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Sheriff Frazer said: "The offence is very serious given that a resident died in the home who were responsible for her care. "There was a clear and unambiguous plan in place to supervise and oversee her eating of the food that was prepared for her." He placed the level of harm by the company's Health and Safety failings at the highest. But the sheriff accepted it was not a deliberate act or "a flagrant disregard of the law" and placed their culpability level at medium. He added: "My real concern is the record of previous convictions. "Account must be taken of the fact that the company has four previous convictions in Scotland within the last six years. "All of which have been dealt with by fines ranging from £200,000 to just over £800,000." Defending, Peter Gray KC said HC-One had at the time experienced a staffing crisis largely due to Covid and offered his client's "deepest sympathies." The court heard that the firm went on to sell the home in 2023. Sheriff Frazer said a potential fine of £2.5m was reduced due to the company's early plea and other legal factors. A spokesperson for HC-One Scotland said: "We would like to extend our deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the family of Mrs Campbell at this difficult time. The safety and wellbeing of all our residents is our highest priority, and we have been shocked and saddened by the events that transpired in 2022. "We are clear that this incident should never have happened, and we hope that today's conclusion can bring a sense of closure to those who knew and loved Mrs Campbell."
