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Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Daily Record
Notorious Scots paedophile changes identity and advertises as dog walker after jail release
Connor Tait, 32, now goes by the name of 'Connie Duncan' and has been spotted sporting a feminine look by residents in Dundee. A paedophile who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy as he walked home has changed his identity after being released from prison. Connor Tait, 32, hid in a bush and pounced on the child who was walking home from football training in Menzieshill, Dundee, in 2013. The predator, who had two previous convictions for sexual offences against young boys, was sentenced to four years behind bars and a further four years of supervision for the depraved attack. In 2015 he had six months cut from his sentence on appeal after the original conviction was quashed and replaced with a more limited one. He went on to serve more time in prison for trashing his cell while on remand and since being released from jail in 2023 has changed his identity - using the name 'Connie Duncan' - while advertising himself on social media as a cleaner and dog walker. Concerned locals say he has been spotted several times in recent weeks sporting a feminine look while out in Dundee. A source told the Record: "Connor Tait is a dangerous individual. I've seen him dressed as a woman several times in Dundee since his release from prison. "He has changed his name to 'Connie Duncan' but make no mistake this is the same Connor Tait who molested a young boy. Locals deserve to know that this predator is marching our streets under a new identity - he is a danger to children and other members of the public." In a Facebook profile, which has since been deleted, Tait shared images of himself pouting in photos with long hair and wearing makeup. Another source said: "This is not the type of individual you want to be opening the door to and letting into your house. I saw him just two months ago on Byron Street and his presence is chilling, even under a new look. "People need to be aware that he is out and about." Another local added: "It disgusts me that this predator is back on the streets. He had Facebook for a while and seems to have changed his name to 'Connie', but behind this facade is a dangerous beast. "He is highly dangerous and disturbed yet appears to roam as free as a bird." Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Tait pounced on his terrified young victim and a friend as they played outside a grassy verge near their home during the school holidays. The victim's friend managed to escape and alert his parents. Police traced Tait within three hours, and he claimed he had been home watching Hollyoaks at the time. A judge told then 22-year-old Tait: 'You were convicted after trial of one of the most horrible crimes I have had to deal with in the course of almost 20 years of sitting here.' Six years later Tait was arrested after being accused of telling an eight-year-old girl to put a plastic bag over her head. He went on trial accused of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner against the girl while she played at a park in the city in May 2021. The court heard the paedophile was accused of telling her: "How about you put this bag over your head, it'll get you home." The case collapsed due to a lack of evidence and Tait was cleared in February 2023. He had been on remand since his arrest in 2021 and was jailed for a further eight years after trashing his cell and trying to hit a prison guard at HMP Perth in 2022. A post on UK Database - a database of British paedophiles - reads: "A sex predator with a sexual preference of boys aged under 13 has been released back to Dundee and is now masquerading as someone called 'Connie Duncan'. "The sex predator was classed as 'highly dangerous' and 'disturbed' by a judge. His new identity has been shared on forums across the UK that warn women and children of dangerous men." Alba MSP Ash Regan said the Scottish Government must review policy for the release of sex offenders who go on to assume a new identity. She said: "This case underlines a deeply troubling reality that when sexual offenders can change their identity without proper safeguards, the public is put at risk. "If a convicted paedophile can simply adopt a new identity and begin advertising services to enter people's homes, then the system is broken. 'We have Disclosure Scotland for organisations to check criminal records, but the government must act urgently to review policy for the release of sexual offenders to ensure that identity change processes do not provide a back door for dangerous individuals to bypass scrutiny. "We need robust checks and transparency to prevent offenders from reinventing themselves to disassociate from their offending history. "This isn't a matter of privacy but of public protection. Parents and vulnerable individuals deserve to know who they are allowing into their lives. Any loophole could have devastating consequences to children and vulnerable adults that the government has a duty to safeguard." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Following release from prison, all Registered Sex Offenders in the community are managed under Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) and are subject to the Sex Offender Notification Requirements, which are robustly policed. "Sex offender notification requirements apply to the individual irrespective of what name they use or identity they present as, and where a registered sex offender changes name they must let the police know within three days or they breach their notification requirements. "Swift action is taken by the police in the minority of cases that do not comply, with those in breach facing penalties of up to five years in prison.'
