This is my latest article, penned for 1919 Magazine's January issue where I look at the long history of gang wars – the winners, losers, and what happens next. Read my piece here.

Happy New Year. This is my first Scotsman column for 2026, published in today's paper (6th January). You wouldn’t have to be much of a soothsayer to foresee hard times ahead for Scotland’s blue light services in 2026.  No crystal ball required to see that there will be no great uplift in cash come the Scottish Government's budget. Our insatiable health services apart everyone else will be lucky to keep what they have, never mind get what they want. It will be another year o

This is my latest column, in today's Scotsman (23rd December 2025). The Chief Constable recently laid out the start consequences for Police Scotland of a funding deficit, so it's impossible to claim we were not warned.   It’s been a busy year for the Justice Column in this esteemed publication, and a very diverse one.  We have covered Cyber Crime, the long and weary public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh as well as The Sandy Peggie Tribunal. Then there was President Tr

This is the subject of my latest column, published in the Scotsman today (9th December 2025). Thank goodness MSPs are finally questioning the effectiveness of recent public inquiries. There is nothing quite as futile as asking questions to which we already know the answers, yet that’s exactly what’s been happening. Holyrood’s Public Administration Committee concluded, predictably, that “greater care should be taken when instigating public inquiries to reign in costs”. Amen t

This is the topic published in the Scotsman on 25th November 2025. The horrific death of five youngsters in a car crash in Ireland was a tragic reminder of the dangers that still lurk on our roads. We do not have the information to speculate on the causes of that terrible collision, but it was a familiar story and one that reminded me of the dark days of the early 1970s when upwards of 800 people were killed on Scottish roads each year. Since then, the death toll has come dow

My book Ruxton the First Modern Murder has been translated into Russian I am delighted that my book Ruxton The First Modern Murder has now been translated into Russian. I didn't realise there are between 250 and 265 million Russian speakers across the world (including native and second language speakers of the language)! With around 145–155 million using Russian as their native language. It's also the official language in four countries and spoken by wide sections of th

Sinister internet crimes, a new age of protest, mafia style gangs and the early release of prisoners likely to reoffend are ramping up pressure on Police Scotland. This is the subject of my latest Scotsman column, published on 11th November 2025. You might think only a masochist would be fascinated by the work of the Scottish Parliament’s committees. After all, there’s not even the shouty, knockabout fun of First Minister’s Questions. But it’s the committees where much of t

Last Saturday, I presented a talk on the World’s End Murders followed by a Q&A to an audience of over 200, in Scotland's biggest IMAX theatre at the Glasgow Science Centre. It was part of a forensic science themed night and a brilliant event. The audience seemed thoroughly engaged, as I talked them through my time, when I led the task force responsible for solving the horrific murders of two Edinburgh teenagers. This was one of Britain’s longest and most famous murder inves

This is my latest column, published in the Scotsman today (28th October 2025). At last common sense is making a comeback. The Metropolitan Police commissioner’s announcement that they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents is a very welcome return to sanity. No longer will his officers regulate hurt feelings. Hurrah and perhaps it’s now time for a general reset to question many peripheral police activities and get back to the core duties of the service. It’s real

Police Scotland's Chief Constable Jo Farrell has sounded an alarm that politicians must heed.... This is the topic of my column,...

The remains of Isabella Ruxton and her maid, Mary Rogerson, killed by the former's husband, have finally been laid to rest. This is my...

My latest article, published in today's Scotsman (2 September 2025). The Proceeds of Crime Act is a warning to serious criminals that...

This is my latest column, published in the Scotsman today (19th August 2025). As I sat in yet another traffic jam caused by one of the...

This is a story about an old boss of mine in the police, Walter Hallyburton ‘A Langlauf Champion’! It has just appeared in the Retired...

5 th  August 2025 A devastating mistake during the height of war tensions led to the shooting of Assistant Chief Constable Robert Thomson...

The visit to Scotland by US President Donald Trump was a valuable exercise for Police Scotland. This is my latest column, published in...

We are right to be outraged by the slaughter in the Middle East but stunts by publicity seekers do not help. This is the topic of my...

On the 50th anniversary of the amalgamation of Scotland’s police forces, a former deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police...

The massive falling out between two West of Scotland crime families is creating an information bonanza for criminal intelligence units....

Read what I have to say about this, in my latest column, published in today's Scotsman (10th June 2025). Without adequate resources, what...