Scottish Government

Statistics Release

21 November 2006
Revised September 2007 - see Note 7

HOMICIDE IN SCOTLAND, 2005/06 - STATISTICS PUBLISHED

Figures published today by the Scottish Executive reveal that Scottish police recorded 92 victims of homicide in 2005/06, 45 fewer than in 2004/05 and the lowest annual total since 1990/91.

Summary information on homicides recorded in 2005/06, as known to the Scottish Executive on 8 November 2006, is given below, (the full statistical bulletin Homicide in Scotland is published every two years and will next be published at end 2007).

Number of Cases and Victims of Homicide ( Table 1)

In 2005/06, there were 92 cases currently recorded as homicide by the police. These cases resulted in the death of 92 victims, 45 fewer than in 2004/05. The number of homicide victims per million population was 18 in 2005/06, compared with 27 in 2004/05.

Homicide Cases by Police Force Area ( Table 2)

There were decreases between 2004/05 and 2005/06 in the number of homicide cases recorded in all police force areas except for Dumfries and Galloway (number unchanged at 3) and Tayside up from 4 to 7). Sixty-seven per cent of homicide cases recorded in 2005/06 took place in the Strathclyde Police Force area.

Sex and Age of Victims ( Table 3 and Chart 1)

The rate for males - 32 victims per million population - was over six times the rate for females - five per million population. There were 79 male victims of homicide in 2005/06, 86 per cent of the total. Male victims in the 31 to 50 age group represented the highest rate with 59 homicides per million population.

Chart 1: Homicide victims per million population, by age and sex, 2005/06

Method of Killing ( Table 4 and Chart 2)

Homicide victims killed by the use of a sharp instrument decreased from 72 in 2004/05 to 34 in 2005/06, a drop of 53 per cent. These victims represented just over a third (37 per cent) of all homicide victims in 2005/06; in previous years this category accounted for around half of all homicides.

Chart 2: Homicide victims, by method of killing, 2005/06

Relationship of Main Accused to the Victim ( Table 5)

For 89 of the 92 homicide victims in 2005/06, one or more accused persons have been identified. The main accused was known to over three-quarters of these victims: 18 per cent of victims were presumed to have been killed by a partner; 10 per cent by a relative; and 49 per cent by an acquaintance. The proportion of victims who were killed by a stranger or where the relationship between the victim and accused was unknown, was 22 per cent, similar to the proportion reported in each of the previous 4 years.

Sex and age of accused ( Table 6)

A total of 138 accused persons had been identified for the homicide cases recorded in 2005/06. As in previous years most (87 per cent) of these were male. Over half (55 per cent) of all accused were males aged 16 to 30.

Drink/drugs ( Table 7 and Chart 3)

Sixty-five per cent of the total of 138 persons accused in homicide cases in 2005/06 were reported to have been drunk or on drugs at the time (41 per cent were drunk, 9 per cent were on drugs and 15 per cent were both drunk and on drugs). Twenty five (18 per cent) accused persons were reported not to have been under the influence of drink or drugs. The drink/drug status was not known for the remaining 22 (16 per cent) accused.

In 2005/06 17 victims (18 per cent of all homicide victims) were reported to have been killed in a drug related homicide, i.e. a homicide motivated by the need to obtain drugs (or money for drugs), homicide of a supplier or consumer of drugs in order to steal proceeds of drug trade or homicide as a consequence of rivalry within the trade/between users or dealers.

Chart 3: Drink/drug status of accused, 2005/06

Current Status of Cases

Forty-eight (52 per cent) of the 92 homicides recorded in 2005/06 have so far resulted in a conviction for murder (27 cases) or culpable homicide (21 cases).

Notes on statistics included in this Release

1. This Statistics Release (and the biennial bulletins) gives details on cases of homicide - that is murder and common law culpable homicide. Causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs are excluded. (In 2005/06 there were 26 such crimes recorded by the police, including 1 of causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.)

2. The summary figures presented are derived from information provided by the police on each case they initially record as homicide. A single case of homicide is counted for each act of murder or culpable homicide irrespective of the number of perpetrators or victims.

3. A homicide case is included against the year in which it is recorded by the police. This is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place, the year in which the accused is brought to trial for the crime, or the year in which the case is finally disposed of by the courts.

4. The figures given in this Statistics Release are as known to the Scottish Executive on 8 November 2006. The initial classification of a case as homicide is made by the police; this will generally be murder. This classification may be altered as a result of decisions taken in the course of criminal proceedings. Some cases initially classified as homicide will, on the basis of criminal proceedings, no longer be classified as such at a later date. This happens in cases where it is found that a homicide had not in fact taken place at all, for example where the main accused person is found guilty of a lesser offence, such as serious assault; or where the decision has been made not to proceed with the case, for example if it is concluded that the victim committed suicide. For these reasons, and as a result of continual data checking, the figures for 2005/06 and for previous years which will appear in the next bulletin may differ slightly from those given here.

5. The population data used to calculate the rate figures given in Tables 1, 3 and 6 and in Chart 1 are the relevant mid-year population estimates prepared by the General Register Office for Scotland.

6. This Statistics Release may be viewed on the Scottish Executive Internet Web Site: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00537

7. The figures in this publication were updated on 24 ^th September 2007. This is because an error was discovered in the figures relating to the reported influence of alcohol and drugs on the accused at the time of the homicide. The revision affects Chart 3 and Table 7. Furthermore, Note 6 of the original publication stated that it contained a duplicate homicide case that was identified after the publication was finalised. The updated figures in this publication exclude this duplicate case.