Latest Offenders Renfrewshire

Description

A man described by a judge as “every parent’s worst nightmare” has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for committing multiple online sexual offences against children.

Christopher Laing, 38, was convicted at Teesside Crown Court of possession of 67 category C images of children, eight counts of making indecent images of children, seven counts of causing or inciting girls aged 13-15 into sexual activity, eight counts of sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child after grooming.

He had been initially bailed by Police Scotland after being found in possession of indecent images of two 14-year-old girls from the Cleveland Police area.

Then in June 2023 he was arrested by Cleveland Police officers when he travelled from his home in Renfrewshire Scotland, to the Cleveland area in an attempt to meet up with a 15-year-old girl, after communicating with her sexually online.

He sent photographs of himself travelling on a train to Teesside in an attempt to meet with the child and had booked a hotel in the area.

After the girl informed her parents that he was travelling to the area, they alerted the police who arrested Laing at the station as his train came in.

Laing’s mobile phone was seized by police as part of the investigation and during forensic examination of the device it was discovered that Laing had been in contact with multiple teenage girls across the country.

The court heard he attempted to goad the girls into sending indecent images of themselves to him for money and gifts.

When the children refused, he made threats to rape them. Officers found evidence on his laptop, that Laing had researched the addresses of his victims and knew where each of them lived.

Victim impact statements read out to the court heard that one teenage victim no longer felt safe and worried every day that she would receive a message on her phone from Laing. Her mental health had declined as she was taunted by the memory of Laing’s messages.

Another victim described how her confidence had been shattered, and was afraid to go to school, fearing that people knew about the messages that Laing had sent to her.

During sentencing, Judge Carroll expressed concern regarding Laing’s use of the threat of rape against children to fulfil his sexual desires, describing Laing as “every parent’s worst nightmare”. He also praised the bravery of the victims in coming forward.

Laing was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served five of these.

He was further sentenced to another one year and eight months for possession of illicit images and sexual communication offences, which will run concurrently with the main sentence.

Laing was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which limits his use of internet-enabled devices and means that any devices he purchases may be subject to an examination by a police officer at any time. He must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for life on his release from prison.

Description

A convicted paedophile changed his identity and lied his way to become President of the World Burns Federation where he had direct access to school children.

Marc Sherland organised children’s poetry competitions and boasted he was safe to work with vulnerable children.

But the 67-year-old, who rubbed shoulders with the elite at lavish events, was in fact disgraced community worker Douglas Stuart Hammond who had sexually assaulted two boys after luring hundreds of children to his home.

He’d been able to change his name and go under the radar for several years until his identity was exposed and he’s now been forced to resign. There are calls for an urgent investigation into how Sherland, who was convicted in 1991 and was not on the sex offenders register, went unnoticed.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay MSP who is calling on the government to fast track legislation to stop sex offenders changing their names said: “This chilling case will be of concern to every parent in Scotland.

“Only an investigation can establish the exact circumstances of this deeply concerning case. While this individual was free to change his name, his past crimes should still have shown up in background checks working with children.

“If checks were done, did they reveal his offending history? If they did not, was that because of his name change?

“Sex offenders should not be able to hide their identities by changing their names and I would again urge SNP ministers to reconsider their inexplicable opposition to closing this dangerous loophole.”

Scottish Labour’s Justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: “Concerns will be rightly raised over this situation. Action needs to be taken to close the loophole of offenders who committed their crimes before the register was created going undetected.”

Hammond was convicted of the indecent assault of an eight and 10-year old boy when he was an educational community worker at Strathclyde Regional Council. He assaulted the youngsters during “dummy fighting” at his home and claimed the ‘games’ helped the boys break down emotional barriers, according to court reports at the time.

Paisley Sheriff Court trial heard that as many as 200 children had visited his home and during questioning the sick 35-year-old said: “I took the boys to my flat to talk about their personal and family problems. “These were boys with serious social behavioural problems.”

One child had to punch him to get him to stop the abuse while another confessed to his grandmother what was happening.

In the years since his conviction, Hammond changed his name to Marc Sherland and rose through the ranks of Robert Burns clubs and literary groups throughout Scotland.

An author profile for him on the Scottish Book Trust website stated that he could work with adults and children including care-experienced people, vulnerable adults, people with mental health problems, prisoners and young offenders, despite having been convicted of abusing vulnerable boys.

