Latest Offenders Ayr

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Disgust as Ayrshire sex beast first aider worked at charity event while on bail

Scott Faulkner appeared at a string of events after being released on bail in 2021 including the Ayrshire Hospice Go Purple Walk.

A caged sex beast continued to work as a first aider despite facing trial for rape and abduction of a teenage boy.

Creep Scott Faulkner continued to carry out his job providing emergency care at major events.

The Ayrshire Post can reveal the shameless first aider from Cumnock attended a string of events between July 2021 and September 2021, despite being charged for offences in February of that year. 

The 34-year-old was jailed at Glasgow High Court last month for 12 years after he was previously convicted after a trail in Edinburgh of six charges.

But despite facing those charges in 2021, Faulkner popped up at UK music festivals as far away as London and Peterborough.

 

Scott Faulkner continued to work with now defunct Burnside Event First Aid (Image: Burnside Event First Aid) 

The then suspected rapist also appeared at events back home, including the Ayrshire Hospice Go Purple Event.

Another chilling image shows Faulkner smiling behind a mask as he raises his hands up in the air in celebration.

This week the Ayrshire Hospice have stressed they were unaware of charges Faulkner was facing and that he broke their trust by appearing at their event.

Burnside Event First Aid boss at the time, Jonathan Peffers, has claimed he wasn’t aware of Faulkner’s attendance at such events until this newspaper alerted him to Faulkner’s appearances.

 Scott Faulkner was sentenced at Glasgow High Court last month 

Following his arrest Faulkner was removed as director of Burnside Event First Aid with Jonathan Peffers appointment in March 2021, as listed on Companies House.

Mr Peffers who now owns his own first aid firm Skylark Event Medical Services claims he was “out of the country” when Faulkner ghosted in to work three events, including the Go Purple Walk.

A spokesperson for Skylark Events Medical Services: “Both Jonathan Peffers and Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd deplore the behaviour and actions of Scott Faulkner that were the subject of his conviction.

“Mr Peffers was not aware of Scott Faulkner’s behaviour and actions. After he was charged and released on bail, Scott Faulkner strenuously denied to Mr Peffers that he had committed the acts of which he was ultimately convicted.

“Following Scott Faulkner’s release on bail, Mr Peffers did not give authority for Mr Faulkner to attend any events. Mr Peffers was unaware until yesterday, (6 June 2023), that Mr Faulkner had attended an event at Ayrshire Hospice in September 2021.

“Mr Peffers was unaware until today (June 7, 2023) that Mr Faulkner had attended events in Peterborough and London in July 2021.

“Mr Peffers did not authorise Scott Faulkner’s attendance at these events, all of which occurred when Mr Peffers was out of the country. Neither Mr Peffers or Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd have a continuing relationship with Scott Faulkner.

“Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd prides itself on providing excellent medical and rescue support services for its customers’ events and the priority now is to continue working with those customers to ensure all their future events are adequately supported.”

Faulkner was put on the sex offenders list indefinitely

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Stewart Burgess, previously convicted of abusing two teenage boys in 2008, was described by police as a 'prolific offender' before being jailed again on Friday.

A 'prolific' Scots paedophile who preyed on children he was supposed to protect for 'years' has been jailed for a second time after another of his victims bravely spoke out about his abuse.

Sick Stewart Burgess, now 72, targeted boys in the 1980s while working as a senior house parent at Redheugh Adolescent Unit in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, which was run by the Salvation Army for vulnerable youngsters.

In 2008 he was found guilty of abusing two teenage boys in his care and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. New proceedings were raised after another former pupil came forward to report offending by Burgess at the unit.

During the trial at the High Court in Paisley last month, a jury heard the victim – now in his 50s - remains traumatised by abuse, which took place between 1984 and 1985.

Burgess, from Cumnock, was convicted of abusing this victim in similar ways he had to others. He was sentenced to three and half years in jail at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday April 21.

His name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Detective Inspector Gavin Chisholm of the Ayrshire Public Protection Unit said: “Stewart Burgess is a prolific offender whose abuse of children spanned many years. He abused his position of trust and we welcome today’s sentencing.

“I would like to recognise the bravery of the victim shown in reporting this and assisting us throughout the enquiry and court process which has been pivotal in securing this conviction.

“Investigating abuse of children and young people remains one of Police Scotland’s top priorities. Please be assured that no matter when a crime is committed, we will listen and we will investigate.”

Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offending, Fraser Gibson, said: “Stewart Burgess selfishly and callously abused young boys in his care. The victim in this case bravely came forward to report what happened to him as a child.

“His evidence of crimes which had not been dealt with previously allowed us to prosecute this offender again. I sincerely hope the victim finds some small comfort in holding Burgess accountable for his actions.

“COPFS prosecutors are committed to pursue justice for victims of child sexual abuse, no matter how long ago the offences occurred.

“I urge any victims of similar crime to have confidence that time is no barrier. Please come forward, report it and seek support.”

Redheugh is one of the institutions being investigated by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, chaired by Lady Smith. The unit closed in 1994.

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A fireman used social media to groom young girls across the UK and threatened to publish indecent images of them online.

Lewis MacLeod, 24, bombarded the teenagers with messages and live video calls, pressuring them over a three-year period to keep sending obscene pictures and footage to satisfy his perversions.

He was jailed after admitting the offences at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court and has been removed from his role in the fire service. 

 MacLeod, described as a high-risk sex offender, used the Snapchat platform to target his 15-year-old victims and show them pornography before begging them to carry out sex acts on themselves.

He threatened two of the girls that he would disclose the images and videos they sent him unless they supplied him with more.

A third victim was forced to strip and perform an indecent act after MacLeod vowed to expose her on social media unless she allowed him to access the private area of her Snapchat account.

MacLeod, of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, who changed his online profile when the girls tried to block him, was exposed after his victims gave statements to the police and officers seized his phone and electronic devices.

 He admitted six charges under the Sexual Offences and Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm Acts, carried out between April 2018 and February 2021.

Gordon Ghee, defending, told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court MacLeod “was taken from mainstream education due to his parents’ religious views and was home-schooled – he experienced substantial isolation from social situations and his peers”.

Sheriff Alistair Watson said the victims could never be certain if images of them would reappear.

He said he would have sentenced MacLeod to three years but, due to his age and background, would restrict it to 14 months. He also placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Dunlop of Police Scotland said: “MacLeod used social media to befriend and groom girls throughout the UK. He will rightly face the consequences of his actions and a lengthy period in prison.” 

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AN MAN convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls in Ardrossan has been jailed for four months.

Ben Anderson was found guilty of five charges following a trial in February and the 23-year-old appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week for sentencing.

Anderson, of Macadam Place, Ayr sexually assaulted a young female, who was then aged 12, at an address in Clyde Terrace, Ardrossan, on July 16, 2021 by holding her hand and cuddling her.

He also repeatedly made sexual remarks towards her and the court found that this offence was committed intentionally and for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the girl.

At the same address and on the same date, Anderson assaulted a 14-year-old girl by preventing her from leaving a room within the home and threatening her with violence.

He was also found to have sexually assaulted her by touching her face, attempting to kiss her on the neck, placing his arms around her and touching her buttocks.

A further guilty charge followed for communicating indecently with the 14-year-old by repeatedly making sexual remarks towards her.

Finally, Anderson was convicted of acting in an aggressive manner, shouting and swearing at the two girls and another, aged 13.

A not guilty verdict was returned for a charge of breaching a bail order granted in March 2021 which required Anderson to remain within his home each day between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

Defence solicitor Ian Gillies told Thursday’s hearing that his client had ten months left of a separate prison sentence for assault in Ayr, having been in custody since October last year.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser said her sentencing options were “limited somewhat”, but said Anderson “presents a high risk of reoffending”.

Mr Gillies told the court: “There was some alcohol involved so his memory of what happened may not be the best.

“For someone of his age and with his difficulties I would be asking your lordship not to extend his time in custody.

“He is quite keen to get his head down, get this matter resolved and get back into the community.”

Sheriff Fraser said: “You were found guilty of sexual offences involving young children, offences which clearly caused them significant distress.

“In the circumstances I consider a custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence here.”

Anderson was sentenced to four months in prison. He will also be subject to the sexual offender notification requirements for seven years.

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A sex offender has been spared jail after he was caught with videos of toddlers being raped and people having sex with dogs and horses.

Zacharia Al-Kindy was caught with the illegal films and pictures, which showed girls as young as two being abused, at the home he shares with his mum.

The 28-year-old's sickening haul was kept in the 'Downloads' folder of his laptop, which he kept in his bedroom.

