Aggie is top citizen
Aggie Dennis, left, was announced as Tarbert’s Citizen of the Year 2024 at the Tarbert Senior Citizens’ Annual Christmas Dinner last Friday night. He is pictured receiving the award from Martin Jeffries, right, who was compere for the night. Aggie is watch commander at Tarbert’s retained fire crew. He organised the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tea party in the village in 2022, and the Coronation tea party. Aggie also organises Tarbert’s Remembrance service and helped to arrange the affiliation of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron with the village. He also fundraises for and helps to organise the fireworks display in Tarbert every year. Asked how he felt to be nominated as Citizen of the Year, Aggie said: “Humbled. I enjoy serving the community and it’s nice to be recognised for it. I have been here 35 years.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance is considering how best to clear those pursued through the Scottish courts.
Last week, two further former SPMs, Judith Smith and Colin Smith, had their convictions “administratively” quashed.
Ms Smith had been admonished after she pled guilty to a charge of fraud in 2009 at Selkirk Sheriff Court. Colin Smith pled guilty to embezzlement in 2013 at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, and was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work.
A date has been set for the appeal of three others, Rab Thomson, Ravinder Naga and former Gigha Post Office SPM Aleid Kloosterhuis.
Ms Kloosterhuis pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzlement at Campbeltown Sheriff Court in 2012, and was imprisoned for a year. Appeal hearings have been set for February 1.
Her advocate, Fred Mackintosh KC, told Edinburgh’s Court of Criminal Appeal on Friday his client had been placed in an “intolerable” position by politicians promising to pardon victims.
He said: “Parliament is placing subpostmasters in an intolerable position – if the the Rt Hon Dorothy Bain KC, “has the power put it right tomorrow”.
The convictions could be overturned without awaiting legislation, said the former Borders Sheriff Kevin Drummond KC: “It could be done tomorrow by COPFS (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service) and CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) bringing to their respective criminal appeal courts a list