In 2020, he became the president of the World Burns Federation and has been president of the Lanarkshire Association of Burns clubs, Glasgow Haggis Club and a Vice President of the Glasgow and district Burns association, among others.

Through these roles he worked with children presenting awards and judging competitions with images of his attendance at one Glasgow primary school shared on social media.

He also rubbed shoulders with senior local government figures and attended lavish banquets in the Glasgow City Chambers.

In 2017 the pervert began organising the Aye Can poetry summer school for 11-16-year-olds at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow.

But his past caught up with him in December when he was confronted by another member and was forced to resign from all the clubs. His profile as an author with Scottish Book Trust has been removed.

A source at the club said: “A conviction from over 30 years ago came to light, Bridgeton Burns Club President confronted him around Christmas time.

“We did background checks and it showed a name change. Inquiries were made and the president alongside another Trustee met him to confront him about the name change and the convictions.

“As far as I’m aware he admitted it, apologised and resigned in writing.”

The Sex Offenders’ Register was set up in 1997 but it is not retroactive meaning Sherland would never have been placed on it.

Any checks done on him using his new name would not have shown that he had a conviction for child abuse and no safeguards were in place as he wasn’t on the register.

The Sunday Mail confronted Sherland at his home in Erskine where he admitted he shouldn’t have been working with children.

But he claimed he changed his name due to his work as an author.

Sherland said: “I am a writer and the reason I changed my name was because, as a writer I realised that my given name was relatively common and changing it to a name that was not relatively common was a good idea. I’m now suffering because of that I have to say, but that’s the reason.

“It wasn’t because of my convictions.

“I was registered with the Scottish Book Trust but I’ve now removed myself from that as well as I don’t want to bring them into disrepute.”

When asked if he accepted that working with children would be a concern to parents and he should not have been doing it, he said: “Yes I think that probably is the case.

“I thought that the distance in time was so great and the change in my personality was so great that it wasn’t such an issue. On reflection, yes I believe that’s true.

“I’ve never been in a situation where I have been one-to-one with a child, nor would I put myself in that situation in a school.”

Based in Kilmarnock it has over 250 affiliated Burns Clubs around the world - reaching as far afield as New Zealand, Ukraine, Canada and the USA.

A Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) spokeswoman said the Aye Can event was commissioned by the Glasgow and District Burns Society and Sherland didn’t teach children during the summer school.

The spokeswoman said: “The safety and well-being of young people at RCS is and has always been a primary priority with stringent safeguarding policies and processes in place to underpin the work we do.”

Online adverts for the Aye Can event taking place at RCS were posted by the Glasgow Burns and District Association in 2022 and 2023 listing Sherland as the point of contact.

RCS insisted the event only took place in 2017 and 2018.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “For safeguarding reasons, pupils are never left alone with school visitors and remain supervised at all times by staff.

“School staff regularly invite visitors in from partner organisations for learning and teaching purposes.

“Pupil safety is always our priority.

"We have no statutory obligation to request disclosure checks for all visitors entering school premises."

The Scottish Government said the issue was for Disclosure Scotland to address.

A Disclosure Scotland spokesman said: “We cannot comment on individual cases.”

Description

A thug is behind bars for the "merciless" abuse of a woman and boy. Kenneth Quinn was convicted of the attacks spanning four decades.

The pair regularly suffered at the 49-year-old's violent hands including the repeated rape of the woman. Quinn admitted to jurors that he was "utterly ashamed" of himself.

He accepted physically harming both - but insisted the sex attacks did not happen. However, Quinn was convicted of a total of 10 charges following a harrowing trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

This included two counts of repeatedly raping the woman, assaulting her to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement as well as engaging in abusive behaviour.

He was further guilty of physically attacking the boy to his injury on various occasions. The crimes occurred between 1994 and 2021 at different addresses in Paisley, Renfrewshire, as well as in the Scottish Borders.

Quinn, of Elderslie, also Renfrewshire, had been on bail during the trial. But he was remanded in custody by judge Lady Stacey pending sentencing.

Jurors heard how Quinn first assaulted the woman in the 1990s. The attacks then occurred "so often" it ended up difficult to say exactly when they happened.

The physical abuse involved him smacking the victim with a dog lead and shoes as well as kicking her down stairs, booting her on the body and chucking food at her.

The woman also suffered a broken arm. The trial heard how the victim - who was humiliated and degraded - would often beg him to stop.

