GLASGOW'S Lord Provost has pledged £5000 to reunite a Scots mother with her four young children, who face being put into care in the US unless she can find the cash to fly them home to Scotland.
Sadie Docherty came forward with the donation from her office's goodwill fund after reading about the plight of Sandra Stirling in the Sunday Herald.
Stirling, 42, has not seen her four children since she was picked up by immigration officials just days after Christmas in 2010 over a conviction for a $300 cheque fraud. She spent the next 12 months in jail, before being deported back to Scotland in December last year. After her return, Stirling was living in Women's Aid accommodation in Glasgow.
In the meantime, her abusive former partner of 13 years, Richard Agee – the father of her four children – was arrested and charged with first-degree assault for an alleged attack on his new girlfriend. The 60-year-old is now facing up to five years in prison if he is convicted at trial in January, leaving the children – twins Tyreece and Molly, eight, Lavante, nine, and Louise, 11 – without either parent.
Although the children are joint British-US nationals, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has told Stirling it is "unable to use public funds to pay for flights". It leaves her with a £5000 bill for British passports and flights for the youngsters and an adult escort – otherwise they will be placed in foster care in the US.
Docherty said: "As a mother, I couldn't begin to think how she must feel with her children being in America, their dad potentially going to prison and the children going into a care system."
The cash comes from a fund established two years ago with a £250,000 donation from Glasgow philanthropist Willie Haughey, to allow the Lord Provost to give to good causes and citizens in urgent need.
Docherty said: "When I saw this case in the paper, I brought it in the next day and said, 'I think this is the type of thing I'd like to see the Lord Provost's fund being spent on'."
Alison McKay, a solicitor in family law at Glasgow firm PRG Partnership, took up Stirling's case when it was first reported by the Sunday Herald last month.
She said: "We now need to sort out the legalities. For example, whether the children can stay in Scotland and more importantly what would happen if their father withdrew his consent at the last minute."
Sandra White, SNP MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, has raised the case with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and has requested a written guarantee from the Home Office that they would not oppose the children settling permanently in Scotland.
Stirling first emigrated to the US in 1992 to wed her US sailor boyfriend. However, the marriage broke down and Stirling went on to form a new relationship with Agee.
After repeatedly suffering domestic abuse, she reported him to the police in 2008 – but, angry after Agee's arrest, his stepdaughter from a previous relationship accused Stirling of forging her signature to pocket state childcare cheques worth $300 (£190).
Stirling was charged with fraud and spent seven months in jail awaiting trial. Agee, against whom she had not pressed charges, walked free. Stirling denies fraud but said she eventually pled guilty to avoid jail. She was subsequently targeted by immigration officials.
However, she is now feeling optimistic for the first time since the nightmare began, saying: "If it wasn't for the Sunday Herald I wouldn't be where I am now. I'm just hoping to have the children here soon."
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