First Music Download Conviction In Scotland

The first person in Scotland to be convicted of downloading music illegally has been put on probation for three years.

Anne Muir, 58, from Ayshire, was caught with more than 30,000 files worth an estimated £54,792 in the mainstream market.

The mother-of-three was sentenced at Ayr Sheriff Court, according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Muir, an auxiliary nurse at Ayr hospital, was caught with the files at home by police on June 27, 2008.

The swoop followed a joint investigation with the British Recorded Music Industry (BPI) - the body which represents the UK record industry.

Officers removed computer equipment and found 7,493 digital music files and 24,243 karaoke files.

The search also revealed that she was part of a "sharing hub", which meant users within her network could download music from her.

Muir pleaded guilty to a charge of distributing articles which she had reason to believe were copyrighted without a licence, to such an extent as to affect the owner of the copyright.

At an earlier hearing, defence lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi said his client had not used the network for financial gain but to build up her self-esteem.

"She has expressed genuine remorse for this and is severely embarrassed about it," he added.