Fire victim Jessica McCagh “walked out” on boyfriend

By Paul Thornton

A TEENAGER killed his girlfriend hours after she told a friend she was going to leave him, a court has heard.

Stewart Blackburn, 18, started a blaze which killed Jessica McCagh at the flat which they shared in Arbroath in April this year.

Gemma Moir, 20, said that the night before the fire Miss McCagh, 17, had told her that Stewart was an “asshole” and she was going to pack her things and leave him.

Stewart Blackburn, 18, admits killing Miss McCagh but denies murder and is currently on trial at the High Court in Livingston.

It is alleged Blackburn threw petrol over Miss McCagh and her bed before setting fire to her, causing the injuries that killed her.

Blackburn also faces an assault charge against Miss McCagh as well as claims he pointed an air-rifle at two men and repeatedly pulled the trigger.

Bye George – Burley’s not the only one shown the door

By Michael MacLeod

ONLY a frail pensioner seemed to care for the whereabouts of hapless ex-Scotland gaffer George Burley today (Tues).

The out of favour 53 year-old has gone AWOL from his Edinburgh mansion having being kicked out by the SFA after a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign.

He was last seen on Monday morning, appearing dejected as he made his way to showdown talks with SFA supremo Gordon Smith at the Dakota Hotel in Lanarkshire.

Little did the ex-Hearts and Ipswich boss know that his fate was already sealed.

Yesterday an elderly neighbour popped by Burley’s home – perhaps to pass on her commiserations – but just like Burley himself, she was shown the door.

Sick Kids’ photographer walks free after child porn trial

By Andrea McCallum

A CHILDREN’S hospital photographer has been cleared of child porn possession charges.

Leonard Cumming, 59, was suspended from his job at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children two years ago after IT workers investigated websites being accessed from his computer.

Cumming told his employers he had been accessing indecent websites as part of a project to educate staff.

Yesterday (Tues) – on the eighth day of trial evidence – Sheriff Frank Crowe returned a not proven verdict, having been convinced that all images on Mr Cumming’s computer were legitimate.

Speaking outside court, Cumming would only say: “I’m glad it’s over – I just didn’t do it.”

Son knifed dad after council tax bill row

By Andrea McCallum

A SON slashed his frail dad on the neck with a knife after an argument over a council tax bill.

Charles Drummond, 50, was eating dinner with his father James at the Edinburgh home they shared when he launched into a stinging verbal attack.

He grabbed the knife he had been eating his dinner with and thumped his pensioner dad in the neck.

The 78 year-old father was left with a ‘V’ shaped scar and required eight stitches.

Nightclub ear-biter must await sentencing

By Andrea McCallum

A CLUBBER had his ear bitten off as he tried to break up a street-brawl.

Steven Meloni, 21 was trying to restrain drunken teenager Rory Clark outside Edinburgh’s Hive nightclub.

But after stepping in to stop the punch-up, Mr Meloni became the victim as 19 year-old thug Clark lashed out and chomped his lug off.

Mr Meloni, is now facing the possibility of travelling abroad to get reconstructive surgery.

Famous tipple’s new ad to tickle viewers

By Cara Sulieman

THE PITFALLS of fleeting fame are being highlighted in the new festive advert from Scotland’s favourite whisky.

The cheeky little star of the Famous Grouse adverts has found a furry friend in this winter’s television offering.

But as this sneak-peak shows, the classy grouse pokes fun at reality TV-style fame by shunning a Z-list celebrity dog.

Whisky bosses say the ad shows that their tipple has “a real reason to be famous.”

The ad – named ‘Famous for a Reason’ – will air for the first time next Monday and is expected to cause quite a stir among the brand’s many fans.

Ex-Strathclyde police chief “greatly missed”

By John Hislop

TRIBUTES have been paid to Glasgow’s former top cop Sir Andrew Sloan, who has died aged 77.

He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal after his five year spell overseeing Scotland’s largest force between 1986 and 1991.

Current Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House said Sir Andrew “was held in high esteem and will be greatly missed.”

His funeral will be held on Thursday.

Anti-extremists vow to march on Edinburgh

MEMBERS of the anti-Islam Scottish Defence League are planning a second protest in Scotland after claiming their Glasgow march was a “success”.

And they are targeting Edinburgh for their next outing, saying they plan to march on the capital in the new year.

Just around 50 members of the controversial group made it to Glasgow last Saturday, with many claiming they had been warned off by Strathclyde police.

But despite being outnumbered by a counter-march celebrating the diversity of Scotland, the group have declared the outing a victory.

A report on the protest, on the Casuals United website, said: “Glasgow demo a big success – over 120 lads from various Scottish clubs who were previously enemies came together for a demo.”

Cats go swimming to heal injuries

By Oliver Farrimond

INJURED cats have been taking a new route to perfect health – by getting their paws wet.

A state-of-the-art veterinary practice in Haddington, East Lothian, submerges crippled kitties in a foot of water on a treadmill to rehabilitate their injuries.

One such soggy moggy is George – a 14-year-old obese cat who has been shedding the pounds by running underwater.

Chartered veterinary physiotherapist Maeve Grant, who looks after many of the centre’s feline visitors, said that the treatment was an excellent alternative to pain-killers for injured cats.

She said: “Our ethos is to rely on pain-killers as much as possible, and to try to find different methods of controlling the pain.

Scone Palace vows to protect endangered red squirrels

By Rory Reynolds

THE crowning place of Scotland’s kings is to be the site of a battle for survival for one of the nation’s most endangered creatures.

Scone Palace, where Robert the Bruce and Charles II were crowned king of Scotland, is to be awarded funding to battle the invading grey squirrel, in order to protect the red variety, which is native to Scotland.

The red squirrel – of which only 160,000 survive in the UK – has been struggling for survival since the rise of the diseased grey squirrels, which campaigners say plague Scotland.

Scone Palace has said it will develop a trapping scheme for the grey squirrel, while working on a conservation area to protect the red variety.

Ken Neil, at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ said: “Unlike grey squirrels, which were first imported into this country from America in 1876, the red squirrel is native to the UK.