Convict costs hit £1.1m

NEARLY £1.1 million has been spent by courts in Edinburgh ordering psychiatric assessments of newly-convicted offenders in the last three years.

A total of £897,156 was spent by judges at the High Court in Edinburgh ordering the assessments by medical experts after an accused had been convicted between April 2008 and March last year.

Another £182,495 was spent on psychiatric assessments at Edinburgh Sheriff Court during the same period.