Judges throw out abusive foster carer appeal

Image caption, Sandra Harper was convicted at Peterhead Sheriff Court

An appeal to quash the conviction of an abusive foster carer in Aberdeenshire has been thrown out by judges.

Sandra Harper, who died following her conviction last October, abused children in her care between 1985 and 2002.

She was ordered to carry out 300 hours community of service at Peterhead Sheriff Court.

Relatives claimed it was a miscarriage of justice, but judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh refused their appeal.

The trial had heard how Harper struck children in her care, and also shouted and swore at them.

A sheriff said she had been "nasty, verbally abusive, cruel, vindictive, violent" towards her victims.

Defence advocate Ximena Vengoechea told appeal judges that Sheriff Ian Wallace, who presided over the trial, had not explained the law properly when addressing jurors at the trial.

However, the appeal court could not find any fault with how Sheriff Wallace spoke to the jury.

Lord Doherty said: "The appeal is refused."