Dental star among Scotland’s top businesswomen
A Strathearn man convicted of raping three women has had his sentence substantially increased.
Ruaraidh McCartney was found guilty of serious sexual offences on July 5 at the High Court in Glasgow.
The offences were committed at addresses in Stirlingshire and Perthshire between 2011 and 2021.
He was sentenced on Tuesday, August 1, at the High Court in Lanark and was jailed for eight years.
The judge, Lord Alan Summers, jailed him for one year for raping his first victim because he was under the age of 25 at the time of the offence being committed.
But Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain has since successfully appealed against McCartney’s sentence, arguing this should not have been a sentencing consideration, because he was aged“between 25 and 27”at the time of some of the offences.
And McCartney’s sentence has now been increased to 13 years as a result.
Bain also argued Lord Summers failed to properly consider the risk McCartney – now aged 30 – posed, and that the attacker had shown no remorse.
The Appeal Court judges – Lady Dorian, Lord Matthews and Lord Boyd of Duncansby – said they acted for“protection of the public from serious harm”.
They said:“We will quash the sentence and impose an extended sentence of 13 years consisting of a custodial period of 10 years and an extension period of three years.”
In their written judgment, the judges found Lord Summers “committed many errors”that“led him entirely to fail to identify the risk” posed by vicious McCartney.
Their judgment ruled Lord Summers had“misdirected himself by treating each offence as a one-off”.
And they said he had wrongly used the controversial sentencing guidance that suggests under-25s should be treated more leniently as they are more suitable for rehabilitation.
Court reports warned of McCartney’s capacity for“severe chronic and escalating intimate partner violence”.
The report stated:“The offences and his responses to the victim’s experiences may suggest a degree of hostility towards women, lack of empathy towards their experiences and a pattern of inflicting sexual violence towards those he is in a relationship with to meet his own sexual needs.”
A locally- based dent a l entrepreneur who visits clients at home rather than having a clinic is celebrating being named in a list of 100 of Scotland’s best businesswomen.
Fiona Perry, from Comrie, is listed by Business Women Scotland (BWS) as one of its 2023 Top 100 female entrepreneurs.
The Perthshire mum has been invited to the organisation’s 10th annual awards honouring “the remarkable women who continue to shape the business world”.
Fiona, of Flying Smiles mobile dental hygiene, will see her name in lights at the awards ceremony at Òran Mór, Glasgow on November 24, when the 100 is whittled down to just 10 inspirational working women.
The event celebrates the unstoppable spirit of women in business and Fiona has worked hard to be the definition of that.
“It’s an amazing honour to be included in the top 100,” Fiona said.
Fiona was 54 when she decided to “go solo”. With a bike and a big idea she became the face of start-up venture Flying Smiles.
Previously she had been a dental hygienist at practices in Crieff and, before that, in Aberfeldy but she had a dream to take herself to her clients and be ecofriendly while she was at it.
“My Strathearn- based business launched in August 2019,” she explained.
“The juggle of life immediately began as I was mixing family, friends, fog brain and business.
“I am not a young chicken bubbling with energy. Battling with menopause and setting up a new business has been enlightening.
“It was early days for me in March 2020 as Covid- 19 hit. At a time when fears were justified about infection spreading, my registration inspector and I realised I could start my mobile service, because – unlike a visit to a dentist surgery – I left the respiratory droplets of patients in their homes.”
Fiona is passionate about dental prevention.
“The bacteria in your mouth are pathways to cause cardiac, diabetes, dementia as well as fatal aspiration pneumonia, a silent killer in care homes,” she revealed.
In stepping out of the traditional set-up she has challenged the dental authority to look at dental services differently and the need to revisit work rules and standards to allow changes to happen while still keeping the patient safe.
Financially it has been a challenge as her small, single-handed business has to pay the same business registration fee as a full private practice.
“This only crushes entrepreneurs who could help the NHS dental crisis and reduce emergency dental pain that fills up waiting time at NHS A&E or primary care,” she observed.
“I have built my business with the skills of my community and helped their businesses grow.
“I hope to be able to offer oral health assessments and a treatment to all in servicedeprived rural areas, even on island communities.
“With my Flying Smiles bike and box I have travelled from Bute to Uist, from St Andrews to Killin.
“I’d welcome anyone whose community is lacking dental services to get in touch.
“I offer people prevention if they have to wait a while for an appointment, or cannot register.
“With my support they go for just an annual check up and no treatment.
“And I help my clients avoid creating a carbon footprint by me travelling to them.”
Fiona has taken on board learning to be a business manager and leader.
She has made herself available to help others learn about general business or how they can become a mobile dental service in their area.
Fiona has made links with the mobile dental community in the USA and now has encouraged a dental hygienist in Utah to use a cargo bike to deliver her service in a carbon neutral way.