McSporrans Defence Lawyers are a team of qualified and experienced criminal defence solicitors based at our office in Edinburgh. We advise and represent those accused of crimes across the Lothians and beyond. Registered with the Scottish Legal Aid Board. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Assault.
Assault charges range from minor altercations to serious cases involving life-changing injury. Whatever the nature of the charge, early legal advice is vital. An assault conviction can affect your employment, your housing, and your personal life for years to come.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers advise and represent clients at every level of the criminal courts, from summary proceedings in the Justice of the Peace Court to solemn procedure in the Sheriff Court and the High Court of Justiciary. We assess the evidence carefully. Witness reliability, identification, and procedural compliance are all scrutinised, and we construct the most effective defence available on the facts.
Matters we advise on
- Common assault
- Serious assault
- Domestic assault
- Assault to injury
- Assault to severe injury
- Assault with aggravating circumstances
- Threatening or abusive behaviour
- Culpable and reckless conduct
Bail conditions in assault cases can be highly restrictive. Early instruction gives us the best opportunity to challenge disproportionate conditions at the bail hearing.
Breach of the peace.
Public order offences are among the most commonly prosecuted matters in the criminal courts. An accusation of threatening behaviour can arise from a single moment of confrontation and carry lasting consequences for your reputation and your liberty.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers advise and represent clients facing public order charges at every level, from summary proceedings in the Justice of the Peace Court through to the Sheriff Court. We scrutinise witness evidence, examine CCTV footage, and challenge the case wherever the legal standard has not been met. Identification, the reliability of witness accounts, and procedural compliance are all carefully assessed.
Matters we advise on
- Breach of the peace
- Threatening or abusive behaviour
- Threatening communications
- Racially aggravated conduct
- Stalking and harassment
- Disorder at licensed premises
If you have been charged with a public order offence, call us before making any further statement to the police. Early advice protects your position.
Theft.
Theft-related offences cover a wide spectrum, from shoplifting and minor deception to robbery and housebreaking. Whatever the nature of the charge, the quality of your legal representation matters.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers have extensive experience defending theft charges at all levels of the criminal courts. We scrutinise identification evidence, challenge witness accounts, examine CCTV and forensic material, and ensure every available defence is properly investigated. In cases where conviction is likely, we present mitigation effectively to secure the best possible outcome.
Matters we advise on
- Theft
- Theft by housebreaking
- Robbery
- Attempted robbery
- Shoplifting and retail theft
- Embezzlement
- Receiving stolen goods
If you have been charged and are unsure of your position, call us for a free first consultation before entering any plea.
Fraud.
Fraud and benefit fraud allegations are among the most serious criminal matters prosecuted. They frequently involve complex legal and evidential issues, and the consequences of conviction, including imprisonment and financial penalties, can be severe.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers advise those accused of fraud offences at all stages, from investigation through to trial. These cases often involve extensive documentary evidence, expert financial analysis, and confiscation proceedings running alongside criminal charges. We work methodically through the evidence to construct a rigorous defence.
Matters we advise on
- Fraud
- Benefit fraud
- Identity fraud
- Forgery and counterfeit documents
- Embezzlement
- Computer misuse and online fraud
- Associated confiscation proceedings
Fraud prosecutions frequently overlap with civil recovery proceedings. We advise on the criminal matter and refer to specialists on the civil aspects where required.
Misuse of drugs.
Drug-related charges carry serious consequences including lengthy imprisonment, confiscation proceedings, and treatment and testing orders. The right legal advice from the point of arrest is essential.
Drug cases frequently involve complex evidential questions around stop and search procedure, the admissibility of forensic evidence, and the sufficiency of the case on knowledge and intent. McSporrans Defence Lawyers scrutinise procedure and evidence at every stage, challenging anything that falls below the required legal standard. Where a search that produced the drugs was unlawful, the evidence may be entirely inadmissible.
Matters we advise on
- Possession of a controlled drug
- Possession with intent to supply
- Supply of a controlled drug
- Being concerned in the supply of drugs
- Production or cultivation
- Importation of controlled substances
- Permitting premises to be used for drug supply
- Conspiracy to supply controlled drugs
Confiscation and proceeds of crime applications often run alongside criminal proceedings. We advise on the criminal matter and refer to specialists on asset recovery where needed.
Sexual offences.
Sexual offence cases require sensitive handling, absolute discretion, and highly experienced legal representation. An allegation alone can carry severe personal, professional, and social consequences. Early instruction is essential.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers advise clients from the point of police investigation, before any formal charge is made, through to trial. These cases often turn on credibility, the reliability of witness accounts, and corroboration. We ensure all available evidence is properly investigated and that you are fully informed at every stage of the process. All matters are handled with complete confidentiality.
Matters we advise on
- Rape and attempted rape
- Sexual assault
- Assault by penetration
- Indecent exposure
- Possession of indecent images
- Grooming and online sexual offences
- Historical sexual offences
- Voyeurism
- Sexual communication offences
If you are under investigation, do not speak to the police before taking legal advice. You have the right to have a solicitor present during any interview. Call us immediately on 0131 557 9151.
Murder or culpable homicide.
A charge of murder or culpable homicide is the most serious matter prosecuted in Scotland. It is heard on indictment in the High Court of Justiciary, and a conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence. Nothing matters more than instructing a solicitor at once.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers act in homicide cases from the first police interview through to trial. These prosecutions turn on forensic and pathology evidence, on the reliability of witness accounts, and on questions of intent that are rarely straightforward. We examine the Crown case in detail, instruct our own experts where it needs testing, and advise fully on the defences and pleas open to you, including self-defence, provocation, diminished responsibility, and the distinction between murder and culpable homicide. Counsel is instructed and prepared by us for the trial itself.
Matters we advise on
- Murder
- Attempted murder
- Culpable homicide
- Culpable homicide by unlawful act
- Causing death by dangerous driving
- Causing death by careless driving
- Art and part liability in homicide
- Assault to severe injury and to the danger of life
Say nothing to the police until you have spoken to a solicitor. You are entitled to have one present at any interview, at any hour of the day or night. Call 0131 557 9151.
Fixed penalties.
A fixed penalty looks like the quickest way to make a problem go away. Accepting one is an admission, and the points, the fine and the record that follow are difficult to undo afterwards. Take advice before you pay.
McSporrans Defence Lawyers advise on fixed penalty notices and conditional offers issued by the police and by the procurator fiscal, on the road and elsewhere. We explain plainly what accepting one means for your licence, your insurance and your record, and where the notice is wrong or the evidence behind it will not stand, we advise on rejecting it and defending the matter in court. Where penalty points would put you over the limit and a disqualification would cause exceptional hardship, we argue that case firmly.
Matters we advise on
- Fixed penalty notices for road traffic offences
- Conditional offers of fixed penalty
- Antisocial behaviour fixed penalty notices
- Speeding and mobile phone penalties
- Penalty points and totting up disqualification
- Exceptional hardship applications
- Rejecting a notice and defending in court
Do not pay a fixed penalty before taking advice. Many technical defences are only open to you while the matter is still live. Call us on 0131 557 9151.
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