His lawyer claimed he began seeking out the abuse material while dealing with the deaths of his dad and a sibling.

The details emerged yesterday when Al-Kindy, of Darvel, East Ayrshire, appeared in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court to be sentenced.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of possessing indecent images of children and being in possession of "extreme pornographic" images.

Prosecutor Meghan Glancey told the court that officers from Police Scotland obtained a search warrant for Al-Kindy's home.

On January 19, 2021, they attended his home and were granted entry by his mum, while he was not in.

A search revealed 123 indecent images of children on his laptop, 84 of which were the most extreme there is.

She told Sheriff George Jamieson that the images had been downloaded between August 12, 2020, and January 16, 2021, and that his stash even included a 33-minute-long video.

He also had 6 extreme porn images showing adults engaged in sex acts with dogs and horses.

Defence solicitor advocate Simon Brown said Al-Kindy, who is known as Zach, had fully complied with social workers interviewing him ahead of sentencing.

The lawyer said: "He has insight into his offending.

"He had a very difficult upbringing, suffering the death of his father and a sibling within a very short period of time and had a significant impact upon him.

"He kept himself to himself and was isolated, and that seems to have been the beginning of the rabbit hole he went down which resulted in this behaviour."

Sheriff Jamieson slammed Al-Kindy, saying people who access indecent images of children are giving a reason for the abuse to continue.

He then placed him on the Sex Offenders' Register and a Community Payback Order for the next three years.

He was told to attend the Moving Forward, Making Changes Programme, which helps sex offenders change their ways, and banned him from having any unsupervised conduct with anyone under the age of 16.

He also told him he was only allowed to own one mobile phone and one laptop and has to surrender them to social workers and the police to check, when asked.

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A paedophile who sexually abused an award-winning Scottish actress was today convicted of offences against two other children after she gave evidence against him for a second time.

Colin McKissock, now 70, was jailed for three years in 2017 for offences he committed against the star when she was aged just 11.

After reading reports of that case on the internet, a man went to Hertfordshire Police to say he had been a victim of McKissock when he was aged between 11 and 13 and was living in Watford.

A woman also told officers she had been touched by McKissock, who now lives in Northampton.

McKissock, who was released on bail pending sentencing next month so he could receive cancer treatment, was warned by a judge that he would be returning to prison.

The star, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a jury at St Albans Crown Court she had been groomed by McKissock who had 'blindsided her by sweets'.

In the 2017 case, Ayr Sheriff's court heard he exposed himself to her, showed her pornographic films and magazines, performed a sex act in her presence, used a sex aid, persuaded her to expose herself and perform a sex act.

He was also found guilty of indecent practises and behaviour towards a friend of hers.

McKissock, a retired bank worker and finance manager, from Bellinge, Northampton, was convicted of 13 charges: eight charges of indecent assault on a male, three charges of indecency with a child and two of indecent assault on a female.

The male victim from Watford said he was aged between 11 and 13 in the early 1990s when he went to McKissock's home after school where he found him in a dressing gown watching pornography on a television and masturbating.

He said McKissock got him to engage in sexual activity saying he was 'giving him an education'.

The female victim said she was aged 12 and 13 when he touched her on two occasions.

McKissock, who still denies the 1980s offences, said he never discussed sex with any of the children and did not have pornography on the television when they were present. He said he was not sexually interested in children.

Judge Richard Foster said McKissock will be sentenced on Friday March 18.

He granted McKissock bail as an 'act of mercy' so a treatment plan can be prepared for his diagnosis of cancer but he warned him: 'When you come back you will be going to prison so prepare yourself for that.'

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Victims of a vile double rapist who terrorised schoolgirls have spoken out after he was finally brought to justice.

Oliver Barrie was just 14 when he began subjecting girlfriends to horrific sexual and physical abuse more than seven years ago.

Now 22, he has been convicted of raping two of his exes, who were just 13 and 15 at the time, and punching them both on the body when they feared they might be pregnant.

Both victims told how evil Barrie, from Ayr, destroyed their lives and left them suffering long-term trauma.

They spoke out in the hope they can help other victims of abuse to find the courage to come forward.

One of the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: He took away my childhood. Im not the person I used to be and I still struggle every day because of what hes done to me.

Barrie was convicted after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last week and is now in custody awaiting sentence.

A jury convicted him of raping his first victim, a 13-year-old girl, between October 2013 and April 2014, when he was aged between 14 and 15.