Describing one incident which left the victim scarred for life, prosecutor Greg Farrell put to him: "She said that you held her in place with one hand and used a bank card in the other to strike her repeatedly on the face."

Quinn: "That is a lie." Mr Farrell said the woman especially was "terrorised". The advocate depute: "It was a relentless course of violence by you. It was merciless." Quinn: "It was bad." Mr Farrell: "It was more than bad."

Quinn then stated at one stage: "I am here to accept my failings as an individual." But, although he accepted much of the violence, Quinn denied any sexual abuse. He insisted he was "100% respectful" if the woman didn't want sex.

The court heard, however, that he hung his head in shame and confessed to raping the woman when confronted. Mr Farrell: "You maintain that (the boy) is lying when he heard you admit to raping the woman?"

Quinn: "Both of them are lying." The trial heard how the boy was also thrown down stairs, grabbed by the hair, flung to the ground and slapped on the head.

Quinn's lawyer Euan Gosney asked him during his evidence: "Anything that you would like to say about the repeated violence?"

A sobbing Quinn replied: "I am utterly ashamed of myself. I am sorry to the bottom of my heart." Sentencing was adjourned for reports.

Description

A Linwood man has been caught with over 100 indecent images of children on his mobile phone.

Cops received information that creepy Stuart Fratson had the vile pictures on his phone and raided his home in Russell Place in June last year.

The 45-year-old admitted at Paisley Sheriff Court to being in possession of indecent photographs between April 26, 2022 and June 23, 2022.

Fratson also admitted between April and June last year, he did take, permit to be taken, or made indecent or pseudo-photographs of children.

Procurator fiscal depute, Matt Piskorz told the court police received a tip-off in September 2021, that a device in Fratson’s home address was connected to the internet which contained indecent images of children.

Mr Piskorz explained: “A search warrant was granted and on June 10, 2022, police officers attended at Fratson’s home address at 7.45am

“Fratson allowed police entry and they explained their reason for attendance.

“The property was searched and various electronic devices were recovered including a black Samsung Galaxy device.

“Fratson claimed ownership of this and provided the PIN.

“Around 9am, PC Wallace from the cybercrime unit attended the property to assist with the examination of the devices.

“A short time late, police officer Gilmour was informed by PC Wallace that indecent images of children had been found on the Samsung device.

“All other devices were examined and found to be negative after which they were then returned to their owners with the exception of a computer tower unit which was retained by cybercrime officers to conduct further analysis.

“The Samsung was examined and found to have a SIM card within.

“This device was noted as being the property of Fratson and was found to contain a number of account artefacts in his name including a photograph of a passport in the name of Fratson and a wage slip also in his name.

“A total of 126 still images were present on the device.”

Fratson’s defence lawyer asked for reports to be called for and reserved further mitigation.

Sheriff Thomas Ward stated: “This is a serious matter and I’ll have to get a social work report to find out how best to deal with this.”

Mr Piskorz explained a break-down of the images, detailing which category of seriousness they fall into would be provided to the court on the next occasion.

Sentence was deferred for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Fratson, who is now living in homeless accommodation in Paisley’s Abercorn Street, was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and will return to the town’s court on December 7 for sentencing. His bail was continued meantime.

Description

A social care worker has been jailed after preying on vulnerable children he was being paid to help.

Manipulative Graham Burgess (left) groomed a teenage victim and then sexually abused her, watched another teen girl get changed, and drew explicit pictures in front of a young boy.

The 58-year-old targeted youngsters in his role as a child care manager within a care team at Renfrewshire Council.

Burgess had responsibility for 20 to 25 children at one time, with his role involving him preparing reports for the Children’s Reporter, liaising with other agencies, supporting the child and agreeing a care plan to meet the child’s needs.

Most children in care have experienced trauma or loss and his post involved supporting kids and their carers, doing activities with the youngsters and sometimes arranging contact with the child and other family members.

He also was a duty worker in the team and would be asked to respond if there was a crisis or a worker was on holiday.

In 2015, while playing pool at a community centre in Paisley with a boy he was assigned to, he drew explicit pictures on a whiteboard, leaving the child “freaked out”.

After learning what had happened, the boy’s parents asked for Burgess to be banned from seeing him, and told his school he was not allowed to visit him.

In 2017 he barged into one teenage girl’s bedroom while she was getting changed – after she told him she was undressing and not to enter the room.

She ran to her gran after the incident and told her she no longer wanted Burgess to be her case worker.

