Latest Offenders Fife

Description

A nappy-obsessed Fife predator sent sick videos and pictures of himself to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register ahead of sentencing next month.

Description

A convicted sex offender has been jailed for nine years for a catalogue of abuse he committed more than three decades ago.

Charles Donnelly repeatedly raped a younger woman and subjected a boy and girl to sex crimes in Fife throughout a 16-year period.

Judge Lady Carmichael told the 70-year-old at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had caused "lasting harm" to his victims.

Donnelly was previously jailed for seven years in 2015 for sex offences and after his release from that jail term was recalled to prison for breaching his licence by being in the company of a child.

He was due to stand trial at the High Court earlier this year facing a series of further charges when he pled guilty to four offences, in what police called a "complex and disturbing case."

The first involved the repeated rape of a younger woman between January 1977 and September 1981 at addresses in a Fife village.

The victim said Donnelly was "helping himself to sex" despite her telling him "no".

She made it clear to him that she did not want sex but Donnelly ignored her and repeatedly assaulted and raped her, the court heard.

His second victim was a young boy who Donnelly spanked before committing a serious indecent assault at a house in Dunfermline on an occasion between September 1976 and September 1979.

His third victim was a girl who was subjected to prolonged abuse from the age of five by Donnelly at addresses in a nearby village beginning in 1983.

The sex offender told his young victim not to tell anyone as she would get into trouble if she did.

Donnelly molested the child and carried out sex acts on himself in her presence. He admitted two offences of indecent behaviour towards the girl, committed between 1983 and 1992.

'Immense courage'

Det Con Karen Nairn, of the non recent child abuse investigations team, said the victims had shown "immense courage" in reporting the crimes.

She added: "It is right that Donnelly now has to face the consequences of his disgraceful actions.

"My thoughts remain with the victims and their families. This conviction is a direct result of them coming forward."

Defence counsel Michael Anderson KC said Donnelly, who was held in prison awaiting his trial, had been through "significant difficulties of his own throughout his life".

He said Donnelly's previous experience of custody following his sentencing in 2015 had proved difficult for him.

He added that Donnelly had not offended since 1994.

Lady Carmichael ordered that he should be monitored in the community for a further five-year period following his jail term.

During that time, he will be under licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its conditions.

Donnelly was told by a video link to prison that he will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following his sentencing today.

Description

A child molester who subjected youngsters to repeated sexual abuse and violence during a campaign of cruelty was today (Friday) jailed for nine years.

Thomas Dow (41) carried out a spree of assaults and rape against three victims in crimes spanning 14 years.

Dow preyed on two girls and a boy at addresses in Inverkeithing and Rosyth, and on car trips when he was supposed to be caring for the children.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had effectively robbed victims of their childhood.

Judge John Morris KC said: "Only a very substantial prison sentence is appropriate for the crimes of which you were convicted."

He ordered that Dow, formerly of Park Road, Lhanbryde, in Moray, should also be monitored for a further two-year period when he can be returned to prison if he breaches the terms of his licence.

Dow had denied a series of charges during an earlier trial but was found guilty of 13 offences committed between June 2003 and December 2017, including crimes of rape, sexual assault, assault and indecent conduct. The court heard that Dow continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Dow began targeting one girl when she was aged seven and subjected her to repeated assaults during which she was hit, punched and kicked on the head and body.

She was also pushed about, struck with a brush and grabbed by the head and hair. The child abuser repeatedly sexual molested her and raped her.

He preyed on a second girl from the age of three and subjected the child to repeated violence. During it she was kicked, punched and pushed, shouted at and threatened.

Dow also put a hand over her mouth and nose, restricting her breathing and hit her with a remote control and other objects.

He also assaulted a boy from the age of three who was punched, kicked, pushed and struck and threatened with violence. The child was also subjected to repeated indecent assaults by Dow.

One victim told the court that she did not like it when Dow was looking after her "because he was abusive".

The woman said: "He would hit me, be verbally abusive to me and be sexually abusive.

"Sometimes he would be quite a happy drunk. Sometimes he would be quite an angry drunk. I was scared he would have another drink and become angry."

The former deliveryman claimed that the victims were lying in their evidence and that he was not a bully.

Defence counsel Michael Anderson KC said: "If there is an alcohol problem in the background he is motivated to deal with it."

