Complaint upheld after Natalie McGarry subjected to motorway pursuit
Natalie McGarry said the behaviour of the staff from The Scottish Sun was "intimidating and reckless" and put her family at risk when they drove at speed on a motorway after setting off from Inverkeithing.
In a complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), she said the behaviour – which happened in May this year – was exacerbated by the fact that her young child was in the car.
The watchdog ruled that there had been a breach of Clause three (Harassment) of the Editors' Code of Practice and ordered the Scottish Sun to carry the ruling in its paper and on its website.
A complaint had been lodged following the paper's publication of a story which had the headline 'Nat’s nicking about again' which spoke about her being spotted after her release from prison following her conviction for stealing £19,974 while treasurer of Women For Independence. However, McGarry lodged the complaint about the the conduct of two reporters who worked for the publication. She said that on May 13, she travelled, via car with her husband and child, from her parents home in Inverkeithing to a property owned by other family members. During the journey, they were followed by a photographer who pursued them in his car. Once they had joined the motorway, McGarry became aware of another car and, while travelling on the motorway, the two cars swapped positions with each other to “sandwich” her car. She also said that the cars had left and re-joined the motorway at junctions to reappear in front and behind her car, and that this continued for nearly 40 miles.