He also preyed on a another teenager when she was aged between 15 and 17, grooming her before sexually assaulting her.

The court heard he convinced her to store his personal mobile phone number in her phone as ‘Art and Music Therapy’ and changed his profile picture to Vincent Van Gogh.

He told her that she should do that so her classmates did not know she had a case worker when she attended college.

He bombarded her with WhatsApp messages, texting her throughout the day on a daily basis, saying he was checking in and was “liking the banter”.

He regularly sent her funny videos, joking with her and saying he was getting to know her.

After giving her presents of arts and crafts items, a candle, a book and i-Pod, he cuddled her after arriving at her home, where she was alone, then said “someone’s excited” while looking at his crotch.

She noticed he was aroused by the interaction, leaving her panicked and feeling ‘like jelly’, before he put his hand around her neck, pulled her towards him and kissed her.

He later sexually assaulted her in the back of his car, after pulling over on a secluded road and convincing her to get into the back of the vehicle.

On another occasion, he grabbed her hand and made her touch his privates.

On Tuesday, Burgess was sentenced at Paisley Sheriff Court after having earlier been convicted of six offences relating to his conduct.

He was jailed for four years and 10 months, given a three year and two month extended sentence, which will see him supervised upon his release from prison, and he was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We are deeply sorry for the harms caused by this individual and cooperated fully with the police investigation. The individual is no longer an employee of Renfrewshire Council.”

Description

A SEX offender who repeatedly raped three women during a catalogue of abuse that spanned two decades was jailed for seven years today.

Clark Thomson carried out attacks on victims in his home town of Paisley and other addresses in Renfrewshire.

Thomson, 45, formerly of Dunard Way, in Paisley, had denied a series of charges during an earlier trial but was found guilty of three offences of rape and a further three crimes of assault.

One of the assaults was to the danger of life of the victim and she also suffered an attack that resulted in severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that a jury had convicted him of "sustained, serious sexual abuse".

Judge John Morris KC said: "Only a substantial custodial sentence is appropriate in your case."

He told Thomson that statements provided to the court by victims disclosed continuing trauma suffered after his actions.

Thomson began his offending in 2001 at addresses in Paisley, including his former home in Spoolers Road, when he assaulted a woman and subjected her to rape attacks.

He also grabbed her, held her out a window and throttled her. Thomson threatened to pour boiling water over and spat on her face.

He also inflicted injury on her after he repeatedly headbutted, as she held a baby, resulting in her falling to the ground.

Thomson went on to subject a second woman to rapes at an address in Renfrew in 2011 and attacked a third woman who was seized by the body and pushed onto a bed at a house in Lochwinnoch in 2015.

His fourth victim was also subjected to rapes at a house in Johnstone between October 2020 and New Year's Day in 2021.

Defence counsel Joe Barr said that Thomson had previously accepted in his evidence that he could be aggressive.

He said: "He has asked me, even at this late stage, to convey his apologies to the complainers for his behaviour."

Mr Barr told the court: "He understands he will be offered courses and he has assured me he intends to take any opportunity given to him."

Thomson was told that he would be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following his sentencing.

Description

A vile Paisley carer has been jailed for two years after he sexually abused a disabled man he was supposed to be looking after.

Alexander Elliott also targeted one of his girlfriend's relatives and a 15-year-old girl. The 34-year-old was sentenced for the crimes carried out between 2018 and 2021 at Paisley Sheriff Court.

He was also place on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years. Elliot denied any wrong doing, however, he was convicted by jury earlier this year following a trial, the Daily Record reports.

The court heard that the carer preyed upon his girlfriend's relative in 2019. He contacted the woman and sent her a message "of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature".

He then targeted a disabled man he cared for repeatedly in January 2018 and January 2021. The court heard the victim was in a wheelchair and needed help with various tasks at his home in the Renfrewshire town.

He struggled to wash himself so Elliott had to assist with showering him, while the man was sitting on a seat within the shower. The court heard that, on various occasions, he made "inappropriate and sexual comments towards" the man.

Claims that he had also directed water from the shower towards the man's privates, and made a sexual remark, were deleted from the charge by the jury when they convicted him. He then went on to sexually assault a 15-year-old girl between May and June 2021.

He removed bed covers, touched her body, and rubbed himself against her sexually and also sent her sexual messages. The jury ruled it was "for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming" her and that the messages were "of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature".