Dow was told he would be placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following the sentencing.

Description

A Fife masseuse who sexually assaulted a client has lost his job, wife and home.

Mark Robertson was giving a massage to a woman in her 20s at his home on February 9 this year.

A trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard she was lying on her back when 32-year-old Robertson’s technique caused her to arch her back in discomfort.

The woman, whose eyes were covered with a pillow, described feeling a wet mouth on her breast.

He was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial.

Maintains innocence

Robertson, of Dalgety Bay, returned to the dock this week to be sentenced after social work reports were prepared

His solicitor David McLaughlin said: “My Lord will see his previous work ethic. He’s someone who, in the past, always tried to challenge himself.

“Mr Robertson maintains his innocence.

“He’s had some personal difficulties.

“Mr Robertson is 32, he is a first offender, he has nothing before the courts other than this.

“It is a serious matter. There are aggravating factors.

“Mr Robertson was in a position of trust.

“The victim was in a vulnerable position.

“Because of that, notwithstanding his position as a first offender… this is a matter which crosses the custody threshold.”

Trial evidence

At the conclusion of the trial, Sheriff Francis Gill said he found the woman’s evidence was given in a straightforward manner and both credible and reliable.

Prosecutor Catherine Stevenson previously told the court: “The accused started breathing heavily and pulling her into him and then touched her breast with his mouth, without her consent.

“She immediately reacted and asked the accused what he was doing, which emphasised this was contact which was not consensual.”

Ms Stevenson said Robertson immediately apologised but the distressed woman reported him.

Robertson claimed contact was accidental with the “side of his face” and not his mouth.

The court heard Robertson had only massaged between five and ten people prior to the incident, also sent the woman an apology message afterwards for providing an unsatisfactory service.

Sheriff Gill said he did not find Robertson’s explanation plausible and found him guilty of the sexual assault.

Lost everything

Mr McLaughlin continued: “Because of what he has been found guilty of, Mr Robertson has begun to lose much of his life.

“The first of those things was his job – it was a good job.

“However, that was lost because of the actions he was found guilty of.”

Mr McLaughlin said that Robertson’s marital difficulties have been “exacerbated” and he and his wife now live apart.

“The mortgage that he has with his wife, he is unable to keep up repayments.

“A process has begun whereby the house will be sold.

“In effect, he’s lost his job, his marriage and his house.

“His reaction was to step away from matters and apologise to the complainer.

“That might tell My Lord that this was a fleeting incident which Mr Robertson regrets deeply.”

Register

Sheriff Francis Gill placed Robertson under supervision and on the Sex Offenders Register for six months.

He said: “Mr Robertson, as I explained to you at the day of the trial, I did not believe your version of events.

“It was clear from her evidence that she was extremely frightened and distressed by the incident and that had a big impact on her.

“Although this is your first offence, it is a serious matter.

“Having regard to what’s been said on your behalf today, I am persuaded to follow the recommendation in the criminal justice social work report.”

Description

A paedophile Fife joiner who secretly snapped a naked picture of a 15-year-old girl with a hidden camera has been told he deserved to be jailed.

Voyeur Blair Mackie was caught with a perverted picture on his tablet.

The covertly taken picture of the girl, standing naked in her bedroom, was uncovered by her mother.

Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane rejected his claim he was not sexually motivated and told him his victim and her mother no doubt wanted him locked up and the key thrown away, adding, you deserve that.

However, given the length of the maximum sentence available to her, the sheriff decided punishment in the community would be more beneficial.

Mackie, a joiner who works on new-build houses, is now on the Sex Offenders Register and must not have contact with anyone under 16 unless he gains prior approval from the authorities.

Family blasts delusional Mackie

Speaking after the sentencing, the girls mother explained she was receiving cancer treatment when she made the gut-wrenching discovery.

She explained Mackies victim stopped attending school and required anti-depressants and sleeping tablets.

She wasnt herself, she said.

The girls mother said, while their custody wish was not delivered, they believe Mackies business will take a significant hit from the court-imposed conditions.

I got upset because I was hoping he would get time.

Hes obviously delusional, talking about it not being sexually motivated.

Who wakes up one day and puts a camera in a childs bedroom?

Hes definitely not wired up right.

