Sheriff leaves town
Sheri Patrick Hughes bows out of Oban and Campbeltown courts this month.
He was appointed to the sheri dom of North Strathclyde covering the two courts six years ago.
Sheri Hughes is leaving to take up a new post as one of Glasgow’s 20 plus sheri s who serve its busy courts.
e search to nd his replacement is still ongoing, with hopes the successful candidate will be in permanent place by September.
Before taking on his North Strathclyde sheri duties, he worked in the Crown O ce and Prosecutor Fiscal Service for most of his career. For a time he was also head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit.
e huge variety of civil and criminal cases coming to both Oban and Campbeltown courts has been “striking” and has kept up a “stimulating” workload, said Sheri Hughes.
Among the most memorable were a man who landed his helicopter in the grounds of Atlantis Leisure Centre. e sheri also ruled over the rst case of its kind in Scotland in 2018 for unlicensed factoring and property factoring, raised under Section 12 of the Property Factor Scotland Act 2011.
One of the biggest concerns in his mind over the past six years has been the threat of county lines - where drugs are transported from one area to another, usually by vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs.
“Oban and Campbeltown are not immune to it. ere’s a concern about drugs everywhere. Police here are vigilant to it and work hard to counteract it, but it’s one of the most signi cant concerns that comes to mind,” he said.
Leaving Oban and Campbeltown will be “sad” he says and working in the area has been “a real privilege”.
He added: “Oban has a lot going for it; I'm very optimistic for its future and I hope it can keep its character. It is a town that has pride in itself and great community spirit, where people give up their own time to help others. I hope that continues.
“I could not have asked for better people to work with in both of the courts. ey have been wonderful and always friendly. Both Oban and Campbeltown have been happy places to work.
“We have been very lucky with the quality of able, sensible and humane scals and for the assistance of local lawyers who, again, are very able and are a vital part of the system here.
“I’ve also been very grateful to the police, in a number of ways; not just giving evidence but helping the court in practical aspects too.
“e social work department has also been helpful in preparing reports for the court and I should mention the Family Mediation Service for its useful work. Everyone makes a big contribution. “I’m sad to be leaving. It’s a beautiful, ne place to have worked. It’s been a real privilege to be here and I do hope it will always be a part of my life.”