Defence solicitor Gemma Elder had asked for Elliott, who had been remanded in custody since being convicted, to be spared prison. She said the first offender suffered from sciatica and had been left unable to work, but could do unpaid work as an alternative to prison.

She asked for him to be dealt with by a "high-tariff" Community Payback Order which would have seen him given the maximum number of hours of unpaid work and maximum period of supervision.

And she said he could also have been placed on a Restriction of Liberty Order - which would have seen him fitted with an electronic tag and having to abide by a daily home curfew - "for a significant period of time".

Sentencing Sheriff Hugh McGinty said: "You were convicted of sending indecent and sexually suggestive messages to one of your girlfriend's relatives. You were a carer for your victim, who required a significant amount of assistance due to his disability and you directed sexual comments to him while you were washing him.

"You sexually abused a girl when she was 15 years old and thereafter communicated sexually with her. The common denominator is that all of your victims were highly vulnerable and you were, unfortunately for them, in a position of trust as far as you were concerned. I form the view that the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment."

Sheriff McGinty ruled the offences were too serious and backdated his jail term to last month, when he was found guilty by the jury.

Description

A sleazy postman who hounded four women during his rounds has avoided a jail sentence. Irfan William delivered letters in Glasgow's southside, where he took advantage to harass his victims with unwanted advances.

The 49-year-old was reported to the Royal Mail twice - but it was only after he forced himself on one woman that police were alerted. William pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to three charges of stalking and one sexual assault.

The crimes spanned between January 2015 and March 2022. On Tuesday, Sheriff Paul Reid ordered William to do 180 hours of unpaid work and put him under supervision for three years.

William was also tagged for five months keeping him indoors between 7pm and 7am. A non-harassment order against the victims was granted for three years and William remains on the sex offender register.

The sheriff told him: “As far as these matters are concerned, I can advise you that if you appeared before me with a conviction, I would have had no hesitation sending you to prison.”

The earlier hearing was told how William pestered one woman after learning she had given evidence in a court case. He would also knock on her door to make deliveries to attract her attention rather than simply put them through the letterbox.

Creepy William would also go to a cafe in Glasgow's Govanhill where this victim often spent time. Prosecutor Jeremy O’Neill said: “He would buy coffee, sit at the table and stare at her."

The woman eventually stopped going there believing William's behaviour was "predatory". Mr O'Neill went on: "She said that William's actions were definitely a contributing factor in deciding to move house as that is how much he scared her."

The court heard how William pounced on another woman at her home in the city's Battlefield after asking could he come in for a cigarette. He said he had also brought lunch - the victim allowed him in.

After showing that he had brought her pizza and juice, William claimed that he “did not know if he was imposing.” William then asked personal questions about her sex life and if she was married. He told her: "You are my distraction."

William made remarks about the woman's appearance before grabbing her around the stomach and rubbing her arm. Fiscal Mr O'Neill said: “She felt frozen with fear…she walked towards the front door.

“William grabbed her shoulders from behind but she continued to walk and broke free from him. He opened his arms and embraced the woman with a hug. He put his hand on her face and forcefully kissed her cheek.”

A third woman was probed about her relationships. The postie, of Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, would also insist on chapping the door claiming it was "difficult to push letters through".

This spooked victim had to pretend she had a husband - she even got an ex-partner to answer one time to avoid William. The court heard of the other victim who William spoke to about literature stating to her: "You are always buying books."

Calling the woman by her name, he also asked her about her husband. Mr O'Neill said: "He told her that he would bring round books and coffee and discuss literature but the woman asked him not to do so."

Two of the women contacted Royal Mail after what happened to them. However, William was only arrested after the final incident when he kissed that victim.

Douglas McAllister, defending, told the court that the dad-of-two lost his latest job at Amazon following his conviction. The lawyer added: “He fully accepts the distress and discomfort that his behaviour caused to those involved.

“He has also expressed sincere regret towards his actions on the vulnerable young woman.”

Description

A Paisley creep has been told his behaviour will revolt society after he admitted to having a haul of indecent child images.

Vile Adam Jalowy was caught with a selection of 172 images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children on two iPhones and a laptop.

Some of the images found on the paedophile’s phone included children aged as young as three years old.

And when police raided the 22-year-old’s Blackstoun Oval property in November 2021, he openly told cops: “It’s on my computer.”

