Crime Doesn't Pay
* Alan Parker and Gary McKinnell were jailed for a total of 30 months after admitting fraud at Glasgow Sheriff Court. They carried out a £735,500 mortgage scam which allowed them to build an extensive property portfolio, including a flat worth £240,000 in Glasgow city centre. All of the properties were repossessed by the bank and sold on.
* The Civil Recovery Unit, using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act, recovered a total of £971,000 from the estate of solicitor James Muir, deceased, accrued as a result of criminal conduct by making fraudulent legal aid claims. In addition, almost £800,000 will be returned to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) so that there is no loss to public funds.
The agreement comes after the Civil Recovery Unit showed that the money was obtained by defrauding the Scottish Legal Aid Board over seven years by fabricating documents to obtain legal aid payments. SLAB started investigating the frauds in 2004, but after Mr Muir's death no criminal action could be taken.
Drugs
* Solomon Ukpabi was sentenced to 6 years in prison at the High Court of Edinburgh, after being caught at Aberdeen Airport with £1million worth of cocaine. This seizure of cocaine is thought to be one of the largest in the North East.
* David Smith was sentenced to 5 years in prison at the High Court of Edinburgh after being found guilty of dealing drugs from his Dundee home. He was found to be in possession of over 200g of cocaine, which was valued between £7000 and £9000.
Convictions in these cases show that the significant consequences of involvement in the drug trade.
Concluded Cases
Weeks of hard work and preparation go into most serious criminal cases brought before the Scottish courts.
* This month saw Allan Mullen receive a 7 year sentence at the High Court of Edinburgh for the rape of woman who came to his aid after he was assaulted.
* Shaban Ahmed was sentenced to 5 years at the High Court of Edinburgh for the rape of a 15-year-old in a park in Glasgow.
* Craig Jamieson, a man who assaulted and permanently impaired a Polish builder in Edinburgh was sentenced to 7 and a half years at the High Court of Edinburgh.
* Derek Carswell was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years for the murder of Aberdeen man Robert Mair at the High Court of Edinburgh.