Sheriff Lothian retires

Published on Sunday 23 November 2008 13:18

A SHERIFF has retired following allegations about his private life it was confirmed today.

Andrew Lothian, 66, who was based at Edinburgh Sheriff Court took the decision to go yesterday.

He will now no longer hear any more cases on the Capital's bench.

"I can confirm that Andrew Lothian decided to retire with immediate effect following allegations about his private life," a spokeswoman for the Scottish Court Service said tonight.

Sheriffs usually carry on until they are 70, meaning that Sheriff Lothian has gone four years early.

Allegations about his personal life emerged in a Sunday newspaper.

The sheriff has presided over a number of high profile cases in the Capital.

Earlier this year he jailed an ambulance worker who pointed his camera phone at a woman patient's private parts as she lay half-naked in the back of his ambulance.

He also ruled last year that the NHS 24 system for dealing with calls was to blame for the delay in emergency treatment given to toddler Kyle Brown who died from meningitis in April 2006.