SCOTT NOTMAN FROM LANARKSHIRE JAILED FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH SEX OFFENDER REGULATIONS

A convicted sex offender from Lanarkshire has been sentenced to a year in prison after deliberately avoiding police checks by living rough on the streets. Scott Notman, aged 49, who also has a history as a football hooligan, was found to have lied to law enforcement officers about his whereabouts when they attempted to conduct routine monitoring. The court heard that Notman falsely claimed he had been hospitalized during the period when police were actively seeking him.

Notman’s failure to disclose a change of address within the required three-day window led to his sentencing at Airdrie Sheriff Court. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years in July 2023 following his involvement in a paedophile sting operation. During this operation, authorities discovered that he had used an online dating platform to contact a female he believed to be only 14 years old. However, the individual he contacted was actually an adult member of a vigilante group posing as a minor to catch potential offenders. Notman had arranged to meet this person but failed to show up.

In October of this year, police officers from the sex offenders' monitoring unit made four visits to Notman’s residence in Airdrie as part of routine checks. Each time, there was no sign of him, and when housing officers arrived with an eviction notice, they also received no response. The situation prompted further investigation, which eventually led to his location.

On November 5, police traced Notman to a social work office in Bellshill. During questioning, he claimed that he had been in Monklands Hospital from October 18 to November 4. However, subsequent inquiries confirmed that he had indeed visited the hospital’s emergency department on November 3, where he was examined and subsequently discharged.

Prosecutor Annette Ward emphasized the seriousness of Notman’s actions, stating, “Police officers traced him in a social work office in Bellshill on November 5. He claimed he had been in Monklands Hospital between October 18 and November 4. Enquiries at the hospital established he'd attended the emergency unit on November 3 but was discharged after examination.”

Defence lawyer Tony Linden acknowledged that Notman’s status as a sex offender had left him feeling extremely low. He explained, “As remarkable as it seems, he chose to leave his house, preferring to sleep rough. Of course, the first thing he was required to do was tell the police, given the clear concerns that arose from them not knowing where he was.”

Sheriff Joseph Hughes addressed Notman directly, warning him of the gravity of his non-compliance. “Your record shows breaches of non-harassment and community payback orders. This is another example of non-compliance and it's really serious. It can't be allowed to continue as you are on the sex offenders' register until 2028.”

Notman’s criminal history also includes a 2021 conviction for assault, where he was jailed for 15 months after unprovokedly breaking a football fan’s jaw following a match between Hearts and Motherwell. His repeated breaches and failure to adhere to legal obligations highlight ongoing issues with compliance and public safety.