Procurator fiscal depute Michael Cunningham told Paisley Sheriff Court police received information that, on June 14, 2020, a device was connected to the internet and uploaded indecent images of children at Jalowy’s home address. A warrant was later granted.

Mr Cunnigham explained: “At 7.45am on November 1, 2021, police attended the accused’s property with a search warrant. A search was caried out and Jalowy asked to speak to police in the hallway where he stated, ‘It’s on my computer'.

“A black iPhone 13 which the accused claimed ownership of was seized alongside another iPhone and a Macbook. The accused was arrested and taken to Helen Street police station.

“Around 4pm, a cybercrime interim report stated there were child sexual exploitation images consisting of Category A to C depicting male and female children aged approximately three to 14 years old. Jalowy was cautioned and charged and made no response.

Mr Cunningham explained both phones and the Macbook were examined. In total there were 100 videos and 72 images found, some were duplications. The court heard on Jalowy’s iPhone 13, there were three Category A images, two Category B images and four Category C images.

Also on the phone were 14 Category A videos and two Category C videos, all featuring the “sexual exploitation of male and female children aged between three and 14”.

On the Macbook, 49 Category C images were found alongside three Category B and two Category A. Also on the Macbook were 12 Category A and B videos and 23 Category C videos.

Cybercrime cops also examined the other iPhone and found nine images showing the sexual exploitation of children alongside, 18 Category A videos, 12 Category B videos and seven Category C videos.

The twisted creep admitted that on various occasions between March 17, 2021 and November 1, 2021 he was in possession of indecent images of children at his home address.

Jalowy also faced a charge that accused him of being in possession of “extreme pornographic images” that depicted bestiality, but his not guilty plea to this charge was accepted by the Crown.

Defence agent Mark Chambers explained reports would be necessary in this case – highlighting Jalowy has no previous convictions.

Sheriff Eoin McGinty said: “Reports are required for a number of reasons, firstly, I am duty bound to call for reports to establish all sentencing options and that includes custody. These are serious offences.

“Society is always revolted by these offences and it doesn’t get any easier hearing the depiction of these images that you had. I also need to know the level of threat you have on the community.”

Sheriff McGinty deferred sentence for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment until April 28.

He warned Jalowy: “If you come back here and the reports aren’t done, and it’s your fault, I’ll remand you in custody and I don’t think that’s where you want to be.”

Jalowy was placed on the sex offenders’ register with the period of time to be decided next month.

Description

A church elder has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a train.

Creepy Colin Hope was also found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in a supermarket.

Following a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court, the 81-year-old grandfather was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a rail journey – by putting his hand up her skirt, between Johnstone and Glasgow Central in December 2016.

Hope, of Polson Drive in Johnstone, was also found guilty of sexually assaulting two Renfrewshire supermarket workers and a supermarket customer between June and December 2021.

Yesterday, Sheriff Ian Anderson placed the twisted pensioner on the Sex Offender’s Register for 12 months and made him subject to supervision of the social work department.

CCTV footage from within a Renfrewshire supermarket was shown during the trial which showed the father-of-two pushing a trolley with both hands on the handle.

The footage showed that – on multiple occasions – as Hope approached a woman in the aisles, he dropped a hand from the trolley and sexually assaulted her as he walked past her before putting both hands back on the trolley.

The trial also heard how a young woman was sexually assaulted on a train by an “old man” when she was heading to Glasgow to do her Christmas shopping.

The girl was just 15 at the time when Hope repeatedly touched her leg and put his hand up her skirt.

Giving evidence during the trial, she said she felt the incident was a “severe attack” which left her in “complete hysteria”.

She explained in evidence how she was on a “busy” train herself, from Ardrossan South Beach, North Ayrshire to Glasgow Central, on December 17, 2016, when Hope got on the train at Johnstone station.

She told the court: “There was a stop at Johnstone where a man got on the train and stood to my left and I remember starting to feel slightly uncomfortable.

“I noticed he was getting closer and I tried to reassure myself that the train was busy.

“But his hand was on my leg, my left leg on my upper thigh.

“I was wearing a skirt and his hand was going up my skirt.”

Prosecutor Jason Stark asked how long Hope’s hand was on the teenager’s thigh, and she replied: “A while. It was brushing.

“The whole movement was around 10 to 15 minutes, it was constant, it was a severe attack really.

“As soon as I got off the train I just broke down as soon as there was room for me to do so.

“I was crying, I was in complete hysteria. It was a complete anxiety attack. I headed out of the station.”