Weve been waiting on this coming its been a long two years.

She used to be so happy and confident. Shes a completely different wee girl.

Creep took illicit picture

49-year-old Mackie previously admitted that between May and November 2021, he covertly recorded a 15-year-old girl, naked, in her bedroom at a property in Fife with the intention that he or another would view it.

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the girls mother found the photo in the recently-deleted section of Mackies tablets camera roll.

The girl was completely unaware the image had been taken, from what appeared to be dressing unit.

Her mother confronted Mackie and asked him to explain himself.

He denied being responsible and told her: Dont do anything rash.

Unbelievable behaviour

The sheriff said: Mr Mackie, you might appreciate that these are the cases that sheriffs find most difficult to deal with because we have to comprehend unbelievable behaviour, and try to satisfy all the factors that we have to take into account.

I have no doubt that the complainer and the complainers mother, would like me to send you to prison today and throw away the key you deserve that because I have no idea how you would begin to actually comprehend this.

You betrayed trust terribly and I have no idea why.

You say it wasnt sexual motivation but I dont believe that.

I could send you to prison today (but) I would have to discount it you would ultimately serve five months in prison.

I dont think thats going to be of benefit to anyone.

Im going to make sure that theres no contact between you and the complainer for some years.

Sheriff McFarlane imposed a one-year supervision order and made him subject to registration requirements for as long.

For the orders duration, Mackie must only stay at approved accommodation, have no unauthorised contact with under-16s and must declare any friendships or relationships to social workers.

The sheriff imposed a four-month restriction of liberty order, keeping him in his home at Balbirnie Avenue in Markinch between 7pm and 7am each night.

She also made non-harassment orders to protect the girl and her mother from any contact for three years.

Mitigation

Mackies solicitor Aaron Thomson said his client has previous road traffic convictions and experience of custody.

Mr Mackie has displayed a significant level of remorse.

He recognises that his actions were wrong.

He regrets his actions and he understands this was a significant invasion of the privacy of the complainer.

He fully recognises he abused his position of trust.

He clearly recognises the impact his behaviour has had.

Mr Thomson said his clients motivation was curiosity, not sexual gratification.

He accepts, of course, it can be inferred that his curiosity related to a sexual motivation and there can be little to no other explanation for his actions.

Description

A Fife man has been sentenced after admitting sending a picture of his penis and sexually explicit comments to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

Alan Somerville, 45, believed he was communicating online to a girl called ‘Lexi Mae’ but was actually speaking to an adult pretending to be the child.

Last month, he pled guilty to attempting to cause an older child to view a sexual image and attempting to communicate indecently with them between August 5 and 9 last year from an address in Burntisland.

This week, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years and given a child contact ban, internet restrictions and a supervision order.

Mitigation

Solicitor David McLaughlin explained his client had recently had a stroke, his marriage had broken down and he has lost contact with his children.

The lawyer said first offender Somerville has a “sense of shame.”

“He takes full responsibility for this, he doesn’t seek to excuse his actions.

“The reality is he thought he was communicating with a certain person.

“As a first offender and someone who has never before been in custody, there are various alternatives.

“A community payback order is put forward as one possibility.”

‘Serious offences’

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff Steven Borthwick imposed a three-year community payback order.

Somerville will be supervised during this period and must complete the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme aimed at rehabilitating sex offenders.

During the course of his order, Somerville must only live in approved accommodation and must declare any friendships, associations or relationships to his social worker.

All contact with children under 16 during this time must be approved in advance.

Somerville must also make his internet-accessible devices available for inspection upon request and do nothing to hide or clear his online activity.

The sheriff said: “You’ve pled guilty to committing what are serious offences.

“The circumstances of that offending does give rise to concern.

“You may be a person who poses a risk to members of the public.

“These are serious matters which could result in a custodial sentence.

“You’ve admitted responsibility at the earliest opportunity – that’s to your credit.

“It’s clear that you are a man who has suffered health difficulties.

“On balance, I’m persuaded that it is not necessary to impose a custodial sentence at this stage.”

Offending

Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie previously told the court the female adult decoy was using the alias of a 13-year-old girl on a chat platform and opened a ‘hi’ message from a user called ‘Talktomeiambored’ – an account belonging to Somerville.

Within their first four messages the adult told Somerville she was 13.

