BRIAN MCCUTCHEON CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AT CAMBUSLANG COMMUNITY HALL

In July 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Brian McCutcheon, a man known for his impersonation of the legendary Scottish king Robert the Bruce. McCutcheon, aged 54, gained notoriety for his appearance at the Bannockburn commemorations, where he donned full regalia to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Bruce's historic victory over Edward II's English forces outside Stirling. His portrayal drew widespread media attention, including features in newspapers across the UK and interviews in France and Germany, with an audience of approximately 20,000 people.

However, beneath this public persona, a darker truth was uncovered. McCutcheon was implicated in a serious criminal investigation concerning the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. The investigation was initiated after police received reports that someone was accessing and sharing such illicit material online from a community hall in Blantyre, where McCutcheon was employed as a hall caretaker.

Authorities acted swiftly, executing a search warrant at the community hall in Cambuslang, where McCutcheon was known to work. Initially, officers also searched his home but left empty-handed, finding no incriminating evidence there. The focus then shifted to the hall itself, where police discovered four laptops stored in a cupboard. A forensic examination of these devices revealed the presence of highly disturbing content.

One of the laptops contained multiple images depicting children being subjected to abuse, along with five videos of a similarly depraved nature. The investigation uncovered a total of nine indecent images and five videos, all of which depicted acts of child abuse at an appalling level of depravity. CCTV footage from the community hall further implicated McCutcheon, showing him using one of the laptops at the same time the illicit images were being accessed and sent.

During the court proceedings at Hamilton Sheriff Court, McCutcheon admitted to the charge of distributing indecent images of children. The timeline of the offense spanned from January of the previous year to January of this year, with the images being shared from the community hall where he worked. The depute fiscal, Mairi-Clare McMillan, emphasized that the hall was McCutcheon's workplace and that the sharing of such material occurred from the router in the hall.

Further investigations revealed that a search of McCutcheon's home did not yield any evidence of illicit material, but the discovery of the laptops at the hall was significant. Cybercrime officers conducted an on-site examination, confirming the presence of indecent images and messaging activity on one of the devices. CCTV footage corroborated the timeline, showing McCutcheon in possession of the laptop during the time the images were accessed.

As a result of these findings, Sheriff Linda Nicolson deferred sentencing until next month to allow for reports to be prepared. McCutcheon was placed on the sex offenders' register, and the seized laptop was handed over to prosecutors for further action. The case has cast a shadow over McCutcheon's previous public image, which was once associated with Scottish heritage and cultural commemoration.