Judge lets sibling sit in High Court as a treat
Craig McDonald The judge in a major fraud trial was under fire yesterday after he let his brother sit beside him in court as a treat.
Lord Stewart introduced his big brother Patrick, 71, to jurors at the High Court in Glasgow.
A source said: “The judge said he had agreed to let him sit in on a bit of the trial as a treat. People were incredulous.
“The brother was on the bench with a clear view of material in front of the judge and his computer screen.
“Some people felt it was inappropriate.”
Patrick made his guest appearance during the longest criminal trial in British history, where Edwin McLaren and his wife Lorraine stood accused of duping home owners in a £1.7million mortgage scam.
And Labour justice spokeswoman Claire Baker MSP said: “It is a very unusual move and would seem fairly inappropriate, given the seriousness of the case and the upset caused to victims.”
The trial had been running for more than a year when Patrick joined his brother on the bench. He listened to proceedings for a time then left during a break.
A senior legal source told the Sunday Mail: “It’s most irregular and uncommon but it’s not unheard of.
“There are occasions when judges from another jurisdiction sit in on a trial to gain experience of a different legal system.
“The judge’s brother doing so is less common. But if there were any objections, these would have been raised at the time.”
The Judicial Office of Scotland said: “The trial judge invited Patr ick Stewart MBE, an honorary sheriff, to sit on the bench for a short period on the afternoon of December 15, 2016.
“It is not uncommon for judges to extend this courtesy to distinguished visitors.”
The McLarens tricked people into transferring the ownership of their homes then remortgaged them and pocketed the cash.
Police said many of their victims were vulnerable and had been left “distraught, penniless and homeless”.
Edwin McLaren was found guilty last week of 29 charges involving £1.7million and his wife was convicted on two counts. They are now awaiting sentence next month.
The trial heard 320 days of evidence. It went on so long that Lord Stewart had to work on past his retirement age of 70.
The case had to be delayed for three weeks for a juror to get married and go on honeymoon.