Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL SERVICE PRESS RELEASE

6 October 2008

NEW DISTRICT PROCURATOR FISCAL FOR GREENOCK AND ROTHESAY

The Lord Advocate, The Right Honourable Elish Angiolini QC has appointed Laura McPherson to the post of District Procurator Fiscal for Greenock and Rothesay.

The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini said:

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Laura McPherson as the new District Procurator Fiscal for Greenock and Rothesay. Laura joined the organisation as a trainee ten years ago and at 32 years old is one of the youngest District Procurator Fiscals in Scotland.

"She has the respect of her colleagues and a drive and enthusiasm for the role which will make her a great asset to the existing team in Greenock. Although we already have effective relationships in place with our criminal justice partners in the area, we can never be complacent, and Laura will build on those to assist us in delivering justice and bring benefits to the local communities."

Miss McPherson said:

"I am looking forward to leading the strong, dedicated team serving the people of Inverclyde. As prosecutors, acting in the public interest is one of our key principles, and so getting to know and understand the community here will be high on my agenda. I look forward to working closely Strathclyde Police, Scottish Court Service colleagues and others to make sure that the criminal justice system here is the best that it can be, and has the confidence of local communities."

Note to editors:

1. Laura graduated from Glasgow University with a First Class honours degree in law in 1997 and joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 1998 as a trainee solicitor, working for two years in the Crown Office in Edinburgh, and the Procurator Fiscal's Office in Ayr.

2. She was appointed to the post of Procurator Fiscal Depute in Kilmarnock in August 2000 where she was based for four years, including a one year secondment in 2002 to the Procurator Fiscal's Office in Hamilton where she worked as a key member of the COPFS team responsible for the investigation and prosecution of Transco in respect of the Larkhall Gas explosion of 1999.

3. Miss McPherson was promoted to the post of Principal Procurator Fiscal Depute at Ayr in November 2004, and in August 2007 she returned to work in the Crown Office in Edinburgh as part of COPFS Communications Team.

4. She replaces Stephen McGowan who was appointed to the post of District Procurator Fiscal for Aberdeen on 11 August 2008.

5. The Greenock Procurator Fiscal's Office deals with approximately 6,000 cases a year and covers the Sheriff Court jurisdictions of Greenock and Rothesay.

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