Prisoner transportation firm GEOAmey an ‘absolute disgrace’

Hamilton Sheriff Court (Google Street View)

Defence solicitor Matthew McGovern tweeted that GEOAmey’s service was an “absolute disgrace” after highlighting a delay of more than 10 hours in bringing accused persons to Hamilton Sheriff Court from a police station less than 10 miles away.

He said: “It is an appalling way to treat an accused person who retains the presumption of innocence and it is putting unacceptable pressures on everyone else involved in the criminal justice system.”

Mr McGovern said solemn trials were being “disrupted on a near daily basis because GEOAmey are not bringing accused persons out for their trial”.

“These delays are having an impact on not only accused but also victims, witnesses and jurors and nothing is happening to hold GEOAmey to account for their complete disregard for the Court. If I provided a client with the level of service GeoAmy are providing, instructions would have been withdrawn long ago but GEOAmey seem to face no sanction. Why?”

He pointed out that Hamilton Sheriff Court has introduced a policy in which, with the consent of a solicitor, a jury “can be balloted in the absence of the accused” and that we have now gone “through the looking glass”.

He concluded: “The only question left to ask is: who runs the courts – [Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service] or GEOAmey?”

A GEOAmey spokesperson said: “On Monday at Hamilton Sheriff Court we had 49 persons to transport, process, supervise and escort. The court has a holding capacity for a maximum of 18 persons. This presented significant logistical and operational challenges as it isn’t known how long each individual case will take in court.

“We share the ambition of our justice sector partners to ensure the smooth running of our courts and will continue to work with them to see where improvements to the service can be identified.”

An SCTS spokesperson said: “Delays in the transportation of prisoners and accused people by GEOAmey is causing unacceptable disruption to court programmes. We are liaising with Scottish government and Scottish Prison Service, as contract holder, to secure improvements.”