Stonehaven Court, etc.

The issue highlighted in the recent article in the Scottish Law Reporter remains unresolved, owing to the continued refusal of those involved to respond to my requests.

On Tuesday morning, 15th November, a reporter from the Scottish Sun arrived at Stonehaven Court, stating the reason as having been informed by the Crown Office that a deal had been done in which I would plead guilty to the charges. No such deal had been done, nor would I envisage making any deal with a body as transparently and blatantly corrupt as the Crown Office in Scotland. Significantly, the Scottish Sun had hitherto shown no obvious interest in the plight of Hollie nor my own case.

Curiously, after repeatedly been informed for many months that my position vis-a-vis the Crown was a fundamentally strong one, at ten that morning, my Senior Counsel suddenly informed me that if I was not willing to change my plea to guilty, she was no longer prepared to represent me. Naturally, I flatly declined this unwelcome offer.

Since then, the Scottish Sun reporter`s information points to a conspiracy behind my back between the Crown Office and my ex-Senior Counsel, even to the extent of disclosing this important issue of which I knew nothing to a third party not involved in the case. It has also been stated that the Crown Office had already prepared a press release.

I have given my former Senior Counsel, Frances McMenamin, several days to offer an explanation and extended the same courtesy to Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland and Scottish Sun editor David Dinsmore, since it would not be appropriate to make serious allegations over this incident without offering those thought to be involved an opportunity to provide an explanation.

It must be said that no response has yet been received to my polite enquiries.

I am due back in Stonehaven Court on Wednesday 21st December, the hearing being held purely to discuss the defence`s citation to call the Crown`s Chief Prosecutor Stephen McGowan as a witness. McGowan is also currently playing a part into investigations against Procurator Fiscal Anne Currie`s clear attempt to mislead Sheriff Valerie Johnston on 13th April 2011. McGowan has already made a false statement to the investigation`s director over the content of his own statement in open court, again before Sheriff Johnston, on the 18th August 2011.

Furthermore, McGowan also made a misleading and inaccurate statement about Elish Angiolini`s role in the Hollie Greig case in a letter to Anne Greig on 4th December 2009.

It does not seem reasonable to believe, under Article 6(1) of the European Court of Human rights, that I could ever receive a fair trial in Scotland.

Finally, I have had the most kind offers again from loyal and courageous people to attend the hearing, but do not know if there will be much excitement and am concerned over the time, expense and travel at this time of the year, so I should not be at all disappointed to be there merely with my new legal team.