Daily Record
21-07-2025
- Daily Record
Illegal immigrants turned Scots home to £500k drug factory
Two illegal immigrants from Vietnam set up more than 500 cannabis plants inside a three-bedroom Dundee home. A pair of illegal immigrants turned a humble Scottish terrace house into a half a million pounds drug factory. The Vietnamese duo set up more than 500 cannabis plants behind closed doors in a quiet residential street in Dundee after sneaking into the UK. When the property was raided, the cannabis inside the three-bedroom terrace was worth more than four times the value of the £125,000 house itself. Ban Van Nguyen and Long Van Le were caught red-handed tending the huge crop of cannabis plants growing throughout the property at 2 Dighty Gardens in Dundee. Dundee Sheriff Court was told that 510 plants, with a potential value of £382,500, were recovered when the house was raided by police on 16 January this year. The duo had also harvested more than 14 kilos of cannabis with a value of £143,060 and were drying it for onward sale when officers forced their way in. Nguyen, 53, and Le, 33, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis and producing the drug at the property on 16 January this year. Fiscal depute Duncan McKenzie told the court: "In December 2024 and January 2025 Police Scotland received intelligence about a cannabis cultivation in a busy residential area. " Entry was forced and both were found within. Most rooms in the property had been converted into a cannabis cultivation. The bedroom upstairs was used as a drying room. "Cannabis bud was spread across the floor and being dried with a desk fan. Both were arrested. Their DNA was found on various items throughout the property. "There were no reasonable grounds to conclude either was the victim of modern slavery. Neither have any right to remain in the UK. Both are being sought by the Home Office in relation to their immigration status." Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith remanded both men in custody for the preparation of social work reports and warned them to expect to be jailed for a considerable period of time. He noted that an assessment on their background had been carried out already and it had been ruled that neither of the duo had been the victims of human trafficking. "They are often subject to threats and intimidation and are often little more than slaves for their ultimate masters," he said. "You are not in that position. "There requires to be a crystal clear message that courts in Scotland will not tolerate criminal gangs, from wherever they might originate, weaving their way into the fabric of our society and cultivating or distributing drugs, which you both did on a commercial scale. "Deterrence is an important thing for the court to consider in the length of sentence, it being inevitable in both your cases that the court shall sentence you both to imprisonment." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The National
19-07-2025
- The National
Dundee call handler admits unlawfully sharing police data
Gary Moran, 40, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday, where he plead guilty to four charges under the Data Protection Act. He also admitted one charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. READ MORE: Man charged with attempted murder of police officer in Clydebank The offences took place while Moran was employed as a call handler in the Dundee Control Room. Over a period of nearly three years, between October 2021 and August 2024, he accessed police databases without a legitimate policing reason. During that time, he disclosed confidential information to third parties. Moran was dismissed from his position in Police Scotland following an unrelated disciplinary matter, prior to the conclusion of this court case. He is now due to be sentenced on Tuesday, September 9. Detective Superintendent Nathan Calderwood, from the Professional Standards department, condemned Moran's actions. He said: 'Gary Moran exploited his position as a call handler by accessing police systems to view records he had no business purpose for seeing. 'He further breached values by passing sensitive information on to third parties.' READ MORE: Uniformed police pulled from Glasgow Pride over 'impartiality' concerns Calderwood stressed the importance of integrity in policing. 'Trust and confidence in police officers and staff is essential and people like Moran have no place in Police Scotland,' he said. 'Any officer or staff who fails to uphold the high standards we expect in policing will face the consequences.' He added that complaints against officers and staff who do not uphold Police Scotland's values will always be investigated.
