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A WOMAN was has been found guilty of shooting her boyfriend in the head, killing him on his doorstep.
Wannabe model Caroline Igoe today (Friday) was convicted of the murder of Martyn Barclay.
Her brother Paul was cleared of the killing but found guilty of trying to cover up the slaying.
A jury of nine women and six men took four hours to unanimously find Caroline guilty of murder, possession of a firearm and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
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By Rory Reynolds
SCOTLAND’S oldest political activist is back out chapping doors on the campaign trail – just a few months shy of his 100th birthday.
Leslie Spoor got his first taste of politics when he was caught up in the Battle of Cable Street in East London in 1936 when the local communities united to take violent action against Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.
The 99-year-old, who retired in 1975, was the principle founder of the Scottish Ecology Party, which later became the Scottish Green Party.
The former Musselburgh Grammar School history teacher was previously a member of the Labour party and a close friend of the late foreign secretary Robin Cook.
Leslie, also a former Open University lecturer, lives with his wife Pat in the city’s Corstorphine area and still maintains a keen interest in politics and current affairs. Continue reading
By Rory Reynolds
A DISGRACED police constable is to cash in on thousands of pounds of taxpayer’s money after being told he can keep his police pension despite being convicted of drug dealing.
Christopher McGinn, 30, from Pathhead in Midlothian, was jailed for more than two years last October after he was caught supplying cocaine by his own colleagues, abruptly ending his eight year career with Lothian and Borders Police.
But it emerged yesterday that he will still be able to claim thousands of pounds in pension cash despite his conviction – because it would most likely cost police bosses more to try and stop him.
The Lothian and Borders Police Board was asked by Chief Constable David Strang to determine whether they wished to go ahead with “forfeiture” procedures against the disgraced cop.
But after arguments from SNP Livingston councillor John Muir in favour of allowing the shamed officer to keep the cash, the Board voted eight to six to take “no action” to remove the benefit. Continue reading
By Rory Reynolds
ONE of Hollywood’s top make-up artists is setting up shop in Scotland.
Graham Johnston is used to touching-up the looks of the Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones and Russell Crowe.
But now ordinary Scots will be able to benefit from his A-list techniques for a short time only at his temporary berth in Edinburgh.
He will spend three months in the city while between shoots, the same location which gave him his big break working on home grown budget films including Trainspotting and Shallow Grave.
His temporary home will be at David Calder Studio in William Street South West Lane where he will charge £100 an hour. Continue reading
SCOTTISH stunt biking king of the castle Danny MacAskill is planning a surprise move to Spain.
The fearless rider became an internet sensation last year when a video of him leaping over Edinburgh’s landmarks racked up over 17 million hits on YouTube.
But now the 23 year-old says he has conquered all the obstacles Scotland’s capital has to throw at him, and is eyeing up a move to Barcelona.
He says the stunning architecture in the Spanish city would be a perfect setting for his spectacular bike tricks.
He said: “I’ve been in Edinburgh four years and done everything I wanted to do here, so if I want to keep progressing I need to look further afield.”
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By Rory Reynolds
ORGANISERS of the UK’s biggest golf tournament of the year are preparing to stage the huge event this summer – and it isn’t the St Andrews Open.
The US Kids Golf European Championship is to attract almost 500 budding young golf stars from across the globe.
The three-day tournament, held in four historic courses across East Lothian, is the largest single-field event to be held in the UK.
Around four times the number of players are set to compete in the event, held on June 1st-3rd, than in the Open Championship.
Dan Van Horn, founder of US Kids Golf, said: “We’re looking forward to once again staging the US Kids Golf European Championship in Scotland. With a field of more than 450 competitors, it will be the biggest tournament taking place in the UK in 2010 – even surpassing The Open Championships. Continue reading
By Rory Reynolds
TV singing sensation Jenny Douglas has revealed she was subjected to torment by cruel bullies over her weight at school.
The stunning Scots beauty – who is set to become a West End star if she wins the final of TV talent contest Over the Rainbow – said she had a “tough time” when she first arrived at high school in Edinburgh.
The 18-year-old also revealed that things got so bad that she underwent a gruelling weight loss regime to lose a staggering four stones in just six months.
Speaking ahead of the final, Jenny said: “It was nothing to do with the school itself, but I got a tough time. Everyone was trying to fit in and find a good group of friends.
“I suppose it’s part of growing up and kids can be very cruel. It was a big achievement for me to lose all the weight.” Continue reading
By Rory Reynolds
CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling has attacked the Tories economic strategy for recovery, warning that it will lead to cuts in jobs, living standards and public services if they win the general election.
Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday Darling dubbed the Tory and Lib Dem treasury spokesmen “Boy George” and “Karma Chameleon”, saying that only Labour’s policies could bring about economic recovery.
The Edinburgh MP also said that David Cameron’s policies showed he did not have a clear understanding of the causes of the UK financial crisis, while attacking Lib Dem treasury spokesman Vince Cable for being a “nifty mover” on policy.
He said: “At every stage they [Conservatives] have misunderstood the causes of the crisis, underestimated the need for action and opposed the measures to limit its impact.
“In opposition, this is embarrassing. In government, it would have been disastrous. Continue reading
A COSTCUTTER boss duped the Royal Bank of Scotland into paying £93,000 into his account after he exploited their cash envelope deposit scheme.
Sri Lanka-born Senthuran Gopalakrishnan, 31, wrote that there was £155,000 on the front of the bank’s Fast Cash business deposit wallets.
In fact he had actually only deposited £62,000, but staff at the Edinburgh bank didn’t notice the shortfall until five days later after it had been registered.
By the time the crime was reported, Gopalakrishnan – who holds Danish citizenship – had fled the country.
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By Rory Reynolds and Oliver Farrimond
DRUGS cops swooped to seize a number of cannabis plants growing in a luxury apartment complex in Edinburgh yesterday.
Officers raided the plush balconied pad in the Bonnington area of the city as part of an ongoing drugs operation.
Ten fully matured cannabis plants were removed by detectives after they forced their way into the flat yesterday at around 11am.
They also removed a large quantity of equipment used to cultivate the class B drug from the building, where apartments sell for around £300,000.
Last night officers were still questioning an individual in connection with the find. Continue reading
Deadline Press & Picture Agency 