SERIES THREE
Mum wins appeal over ex-husband’s sentence
When Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays) kills an unarmed suspect during a police raid, AC-12 investigate.
But in a shocking end to episode one, Waldron is bumped off by one of his colleagues. Before his death, he tells DI Fleming about a child abuse ring at a home he was placed in as a kid. He tries to pass a list of names on but it’s intercepted by Cottan who destroys it. He then frames Arnott as
The Caddy – but a newly acquitted DI Denton saves the day. She gets a copy of Waldron’s list to AC-12, which reveals that Cottan is The Caddy. He tracks down Denton and kills her. Cottan is grilled by AC-12 but escapes and is chased by Fleming. Just when we think she’s about to be shot by one of his criminal pals, he takes a bullet for her.
A funeral director handed the lightest punishment under Scots law for attacking his wife has been hit with a tougher sentence after a campaign for justice by his victim.
Keida MacKenzie said she hopes the appeal victory against ex John Donnelly will give other victims strength to challenge unduly lenient sentences for abusers.
She said: “I need people out there suffering domestic abuse to know there is hope. Don’t give up at the first hurdle.”
Donnelly, owner of an East Kilbride funeral business, was convicted in January last year of a vicious assault on Keida in the then family home in Strathaven.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard how the 51-year- old struck her on the head, causing her to fall against furniture. He then hit her repeatedly on the head and body during the 2017 attack.
But when Donnelly was finally sentenced in October, following delays caused by coronavirus, he was admonished by Sheriff Moira MacKenzie – who was not the original trial sheriff.
Horrified by the decision, Keira, 46, wrote to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and called on the procurator fiscal to appeal the sentence.
This week a panel of three sheriffs at Edinburgh’s appeal court decided Donnelly’s admonishment was unduly lenient and sentenced him to a community payback order with 18 months supervision and 160 hours of unpaid work.
They also imposed a two-year nonharassment order preventing Donnelly – who has continued to deny his guilt – from contacting his ex-wife.
Mum-of-four Keida said: “For this to go to appeal, which I’m told is unusual, and to get the result we have is a massive weight off my shoulders. It was like a kick in the teeth when he was admonished. It was such a difficult process to go back and forth to court over three years so the sentence was like I had been victimised all over again.
“When I heard the appeal result over the live link, I was shouting at the top of my voice. Even if one other person decides to keep pushing on because of this, it will be wonderful.”
Keida, from England, met Donnelly in 1998 and moved to Scotland to live with him. They got married in 2002 and have four children.
But she said she has been alienated from all but one of her children after exposing the abuse she suffered.
She said: “I’ve been arrested for allegations he’s made, accused of stealing things, assault and been accused of abusing my child. It’s rubbish – but it was devastating. I’m still going through the divorce and the parental alienation feels like a bereavement.”
Scottish Women’s Aid boss Marsha Scott said: “We’re glad the appeal judges recognised the sentencing of the perpetrator as unduly lenient and, while nothing can undo the harm he has caused, we are glad he will face some kind of repercussion for his crimes.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “We note the decision of the appeal court.”
To get that result is a massive weight off my shoulders
The proud nephew of the Scot who created the SAS says screenwriter Steven Knight has played a blinder in writing a new drama about his hero uncle.
David Stirling was just 26 years old when, as a young army officer in World War II, he set up an undercover unit of courageous soldiers to carry out daring missions behind enemy lines.
Now, 30 years after his death, filming has just started on a new six-part BBC drama series from Peaky Blinders creator Knight about how the world’s greatest special forces unit was formed.
The star-studded cast includes Game Of Thrones actor Alfie Allen and The Wire’s Dominic West.
Archie Stirling, the Special Air Service founder’s nephew, said Knight has left no stone unturned in finding out all he can about his brave uncle and the wartime heroes who served alongside him.
Businessman Archie, 79, who is laird of the Keir estate in Perthshire, said: “Steven Knight got in touch to speak about David and even sent me a script, which I must say I liked very much.
“He has been kind enough to pick my brains on David and related matters.
“He’s not making a documentary on the founding of the
SAS – he’s making a d r ama a nd obviously has to tell an entertaining story. But he is taking such trouble to get the facts, which I’m happy about and the SAS Association are also happy about.
“He told me he wanted to do as much as he could to reflect David and the other fellows that were involved in those very early days. He wanted to reflect what David was and who he was.
“We had a very nice discussion and he asked my opinion on certain things.
“Sometimes it can be quite hard to reconci le the actual history of what happened and a great story – just look at the