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Daily Record
Coked-up joyrider fell asleep at wheel before ploughing into taxi
Josh McBride - who was 16 at the time - fell asleep and drifted into the opposing carriageway before smashing into the cab being driven by Garry McInnes. A 16-year-old joyrider fell asleep at the wheel after taking cocaine and seriously injured three people after crashing head-on into a taxi. Schoolboy Josh McBride, 19, nodded off and drifted into the opposing carriageway before smashing into the cab being driven by Garry McInness. A heroic witness arrived at the scene and dragged three of the victims from the blazing wreckaghe of the vehicles after initially thinking they were dead. A passing fire crew - on their way to a training exercise - were able to bring the burning cars under control as medics took the victims to hospital. Dundee Sheriff Court was told that unqualified McBride had driven his friend's VW Golf across the country to try and stay overnight at a family caravan in St Andrews. But when they couldn't access the caravan, McBride and his friends spent the night sleeping in the car before setting off to drive to Livingston the next morning. McBride, Hamilton Gardens, Armadale, admitted driving dangerously and under the influence of drugs in Main Street, Dairsie, Fife, on 2 October 2022. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. He admitted seriously injuring Gordon Docherty, Garry McInness and Joseph Brownlie by falling asleep, driving on the wrong side of the road, and crashing into a VW Touran taxi. Fiscal depute Emma Farmer told the court: "The accused was 16 and at school at the time. He did not hold a driving licence. He and Joseph Brownlie went out in the early hours." She said they got in the third person's car with them and decided to drive to St Andrews. At the time of the crash McBride had three passengers. "They were unable to gain access to the caravan. They attended the beach and slept in the vehicle. At 7.30 am they woke up in the car. Mr Brownlie asked if McBride would drive to Livingston." At one point in the journey, Mr Brownlie became aware of the vehicle crossing the centre of the road and he shouted at McBride but got no reaction as he was asleep. "Mr Brownlie grabbed the steering wheel to try and avoid a collision. The Golf was observed to drift over into the opposite carriageway and into the path of Mr McInness' vehicle. "There was extensive damage to the front of both vehicles. A witness looked at Mr McInness and thought he was dead. The vehicle was going on fire. "The witness also found two males on top of each other in the rear footwell and he thought they were dead. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crew were passing on their way to a training exercise. "They assisted with the extinction of the fire before it took hold. McBride was identified as the driver. He provided a positive saliva test for cocaine." The court was told Mr Brownlie sustained multiple spinal injuries, while Mr Docherty had a fractured collarbone as well as whiplash injuries and bruising. Mr McInness, who had no memory after picking up his fare in Cupar, sustained several fractures and a torn spleen and was unable to leave the house for two months after the crash. He was only able to return to work in an office-based role at the taxi firm, and later had to give up a job as a bus driver because of the anxiety he suffered from. Sheriff Gregor Murray imposed an interim driving ban on McBride and granted him bail while pre-sentence background reports are prepared.
The National
06-07-2025
- The National
Woman who died after being found seriously injured in Dundee named
Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services attended the incident on South Road at around 4.25pm on Saturday. She was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene. A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the incident. He is expected to appear before Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday. Dr Gomo was an environmental and water resources scientist and PhD graduate of the University of Dundee. She had recently started a job with Scottish Water as a senior service planner in water resource planning. Detective superintendent Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said: 'Firstly, my thoughts remain with Fortune's family at this incredibly sad time. 'They are being supported by specialist officers, and I would ask that their privacy is respected. 'Our enquiries are continuing and I remain satisfied that the incident poses no wider risk to the public.' He said that the force is following a number of lines of inquiry and are aware of content circulating on social media. The public has been urged not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident. DC Sharp added: 'The public will notice a visibly increased police presence in the area and I would encourage anyone who has any concerns to speak with our officers. 'I continue to appeal for anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed the incident or has information that may assist us to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2283 of July 5, 2025. Information can also be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' Professor Nigel Seaton, interim principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee, said the university was "shocked" by the death of Dr Gomo. He said that Dr Gomo was a PhD student and then postdoctoral research assistant in geography at the university until February 2022. He added: "Her death, following an alleged attack in South Road, Dundee, on Saturday afternoon, is a truly shocking event in our city and for our University community. "It will be particularly distressing for those who knew and worked with Fortune throughout her time here at the University, and for all of those in our close-knit community of African colleagues and students. "Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time." He added that students affected by Dr Gomo's death could find "support and solace" in the university's Chaplaincy Centre, which will open on Monday.