He initially replied “that’s young” before engaging in conversation and making inappropriate remarks.

These included questions such as, “do you have a bf?” and “why not? You are a pretty girl”.

The comments turned more sinister and Somerville, now of Heather Court, Glenrothes discussed sexual activities in detail.

The fiscal depute said he went on to say: “I would like to see more than just your face.

“Take a selfie with your beautiful body in it.

“If you are ever up here just give me a shout”.

Ms Ritchie said Somerville sent an image of his penis and one showing a leg and boxer shorts.

Communication then ceased and the adult decoy, a volunteer for online child protection group ‘For the Kids,’ found where Somerville lived.

A group confronted him at his then-home on the evening of August 11 2022.

In the video, the married father describes how he is recovering from a recent kidney transplant.

Police were contacted and two officers arrived a short time later and were shown screenshots of the relevant message exchanges.

Description

A 59-year-old Leven woman who sent a picture of a partially-naked man to his grandmother has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Wilma Thomson was also fined and told to pay compensation when she appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

She previously pled guilty to intentionally causing a woman to look at a sexual image by sending her a photograph of her grandson in a state of undress, on November 22 last year.

It is an offence under Section 6 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009.

Prosecutor Amy Robertson previously told the court the photograph, sent through Facebook, showed an image of the woman’s grandson in a “partially naked state, lying on a bed”.

The fiscal said the woman found the image on her phone, showing her grandson “partially naked while asleep and (his) genitals were showing”.

The matter was reported to police.

Thomson, also known as Wilma McColl according to court papers, later made a full admission during a police interview and was charged.

She reappeared in the dock for sentencing following the production of background reports.

Defence lawyer Danielle Stringer said Thomson, of Coronation Crescent, Leven, has accepted full responsibility at an early opportunity.

The solicitor referred to a social work report as giving the full background to the matter, but said in open court “the situation had been unfolding” prior to the incident.

Ms Stringer said there had been a lot of “ongoing animosity between parties” and Thomson accepts she should not have retaliated in the way she did.

She acknowledged it would have caused distress to the complainer.

Sheriff Steven Borthwick fined Thomson £335 and made a compensation order of £250.

Description

A sex offender with a track record of breaching strict court orders has admitted breaking the rules again.

David Powell had a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed at Liverpool Crown Court in 2007.

The SOPO, which outlines a list of stringent rules, was imposed after Powell was convicted of carrying out a sex act in front of two nine-year-old girls in a Liverpool park in 2007.

However, he appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court this week to admit breaching the order last summer.

Illegal train trip

On July 25, Powell was found to have taken a train from Montrose to Dundee.

His SOPO states he must not enter any train station or terminus without permission.

Powell needs the prior written consent of the chief constable of Merseyside Police, or of the chief constable of the jurisdiction in which he lives before travelling by rail.

Solicitor Martin McGuire explained his client, of Julian Road in Glenrothes, had been travelling from Montrose – where he had been living – to Dunfermline to meet extended family.

Sheriff James Williamson ordered reports and asked for clarification around the 39-year-old’s initial offending.

The sheriff said: “What I struggle to understand is what brought him to the attention of authorities.

“It shouldn’t be a mystery as to what brought him to the attention of the police in a locale in which he is not residing.”

Powell will be sentenced on December 5 after meeting with social workers.

The court heard he has already spent a week on remand in connection with this matter.

The sheriff continued Powell’s bail but pointed out his last sentence, imposed for a SOPO breach, was of 26 months imprisonment.

Repeated disregard for order

That prison sentence, imposed in 2020, came after he duped a woman into starting a relationship with him then failing to tell her he was subject to the 20-year SOPO.

This allowed him to have contact with her 14-month old child at her home in Arbroath.

In 2018, Powell duped a father of eight into allowing him to stay in his home and go on trips with his children.

For admitting this breach at Dundee Sheriff Court, he was been jailed for two years.

Powell was also jailed after admitting breaching its terms in England in 2016.

Having been banned from having any contact with children, he pled guilty to having a game of street football with two young boys in Merseyside.

Jailing him for 12 months Judge David Aubrey QC, said that was the 10th time Powell had appeared in court for breaching the order or failing to meet his notification requirements.

