Latest news with #recklessconduct
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
‘Reckless' mum filmed her young child driving around UK Village
A woman who filmed her young child under the age of 10 driving a car through a village has received her punishment. Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, has been ordered to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work after letting the girl drive the vehicle through a Scottish village in bad weather. Ms Gemmell previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct for the incident which took place in Crimond, Aberdeenshire. The video of the incident, which happened on July 10 last year, was seen on social media. It showed the child driving in the dark while peering over the steeling wheel as music plays and her mother cheers. At Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, Gemmell was given a 134-hour community payback order – reduced from 200 due to her plea. Sheriff Alan Sinclair said said her actions were 'reckless in the extreme'. But he said a custodial sentence would have been 'disproportionate'. The court heard she had no previous criminal record. He told the mother that she and the girl were 'very fortunate' not to have suffered more serious consequences and added that allowing a child to operate machinery could have caused injury to both the occupants of the car and the wider public. The sheriff said filming the incident 'defies any reasonable explanation'. Gemmell's defence agent said the 32-year-old had difficult family circumstances and was the victim of domestic abuse. He said her behaviour was an attempt at 'levity' during a 'dire' time for the family. The defence agent said Gemmell admitted her 'behaviour was completely foolish' and a result of 'poor decision-making'. He said she wished to apologise to the court and showed 'genuine remorse' for her actions and an 'acceptance' that 'the behaviour was wrong and a willingness to accept that'. He added that a social work report found she was 'of no risk of further offending' and 'does not need supervision'. The defence said Gemmell 'appreciates and understands this is a serious matter' that 'could have had serious consequences' and that she recognised she deserves to be punished for her actions. Gemmell must complete her unpaid work within 12 months.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Reckless' mum filmed her young child driving around UK Village
A woman who filmed her young child under the age of 10 driving a car through a village has received her punishment. Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, has been ordered to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work after letting the girl drive the vehicle through a Scottish village in bad weather. Ms Gemmell previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct for the incident which took place in Crimond, Aberdeenshire. The video of the incident, which happened on July 10 last year, was seen on social media. It showed the child driving in the dark while peering over the steeling wheel as music plays and her mother cheers. At Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, Gemmell was given a 134-hour community payback order – reduced from 200 due to her plea. Sheriff Alan Sinclair said said her actions were 'reckless in the extreme'. But he said a custodial sentence would have been 'disproportionate'. The court heard she had no previous criminal record. He told the mother that she and the girl were 'very fortunate' not to have suffered more serious consequences and added that allowing a child to operate machinery could have caused injury to both the occupants of the car and the wider public. The sheriff said filming the incident 'defies any reasonable explanation'. Gemmell's defence agent said the 32-year-old had difficult family circumstances and was the victim of domestic abuse. He said her behaviour was an attempt at 'levity' during a 'dire' time for the family. The defence agent said Gemmell admitted her 'behaviour was completely foolish' and a result of 'poor decision-making'. He said she wished to apologise to the court and showed 'genuine remorse' for her actions and an 'acceptance' that 'the behaviour was wrong and a willingness to accept that'. He added that a social work report found she was 'of no risk of further offending' and 'does not need supervision'. The defence said Gemmell 'appreciates and understands this is a serious matter' that 'could have had serious consequences' and that she recognised she deserves to be punished for her actions. Gemmell must complete her unpaid work within 12 months.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Woman who filmed young girl driving car given community payback order
A woman who filmed a young child driving a car through a Scottish village has been ordered to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work. Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct after letting the girl – aged under 10 – drive the vehicle through Crimond, Aberdeenshire, in bad weather. The video of the incident, which happened on July 10 last year, was seen on social media. It showed the child driving in the dark while peering over the steeling wheel as music plays and her mother cheers. At Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, Gemmell was given a 134-hour community payback order – reduced from 200 due to her plea. Sheriff Alan Sinclair said said her actions were 'reckless in the extreme'. But he said a custodial sentence would have been 'disproportionate'. The court heard she had no previous criminal record. He told the mother that she and the girl were 'very fortunate' not to have suffered more serious consequences and added that allowing a child to operate machinery could have caused injury to both the occupants of the car and the wider public. The sheriff said filming the incident 'defies any reasonable explanation'. Gemmell's defence agent said the 32-year-old had difficult family circumstances and was the victim of domestic abuse. He said her behaviour was an attempt at 'levity' during a 'dire' time for the family. The defence agent said Gemmell admitted her 'behaviour was completely foolish' and a result of 'poor decision-making'. He said she wished to apologise to the court and showed 'genuine remorse' for her actions and an 'acceptance' that 'the behaviour was wrong and a willingness to accept that'. He added that a social work report found she was 'of no risk of further offending' and 'does not need supervision'. The defence said Gemmell 'appreciates and understands this is a serious matter' that 'could have had serious consequences' and that she recognised she deserves to be punished for her actions. Gemmell must complete her unpaid work within 12 months.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Woman who let child drive car in Crimond must do unpaid work
A woman who allowed a girl aged under 10 to drive a car through an Aberdeenshire village has been given a community payback order. Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct after footage emerged of the incident in young girl drove the car barefoot and in bad weather on 10 July last Peterhead Sheriff Court, Gemmell was ordered to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work in the community, reduced from 200 hours due to her plea. A video of the incident - which lasted about a minute - was seen on social showed the child driving in the dark, using the wipers and indicators, and peering over the steering wheel. The child has bare feet and music is playing, including by Sugababes in one from Crimond, could be heard cheering during the month Gemmell admitted culpable and reckless conduct with utter disregard for the consequences by allowing a child to drive a motor vehicle on a public road in poor weather and barefoot to the danger of others - in particular to the Annella Cowan had previously deferred sentence to obtain a criminal justice social work report. Sentencing Gemmell, Sheriff Alan Sinclair described her actions as "reckless in the extreme". He added that she was very fortunate not to have suffered more serious consequences. She was told she must complete her unpaid work within 12 months.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
Numerous failings before Melissa Mathieson killed at care home
"Reckless conduct at a senior manager level" allowed a man fascinated by necrophilia to murder an 18-year-old at the care home where they lived, a coroner has Conroy was 18 when he strangled Melissa Mathieson at Alexandra House, a Bristol home providing special care for adults, in October 2014. Conroy, now 28, was jailed for life for the sexually-motivated killing. An inquest into Miss Mathieson's death heard he had previously tried to kill his mother and was sent to the home after trying to strangle a coroner Maria Voisin concluded a "catalogue of failures" allowed the murder to happen, including the risk Conroy posed not being reflected in his care plans. In a narrative conclusion, Ms Voisin told Avon Coroner's Court Ms Mathieson "died as a result of unlawful killing caused by both the act of strangulation and also due to the acts and omissions by the home entrusted with her care."The home failed Melissa in numerous ways," she Mathieson, from Windsor, Berkshire, was sent to Alexandra House by social services when she turned 18, after spending the previous two years in a variety of a letter, she wrote how she was "dragged away from my home and everything I knew" by social services who "destroyed my life". Conroy, originally from Guernsey, moved to the home two months before the murder after the attack on the teacher at his boarding school. The school, which in the Midlands, had commissioned a report from a forensic psychologist which concluded he posed a physical risk to others because of his sexualised warned the managers of Alexandra House about the risk, but this was not reflected in Conroy's care plans, which only listed basic directors of the company which ran the home pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence after the murder and were fined £125, Voisin told the coroner's court the conduct of the home's senior managers amounted to a "gross breach of duty"."This I consider to be reckless conduct at senior management level," she added. 'Failed to act' Several staff told the inquest they would never have been alone with Conroy if they knew of the risk he posed, and described reporting their concerns to inquest heard Miss Mathieson complained Conroy had been stalking her hours before she was her conclusion, the senior coroner for Avon said Conroy should have been supervised at all times and the fact he was not "meant he was able to attack and strangle" Miss described Miss Mathieson as vulnerable and said Conroy targeted her with the intention of killing added Conroy "should not have been placed in the same facility" as her. Ms Voisin said: "The decision was wrongly made to place him in the same facility with an ineffective care plan and risk assessment, with staff that were not trained on his level of risk, and managers who failed to act when concerns were highlighted by staff and Melissa."When Conroy was jailed, Judge Graham Cottle said he posed a very serious danger to the public, in particular to young women.