He was also convicted of assaulting the schoolgirl at an Ayr property and in a car park on various occasions between April 2013 and July 2015, repeatedly punching her on the body when he believed she might be expecting a baby.

Now 21, she said: I met him when I was in first year and he was in third year.

Hes got a way with words and can talk his way into getting what he wants. He knows exactly what to say to make you feel guilty.

He became quite abusive very early on, saying, If you just hurry up and do it Ill stop nagging you. One minute he made you feel like such a special person then he would just turn.

He did all of this horrendous stuff to me when I was just a child.

The victim buried the abuse she suffered and began to struggle with her mental health because of it.

She said: I ended up going to therapy and that really helped me realise he was really dangerous. The victim only opened up about her experience after police arrived at her door following a report from Barries second victim.

She said: I decided I needed to speak out because hes a danger to every young woman. He really terrifies me.

Barries second victim was 15 when she was assaulted by him between June and December 2014, also fearing she was pregnant and being punched by him.

She was raped by him when she was 16 in June 2015.

Now 22, she said: He was very manipulative and cheated on me with 26 different people I know of. He secluded me from everyone and controlled every aspect of my life.

He would force me to stay on FaceTime all the time and abuse me saying, Do this and Ill stop asking. He would make me fall asleep on FaceTime so he knew I wasnt talking to anyone else.

It was a constant cycle and there was no relief. I felt trapped and didnt know what to do.

The victim said she confided in Barrie when she feared she was pregnant and was punched with full force in the stomach, leaving her on the floor in tears.

She didnt tell her parents what she had suffered for several years and only reported the abuse to police in 2018, with the support of Rape Crisis.

She said: I wanted to save other girls from going through what weve experienced.

Ive been diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, all as a result of what hes done.

Barrie will face sentence next month.

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A FORMER teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of child abuse.

Peter Toner, 61, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of sexually abusing five children between 1979 and 1983 when he was a house master at the former St Columba’s College in Largs, Ayrshire.

Officers from Ayrshire’s Divisional Rape Investigation Unit have been conducting enquiries after receiving a complaint in October 2016.

As a result of ongoing enquiries, officers identified other victims.

Detective constable Colin Jones said: “Peter Toner took advantage of his position of authority and committed these despicable crimes.

“It takes considerable courage for people to come forward and speak to the police about such crimes and I would like to pay tribute to the victims for their bravery.

“This sentence may give them some sense of justice, but it won’t undo the harm they have experienced which has been profound and long lasting.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of any sexual predator to come forward as it is never too late to report sexual abuse to us, no matter when it happened and no matter what the circumstances, they can be assured that they will receive every support from Police Scotland.”

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An Ardrossan man is facing jail for grooming what he thought was a 12-year-old girl after being stung by an online group targeting paedophiles. Garry Allmark, 46, was brought to justice with the help of a group known as the Scotland Anti Predator Alliance (SAPA). Operatives from the group snared Allmark online while he was living at a flat in Glasgow Street with his wife and eight-year-old son. They then arranged to meet him and confronted him over the vile messages he had sent to one of their decoys during a meeting at Harvie's. As well as sending a picture of a male penis, Allmark sent what he thought was a youngster pictures of women performing sex acts on themselves. He sent the 'child' so many messages SAPA operatives gave police 410 pages of print outs showing his texts. The details emerged this week when Allmark, who now lives in Burns Street, Irvine, appeared in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court for a pre-trial hearing. He struck a deal with prosecutors which saw him pleading guilty to one charge in exchange for another being dropped. He admitted a charge under Section 23 and 24(1) of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 by attempting to have sexual communication with a young child, and sending sexual pictures and videos to what he thought was an underage girl. The charge that was dropped stated he had tried to meet what he thought was an underage girl with the intention of having a sexual encounter with her. Procurator Fiscal Depute Jo Cunningham explained: "Between March 30, 2018, and May 5, 2018, the accused had been in communication with a person whom he assumed was a child under the age of 13. "The communication he had was, in fact, with the Scottish Anti Predator Alliance. "Following their contact with the accused, the Alliance contacted police and they provided them with hard copies of messages which had been exchanged between the accused and the 'child'. "Police, on receipt of the evidence, arrested the accused." Allmark was taken to Saltcoats Police Office where he was interviewed, confirming to police officers that "he had been in conversation with a female whom he believed to be 12 years of age." Miss Cunningham explained: "The majority were not all of a sexual nature however, when taken together, appear to be an attempt by the accused to groom the 12-year-old, and there were items of a sexual nature within them. "In addition to sending personal images to the 'child', he also sent her a photo of a male penis and images of a nude female masturbating. "When he engaged with the child it appears he also sent a number of images of himself to her." Allmark, who was assisted in court by a sign language interpreter, nodded during his police interview to confirm he'd had sexual conversations with the 'child' and that he knew it was illegal, but insisted he was "not a paedophile." Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane placed Allmark on the Sex Offenders' Register, called for background reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until next month for that to be done.

