SENTENCING STATEMENTS
A judge may decide to publish a statement after passing sentence on an offender in cases where there is particular public interest; where a case has legal significance; or where providing the reasons for the decision might assist public understanding.
Please note that statements may include graphic details of offences when it is necessary to fully explain the reasons behind a sentencing decision.
Follow us if you wish to receive alerts as soon as statements are published.
Once charges are spent, any statement in relation to them is removed and cannot be provided or acknowledged. Statements published before the launch of the website may be available on request. Please email judicialcomms@scotcourts.gov.uk.
The independence of the judiciary is essential to safeguard people’s rights under law - enabling judges to make decisions impartially based solely on evidence and law, without interference or influence from the government or politicians.
When deciding a sentence, a judge must deal with the offence that the offender has been convicted of, taking into account the unique circumstances of each particular case. The judge will carefully consider the facts that are presented to the Court by both the prosecution and by the defence.
For more information about how judges decide sentences; what sentences are available; and matters such as temporary release, see the independent Scottish Sentencing Council website.
Read more about victims of crime and sentencing.
HMA v Robert Horne
Aug 24, 2020
On sentencing, Lord Uist made the following statement in Court:
“You have been convicted by the jury of an abhorrent and depraved course of sexual abuse, towards two children aged under 11, including attempted vaginal rape of one of them, over a period of three or four years. You have all along denied your guilt and shown no remorse.
You are now 53 years of age. In 1992 you were convicted of lewd and libidinous practices, which involved sexual abuse of children, and sentenced to three months imprisonment. You are completely undeserving of any mercy or leniency and your crimes must be marked by a severe sentence. On charges 1 and 3, taken together, the sentence which I impose is six years imprisonment, to run from today’s date.
As a result of that sentence you now become subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for an indefinite period.”
24 August 2020