Description

A paedophile has been put back on the Sex Offenders Register after a jury found he had stashed sick child abuse files on his phone.

Liam Cunningham will be sentenced in December.

Having denied he possessed and took or made indecent images of children, jurors at Forfar Sheriff Court convicted the 25-year-old after a three-day trial.

Cunningham must comply with notification requirements again, having been placed on the Register for three years in 2018.

That was for sexually assaulting four boys, all under the age of 13, at various locations in Fife.

Trial

Police were granted a warrant to search Cunningham’s phone from Dundee Sheriff Court on October 27 2021.

Officers arrived at his home in Jamieson Close in Cupar‘s Crossgate the following morning at 8.55am.

They were granted access by Cunningham and seized a HTC Desire 530 mobile phone from the arm of a chair in the living room.

Following a three-day trial, jurors unanimously found Cunningham possessed abuse material between March and October in 2021.

The majority of jurors also agreed that he took or made the vile material on dates between March and June of 2021.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael ordered background reports and continued Cunningham’s bail.

Cunningham will be sentenced on December 19.

History of paedophilia

In 2018, Cunningham was convicted at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court of sexually assaulting four boys under the age of 13.

Then aged 19, Cunningham narrowly dodged imprisonment after targeting his young victims in Leven and Kennoway between 2014 and 2017.

When he was sentenced, he showed no emotion but the mother of one of his victims punched the glass surrounding the dock.

She screamed: “You’re a f****** paedo. My son tried to kill himself because of you,” before running from the court in tears.

On that occasion, Cunningham was blasted by the Sheriff for refusing to accept his guilt.

The pervert was placed under supervision for three years and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for the same time period.

He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

His defence advocate told the court his client had a “miserable existence” before the offences were committed and had struggled with his sexuality.

Description

A “sly, manipulative” child abuser from Fife, who asked a schoolgirl to change into his Rangers top before grabbing her wrists and raping her, has been jailed.

Steven Banks went on to rape, sexually assault and attempt to rape another girl over a period of more than two years, beginning when he was 30 and she was only 10.

A judge said Banks had insinuated his way into the lives of his victims, gained their trust and then abused it.

He jailed the rapist, from Ballingry, for 11 years.

‘Pattern of grooming’

One of the girls told police Banks was “sly, manipulative, and vindictive”.

Judge Lord Young told the 39-year-old” “Those words fit the picture.

“You groomed your first victim when she was a lonely teenager while you were in an adult relationship with one of her neighbours.

“She saw you as a friend who was sympathetic to her anxieties but you preyed on her vulnerability.

“You gained the confidence of your second victim [and] you arranged for her to stay overnight at your parents’ house where you sexually abused her, including rape.

“The abuse continued for about two years and you sought to hide what you’d done by telling her that what would happened was a secret.

“This was a gross breach of trust as well as a pattern of grooming.”

Told girl to wear Rangers top

The rape of the older girl – who had just turned 16 – happened in Banks’ mother’s home in Ballingry in 2011.

The jury heard he had invited her to have dinner, then took her to his bedroom after his mum fell asleep on the sofa.

She said: “I was extremely naive.

“I didn’t think there’d be anything wrong.

“We sat on the double bed next to each other, pretty close.

“We were just talking normally like we did.”

She said he started to kiss her.

“He asked me to get changed into his Rangers top.

“He promised that he wouldn’t hurt me. I did change into the Rangers top.”

Amidst her protestations, Banks told her she was “not a little girl but a grown woman” and then raped her.

The second girl was raped and subjected to attempted rape at addresses in Lochgelly and in a van parked in Cowdenbeath between 2014 and 2016.

She said Banks would comfort her when she was upset but he sexually abused and raped her after getting her on her own.

Jailed for Tesco robbery

Banks, who has a previous conviction for dealing cocaine, is already serving a 12-year sentence imposed four years ago for his role as a getaway driver in a £6,000 robbery at a supermarket in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.

He had worked at the Tesco store as a shelf-stacker.

He appeared for sentence at the High Court in Stirling, by video link from Perth Prison, after being found guilty of the rapes after trial at the High Court in Livingston in July.

He had denied the offences.

Lord Young ordered the rape sentence should run concurrently to the robbery jail term, for which Banks is due to be released in September 2025,  effectively adding about nine years behind bars.