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A CROSSHOUSE hospital worker has been jailed after being caught with a haul of child sex abuse and bestiality images. Former Three Towns resident Christopher Anderson had access to thousands of patients personal details and medical records through his job in the records department at the hospital, and was found with more than 5,000 images of children as young as two-years-old being abused. He appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. The 29-year-old was also caught with images of adults engaged in sex acts with dogs after police raided his home in Irvine. Twisted Anderson also kept thousands of images on his phone and even carried two USB drives with him crammed full of abuse files. He was arrested at his work and taken to the police station to be questioned, where officers discovered the files were just the tip of the iceberg due to his mobile phone and his memory sticks. The details emerged when Anderson appeared in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last month to plead guilty over his sordid stash. He pleaded guilty to three charges - making child abuse images, possessing the illicit files, and being in possession of extreme pornographic material by having bestiality files, between March 2012 and September last year. He admitted his guilt after the date he began making and possessing the files was changed from March 2004 when he was 14. Procurator Fiscal Depute Peter Moyes said officers found a total of 4,957 still images and 195 films across the four devices, many of which were at the most extreme level. Sheriff Watson told Anderson: The number and categorisation of the images is very serious, some related to children as young as two. In my view theres no alternative but to send you to prison. He also made him the subject of a five-year-long Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). It requires him to inform Police Scotlands National Offender Management Unit about all his internet-abled devices, give them his usernames and passwords and bans him from deleting or altering his internet history. He is banned from having any contact with anyone under 17 and has to tell police if he has a relationship or makes friends with someone who has a child aged 17 or under. PatriciaLeiser, Human Resources Director for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: On being alerted to this issue, we can confirm we took immediate action and this individual no longer works for NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

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Logan was convicted of sexual offences in 2016 – when he was 17 – and was given a supervision order.

In June, at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, 20-year-old Logan had admitted to downloading images of the sexual abuse of young children between March 2014 and December 2017.

He had previously been convicted in 2016 of eight cases of sexual assault, one of those on a child who was six at the time. His existing supervision order was extended by three years and he was freed, and rehoused in Sim Street, Stewarton, which sparked the protests.

Logan pleaded guilty to downloading the extensive child pornography

“But he walked out to his family and was immediately given a mobile phone and rehoused by East Ayrshire Council.”

Neither the police nor any of the agencies involved is required to tell neighbours that the new tenant is a convicted sex offender. 

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A man who raped a student hours after attacking another woman has been jailed for eight years and eight months.

Thomas Robertson raped the 21-year-old as she walked home from a friend's flat in Stirling in February.

The victim feared she was going to die as Robertson held a lump of concrete over her head during the attack.

Robertson, who has previous convictions for robbery, pled guilty to charges of rape and assault with intent to rape.

Robertson, 27, was told by judge Lord Boyd he posed a danger to the public and was ordered to be monitored in the community for five years after his release.

Escaped and hid

The High Court in Glasgow heard that the 21-year-old was attacked at about 02:30 on 3 February.

She was at an underpass near the Customs Roundabout in Stirling when Robertson struck.

Prosecutor Gillian Ross said: "She thought she was not going to escape with her life."

The court heard that hours earlier, Robertson, of Saltcoats, Ayrshire, attacked a 22-year-old woman.

She had also been heading to her home in Stirling around 23:00 on 2 February when Robertson grabbed her in Bridgehaugh Road.

Robertson repeatedly punched the woman, then pulled her towards bushes, covered her mouth and brandished a length of wood at her.

The woman escaped and hid until she managed to call the police.

Defence QC Brian McConnachie said: "He has a significant record, but not for anything sexual up until now. He realises his offending has spiralled out of control."

Lord Boyd told Robertson: "In the course of a few hours you subjected your victims to significant sexual attacks with significant violence and threats."