sexual offences in Perthshire between September 2020 and January 2022.
Lewis Forbes, 34, was jailed at the beginning of June for sexual and violent offences, including rape and assault to injury in the Inverness and Ross-Shire areas. He was given ten years imprisonment for his offences which took place between 2020 and 2022.
A 38-year-old man, Leslie Jackson, also appeared at the High Court in June and was sentenced to eight years in jail in connection with abduction and causing severe life threatening injuries to a woman in Aberdeen. The incident happened on 30 July, 2022, in the Kittybrewster area of Aberdeen. He forced his way into a property, seriously assaulted a woman and held her for 18 hours before she was able to escape.
Police Scotland thoroughly investigates all reports of sexual crimes and, with the support of our partners, will support those who come forward throughout the process.

Drugs recoveries

On Thursday, 23 May, three men were arrested and charged after drugs with a street value of around £1.35million were recovered at a property in the Tresta Road area of Glasgow. A significant quantity of cocaine as well as other drug related equipment was discovered.
On the same day officers searched a property under warrant on Wood Crescent, Motherwell, as part of a separate investigation. Heroin with an estimated street value of £20,000 was seized from within. Two men, aged 18 and 49, and a 42-year-old woman were arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.
A further seizure took place on Thursday, 23 May, when acting on intelligence, officers executed a warrant at an industrial unit near Cumnock and recovered a drugs cultivation. Over 1,300 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of between £265,000 and £796,000 were seized at the unit in Lugar.
On Thursday, 30 May, 2024 officers searched two addresses in Comely Bank, Hamilton and recovered a quantity of cannabis with an estimated street value of £245,000.
On Thursday, 6 June, officers executed a warrant at a property in Wallacewell Road, Robroyston, and recovered 22.8 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £1.8 million. A 38-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection and was due to appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, 10 June, 2024.

Conviction for embezzlement

Michael Paterson, 59, was convicted of embezzling funds of more than one million pounds in Aberdeen. He pled guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, 7 June of embezzling more than £1m from Aberdeen City Council between 2006 and 2023.
Paterson portrayed himself as an honest and professional individual and instead used his position to obtain a significant amount of money. This complex and protracted investigation was carried out by local CID officers and highlights our commitment to fully investigate all reports of financial crime. He will be sentenced at a later date.