The judge noted a victim impact statement from the first woman stated, “there was almost no aspect of her life that had not been affected by the damage caused.”

But he said she is clearly now “a resilient young woman who had achieved much in her life and clearly determined not to let your criminal actions dictate her future.”

He ordered Banks, who he said had shown no remorse not accepted any responsibility for what he did to the girls, to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and imposed a non-harassment order requiring him to stay away from his victims indefinitely.

Detective Inspector Graeme Dursley said: “Steven Banks is a dangerous individual who will now face the consequences for his despicable actions.

“I hope the sentence today will bring some comfort to his victims and help them move forward.”

Description

A Fife paedophile found with dozens of child abuse images – including girls as young as four being raped – has been placed on curfew.

Michael Bowie previously admitted downloading indecent images of children over a 19 month period, as well as distributing or showing the images over 11 months.

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that Bowie was arrested at work in the Leven branch of Argos after police received information about a Snapchat account containing the vile material linked to him.

Two mobile phones were seized and Bowie was found to have 46 images and nine videos classed as category A – the most graphic kind – depicting girls between the ages of four and 11.

Officers also found 46 images and four videos at category B and 33 category C images.

Some were duplicates.

Many depicted adults engaged in sexual acts with, or alongside, the children.

Five years on Register

Sheriff Charles Lugton told Bowie: “These are serious offences and I am weighing it up against (your) no record and it’s clear from the (social work) report there is work that can be usefully done by you in the community”.

The sheriff sentenced Bowie to a two-month curfew and told him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, as part of a community payback order.

He placed him on offender supervision for 36 months with a requirement to engage in the Moving Forward: Making Changes programme.

Description

A Fife funeral director has admitted sexually assaulting a woman at her home in Methil.

Alex Little appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to cuddling his victim, unclipping her bra and fondling her breasts, all while she was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent at the property on May 6 this year.

The court heard he messaged his victim after the attack and confessed: “I did feel your chest and feel so stupid now.”

He was placed on the sex offenders register and will be sentenced next month.

Night out

Prosecutor Amy Robertson said the woman had been out drinking friends in the Levenmouth area when they met Little.

“The complainer and friends were drinking with the accused, drinking shots and a mixture of other drinks during the night out,” said Ms Robertson.

“The complainer was described as speaking to the accused for some time during the night out. The mood was good.”

A short time later the woman, then aged 31, and a friend left in a taxi to go back home and they both carried on drinking.

During the night, 48-year-old Little spoke to the woman by phone and was given permission to come to her address. He took a taxi there.

The fiscal repute continued: “At some point between 3am and 4:30am the complainer, described as intoxicated, has taken herself to bed without saying anything to the accused or her friend.

“The accused thereafter stated to the (woman’s) friend he was going to go upstairs and say good night to the complainer.

“The friend sat downstairs for around 30 minutes, waiting on a taxi to take her home, and did not see the accused again before leaving the property.”

Ms Robertson said: “Around 9am the next morning the complainer woke up to see the accused lying on the bed next to her.

“She noted her bra had been unclipped at the back and her breasts were exposed.

“She also noted a body suit she was wearing was unclipped.”

Ms Robertson said the woman then “jumped out of bed” and told Little he needed to leave.

Confessions

Two days later, Little sent the woman a Facebook message referring to the evening, and she responded saying she was confused about how he ended up staying at hers.

She probed further and Little replied: “You went up to your bed and I did come up to say bye to you, but lay down on the bed and gave you a cuddle. I feel stupid, I’m so sorry, I feel bad for it.”

In another message Little told her: “I did feel your chest and feel so stupid now as should not have done it and I am sincerely sorry.”

The woman thereafter contacted police, providing screenshots of the messages.

‘Entirely out of character’

Defence counsel Janice Green said first offender Little, of Pentland Drive, Kennoway, had previously met the woman and been given her phone number, and that someone close to her encouraged him to think there could be something romantic between them.

The lawyer made clear she was not suggesting the woman led him on but highlighted there is a basis for him – together with impaired judgement through drink – thinking she was interested in him.

Ms Green also said the woman had called him that night to pick up alcohol she had left in the cloakroom of a place they had been drinking.

She said: “They sat side-by-side and he thought she was interested in him.

“He was drinking more than normal.

