Rangers case sheriff accused of an Ibrox bias

A sheriff who granted an unlawful warrant during a police probe into the takeover of Rangers FC is to be investigated over claims his support for the club compromised his impartiality.

Ex-Rangers administrator David Grier filed a formal complaint about Sheriff Lindsay Wood.

Grier claims that Wood’s support for Rangers biased his judgment and led to the signing of an illegitimate warrant which allowed police to raid a London office connected to Grier and two other Rangers administrators.

In 2014, the financial expert was charged with fraud over the club’s administration. However, everybody arrested during the probe was acquitted of any wrongdoing.

Despite this, many Rangers supporters believe that Grier and his colleagues did not do enough to prevent the club’s demise.

Wood signed a warrant that allowed officers to raid the London offices of a law firm representing Grier’s firm. The operation was later ruled to have been an abuse of power. Grier has now submitted a formal complaint to the Judicial Office for Scotland, alleging that Wood’s close affinity to Rangers meant that he should not have been involved in issuing warrants to investigators.

Grier said: “Sheriff Wood is a lifelong and vociferous supporter of Rangers Football Club.

“He was far too close to the club to be granting warrants to allow investigation into its demise.”

The Judicial Office for Scotland said: “If a conduct complaint were received in respect of any member of the judiciary, it would be dealt with thoroughly and rigorously on a confidential basis in accordance with the Judiciary (Scotland) Rules 2017.

“It would not be appropriate for a sheriff to comment on any case that has been dealt with through the court process.”