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  4. Criminal convictions up 4% in latest year, new figures show

Criminal convictions up 4% in latest year, new figures show

16th December 2014 | criminal law

The total number of offenders convicted in Scottish courts rose for the first time in seven years last year, according to official figures published today.

A rise in convictions for road traffic offences is said to be behind the 4% increase, to an overall figure of 105,549.

Convictions for motor vehicle offences were up 14% from 35,453 in 2012-13 to 40,258 in 2013-14. This tallies with an increase in the number of financial penalties imposed, which was up 8% to 57,812.

Convictions for non-sexual crimes of violence saw falls and, in particular, convictions for homicide and “attempted murder and serious assault” both declined by 20% in the year, but convictions for sexual crimes were up 22%, following similar trends to those seen in police recorded crime.

The number of convictions resulting in a custodial sentence fell by 5% to 14,101 in 2013-14, but the average length of sentence (excluding life sentences) increased to around nine and a half months, 3% longer than in 2012-13 and 28% longer than the seven and a half months recorded in 2005-06.

The average custodial sentence for handling an offensive weapon is now 374 days, over three times higher than in 2004-05.

In the past 10 years, the number of convictions for younger people has fallen at much faster rates than for older people. Convictions for people aged under 21 were down by 11% to 10,613 people, despite the overall rise.

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