CRAIG EDWARD: Labour councillor GUILTY of having indecent images of children

heaneymedia

2 years ago

By Lucy Ashton

Edward, pictured left, who now sits as an Independent, pleaded guilty to three charges involving 599 images and 93 videos. One image involved a baby.

The offences took place between March 6, 2016, and September 26, 2022, alleged Edward took or made himself indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at an address in Crown Avenue, Clydebank.

On September 21, 2022 – while he was distributing indecent images – he contacted a local newspaper asking when his next column was due for the paper.

He claimed he had been in hospital, but truth was that he had run off to England after his first appearance in court.

In June 2015, Edward was a founding member of Dalmuir and Mountblow Community Council and was elected as its first chairman, then later switching to vice-chairman.

He put himself forward to be selected for the SNP in the 2017 council elections but was rejected and then switched to Labour. In 2017, he was chairman of the Dalmuir Multi Storey Flats TRA.

Edward was elected as a Labour councillor in May 2022 after five years of ingratiating himself with multiple local organisations. He helped multiple Labour campaigns in that time.

After Labour retook West Dunbartonshire Council from the SNP, Edward was made convenor for housing and communities.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register and released on bail. West Dunbartonshire Council refuses to comment to The Democrat.

But prospective Community Party candidate Drew MacEoghainn said: “This is an utter disgrace, a guy who only got elected because he stood for Labour after leaving the SNP …. and is still being paid as a councillor in West Dunbartonshire. If this is legal we must close this loophole, it’s an affront to our area.”

Democrat editor Bill Heaney said: “Who knew about this? Secret Scotland has permeated the bones of our political system. Are all our councillors in it for themselves? Have they no respect for the press and public? Their refusal to comment shows they have no backbone. Mediocrity is writ large through politics right now. Democracy is a fragile flower which is being trampled on in Dumbarton. It’s time someone shouted stop.”

Sara Kirkwood commented on social media: “He didn’t just possess indecent images, he was making them. We Don’t Care – WDC did anything to remove him from official duties. Their silence on his charges and in this case are tantamount to allowing a predator to continue to prey on the most vulnerable in our community.”

She added: “Residents, tenants, councillors and trade unions should be demanding an inquiry. How many £millions are spent on a tokenistic historical abuse inquiry yet we are knowingly left represented by a predator.”

Drew MacEoghainn amplified what he said later: “As soon as these charges were levelled at him, due to their seriousness, he should have been suspended from all duties of a councillor. I know everyone is innocent until proven guilty but through his role as a councillor and the perception that these people are in some way to be trusted I honestly feel he should have been suspended.

“We cannot be too safe with our children and he has been allowed to parade about attending meetings putting staff in WDC in danger getting jobs whilst all the time he did not need to tell anyone he had been charged with having indecent photos and videos of children, charges he made no plea to!

“He has now pleaded guilty to having both videos and images some he made himself and is awaiting social inquiry reports being submitted to the Sheriff before sentencing.

“How many children were put in danger by this creep, danger only increased due to him waiting in his role as a councillor, you get suspended from your councillor role for criticising officers or criticising the council in general but you can wait in position until the courts finally comes to a decision.

“He has picked up a wage paid by us in West Dunbartonshire and all the time he was making sick perverted videos and images of children, the system needs to change.”

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