“Looking back on reflection, he tells me he had personal difficulties and was struggling with them.”

The lawyer described Little as a “local businessman and an employer of others” and said his conduct is “entirely out of character”.

She said he is involved in the community, including through charity work and supporting his local football team, adding: “He is deeply remorseful and I think the text messages show his remorse and regret.”

No invitation

Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said there was nothing of a sexual nature prior to Little going back to the house, and that it was clear the woman, through alcohol consumption, decided to go to bed and there was no invitation to Little.

The sheriff said: “He has then, in essence, seized the opportunity to assault someone who it seemed was heavily intoxicated.

“The court can infer heavily intoxicated given the time she started drinking with friends, and the fact (she was) taking shots.

“It’s difficult to understand… whether he mistakenly thought she was interested, how she would possibly consent to something when she was sleeping. She was clearly either asleep or heavily intoxicated so that she could not consent to such activity.”

Defence counsel Ms Green said her client was separated from the mother of his children at the time and going through a divorce, as well as a bereavement.

Sheriff Niven-Smith deferred sentence on Little until November 6 to obtain background reports.

Bail was continued, with a special condition attached for him not to contact his victim.

Little was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Description

A postgraduate theology student carried out sexual assaults on fellow students at St Andrews University after claiming he was conducting radiation testing for the Ministry of Defence following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

John Beaumont subjected two male students and a female student to fake medical examinations and got one victim to sign the “Official Secrets Act” before inserting a needle into his genital area.

Beaumont, now aged 65, admitted three charges of indecent assault committed against the two men and a woman at the university between 1986 and 1988, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday.

The court heard that as well as studying at the institution Beaumont had also become a sub warden at the university’s halls of residence.

A judge told him: “What you did was depraved and deceitful, preying on young students starting out in the world.”

‘Discreet and secret samples’

Lord Mulholland said that Beaumont had manipulated the situation for his “own gratification” and placed him on the sex offenders’ register.

Advocate depute John McElroy KC said one of the victims learnt last year that Beaumont had been convicted of sexual offences in Manchester.

The prosecutor said: “He went online to check for himself and noted that the accused had been convicted for offences that mirrored what had happened to him.”

He told another victim that he had decided to report it to the police.

The court was told that Beaumont is currently serving a 13-and-a-half year jail term in Durham prison after he was convicted of similar offending by an English court in 2017.

Mr McElroy said that one victim recalled that following the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in the former Soviet Union in 1986 it was at the forefront of everyone’s minds and there were real concerns about the effects of radiation from the stricken power station.

Beaumont told the man in 1987 that he was working for the MoD and showed him some form of identification.

The prosecutor said: “The accused told him that he was involved in sampling members of the public based on their medical records as certain individuals had a type of protein in their systems that reacted adversely to the nuclear radiation from Chernobyl.”

“The accused then said that he had been tasked to take discreet and secret samples from these individuals for monitoring.”

“The accused also stated that the MoD was aware that he had this particular protein in his system and that he needed to take samples from him for his own good as he had a heightened risk of cancer.”

“On hearing this the man was terrified and believed what the accused was telling him to be true,” said Mr McElroy.

Beaumont asked the student to come to his room at halls of residence the following day.

Geiger counter in briefcase

The prosecutor said: “It was there that the accused showed him a briefcase within which he had a Geiger counter and copies of an official secrets non-disclosure agreement. The student also noted that there was a box of rubber gloves and some syringes.”

Beaumont asked him a number of medical questions and told him he would take samples from under his arms and his genitals.

Mr McElroy said: “Due to the fact he was terrified by the Chernobyl situation, he agreed to what the accused was saying.”

He was told to strip down to his socks and Beaumont informed him he was going to carry out a prostate examination and then used a syringe as he pretended to take samples from under his arms and carried out a similar procedure on his genitals.

The advocate depute said: “The man recalled he felt terrified and dismayed throughout this examination by the accused.”

He was told to later return to Beaumont’s room for the same procedures to be carried out.

He was informed samples would be sent to a laboratory and later told him the MoD were “happy” with the results.

But the man was later told by Beaumont in January 1988 that he was informed by the MoD that further examinations were required and the sex predator continued to take samples from under his arms and scrotum.

The student made a diary entry in February in which he wrote: “Today I had to give J samples, which was embarrassing, but joy, all is over now. Free again.”

He calculated that over the course of the examinations Beaumont subjected him to being penetrated by the needle of a syringe more than 50 times.

Official Secrets Act

A second student said that Beaumont had visited him at his own room in student accommodation and told him he was secretly working for the MoD to take radiation samples.

The student was aware of the Chernobyl disaster and its press coverage.

Beaumont told him he needed to take a sample from his testicles to assess radiation in his body.

Beaumont told him he had to sign what he claimed was the “Official Secrets Act” and asked him to remove his trousers and pants.

Beaumont claimed that he would use what he said was a Geiger counter to take a reading and proceeded to take a sample from him.

Mr McElroy said the incident left the student feeling “embarrassed, awkward and anxious”.

No samples actually taken

Beaumont’s third victim was a female student who was told by him that he had been asked by the Foreign Office to test her radiation levels.

He told her he was trained in this and she found him very convincing and trusted the older student, so she agreed.

She went to his room and he told her to take her clothes off and wrap a towel around herself.

Beaumont then got a Geiger counter and placed its probe at pulse areas on her neck and arms and at the top of her legs.

Following the test he told her something along the lines that everything was fine and she dressed and left.

Defence counsel Janice Green told the court: “No samples were in fact taken from any of the three complainers.”

She said that Beaumont would first become eligible to seek release from parole authorities for his current sentence in England in June 2026.

Lord Mulholland deferred sentence on Beaumont for the preparation of a background report and risk assessment.

Description

A man from Fife has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Officers searched Grant McAuley’s home address in Dunfermline in July 2022 and found several hundred stills and videos on devices belonging to him.

He was arrested and the 24-year-old pleaded guilty at Dunfermline Sheriff Court in August this year to offences relating to the possession and distribution of indecent images.

He was jailed for two years when he appeared for sentencing on Thursday, 21 September.

Detective Inspector Adrian Ure, of Police Scotland’s National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Grant McAuley’s offending and behaviour was appalling. He showed utter contempt for the child victims and the horrific sexual abuse they suffered, in the images and videos he was viewing and sharing.

“In committing these crimes, McAuley believed that his online offending would go undetected. However, there is no hiding place, and as a result of our investigation he will now rightly face a custodial sentence and the consequences of his actions.”

"Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and is a priority for Police Scotland. We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact police immediately.”

Description

A former DJ who sexually abused and exploited young boys has been jailed for six years.

David Moran, 51, targeted his three victims in Fife between 1988 and 1991.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard one victim was shown pornographic magazines and videos. Moran was said to have performed sex acts in front of the boy before abusing him.

A second child was also shown sex films and subjected to abuse. The court heard Moran had a photograph of his victim performing a sex act, which he threatened to disclose if he revealed what was taking place.

A third boy was also exposed to pornography by Moran and sexually abused.

One victim told the court that he was aged around 14 when he watched pornography in Moran's bedroom, while another said he was 13 or 14 when Moran offered him money to make a video of him performing a solo sex act.

The court heard one victim suffered nightmares and flashbacks after being subjected to serious sexual abuse by the older teenage Moran.

During his sentencing on Thursday, judge Norman McFadyen said he was satisfied that Moran had groomed the victims as he was an older male who had money, a car and what seemed like a "glamorous lifestyle" as an events and hospital radio DJ.

The judge said: "Clearly your behaviour has had a significant impact on them through into their adult lives.

"I am satisfied no sentence other than imprisonment is appropriate."

Moran was arrested and charged in November 2020 after a Police Scotland investigation.

He denied a series of offences during an earlier trial but was found guilty of three counts of indecent conduct towards children.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson pointed out Moran's age at the time of the attacks and said he had no other history of offending.

As well as the six-year jail term, Moran was placed on the sex offenders' register for an indeterminate period.

The judge also imposed non-harassment orders, prohibiting Moran from contacting his victims for eight years.

Detective Constable Kenneth Watt, from Fife's Public Protection Unit, said: "Moran showed utter disregard for the impact his crimes would have on his victims.

"I want to commend them for reporting these offences to us and for having the strength to stand up in court. Moran is now being held to account for his actions.

"Nothing can change the past, but I hope that Moran being behind bars will offer the victims some comfort as they continue to move forward with their lives."