Further evidence was heard by a woman who told how Hope sexually assaulted her in a Renfrewshire supermarket on July 24, 2021, causing her to be
physically sick.

The woman explained how she was looking for plastic or paper cups when Hope approached her in the aisle and went on to sexually touch her.

She was so concerned about the attack she followed the creepy pensioner around the store before returning to her car and calling her husband in tears.

She told the court she had to “physically vomit” when she returned home that evening due to the horrific ordeal.

And a supermarket employee explained she was sexually assaulted on December 17, 2021, by the retired procurement engineer.

In evidence, she told how Hope’s hand “brushed across her” and how he touched the “top of my groin area.”

During the trial, Hope denied the claims – telling the court he had an eye condition which affected his sight.

He claims the condition means he can see people but not their “finer details”.

In his own evidence, he told how all incidents were accidental touching as he would often put his hands out “for balance” and to ensure he “didn’t bump into anyone or anything”.

When asked if he repeatedly touched the supermarket workers, he replied, “not to my
knowledge”.

Defence agent, Linzi Galbraith yesterday explained Hope’s position “is the same as it was during the trial.”

Ms Galbraith told how Hope is “residing elsewhere” just now and explained how he is in the “process of being registered as partially sighted.”

Description

A sexual predator who committed offences against multiple different women over a 24-year period has been jailed.

Steven Fergusson, 39, was found guilty of a series of serious sexual offences against nine different women in Renfrewshire between 1995 and 2019.

The beast was jailed for seven years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, January 23.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark McLennan said: “We welcome the conviction of Steven Fergusson. He is clearly a dangerous individual and it is due to the courage of the women involved in this case that he will now face the consequences of his abhorrent behaviour.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge anyone who has or is being subjected to any form of abuse or harm to get in touch with the police and report it.

“We treat all reports seriously and with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity , no matter when the offence took place. Time is no barrier to justice, as this case demonstrates.

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Police found a sickening stash of child abuse images at the home of an IT expert working for a firm providing services to the UK Government.

They discovered the vile collection when they seized for than 30 devices from the loft at Hugh Macpherson's Barrhead house.

Now fears have been raised that the 37-year-old had access to sensitive information while his employer carried out work for the state, the Daily Record reports.

Macpherson worked for Glasgow-based Iomart designing data storage systems at the time and pled guilty to possessing indecent images of children and bestiality between June 2018 and March 2021, including some in the most extreme category.

Yesterday at Paisley Sheriff Court, he was placed on a Community Payback Order and on the sex offenders register for three years.

Sheriff Eoin McGinty ordered him to be supervised by social workers and attend a programme which helps reform sex offenders.

One source close to the case said: "Given how skilled he is with IT and the level of expertise he has, it's actually incredible they found anything at all. You'd have thought that he'd have made sure to cover his tracks properly. We think he completely forgot they were there.

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Vile Robert Gibson was made the subject of a strict Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in November 2020.

A child sex predator is back behind bars after breaching the conditions of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Former UK Passport Office employee Robert Gibson, 44, was made the subject of a strict Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in November 2020.

The order was imposed to protect the public after he was released from prison over a jail term imposed for sending a nude picture to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl.

On Friday, Gibson, of Mimosa Road, Bridge of Weir, appeared in the dock from custody at Paisley Sheriff Court to admit breaching the terms of his SOPO by deleting his internet browsing history after watching pornography.

Procurator fiscal depute Dana Barclay told the court: Gibson was released from prison and made subject to a SOPO.

One of his conditions prohibits him from deleting internet browser search history, chat logs and text messages.

On April 11, 2022, PC McPherson received intelligence that Gibson has been searching for sexual content, including pornography, using the search engine Google.

Police officers attended at his home address and examined his phone.

It appeared there had been no access to sexual material on the internet history of the phone.

The phone was seized for further analysis, which detailed that the accused had accessed pornography and sexual content between March 4 and April 10.

The accused was arrested, had a telephone consultation with his lawyer and made no reply to caution and charge.

Defence agent Kirsty McGeehan told the court the beast is now unemployed.

Ms McGeehan added: This is an accelerated diet with Mr Gibson pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

He is subject to vigilante groups and lives a solitary existence.

Mr Gibson knew remote monitoring software had been installed on his phone.

At this time he started to drink to excess and pressed the self-destruct button as he clearly knew he would be caught.

He fully accepts a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case.

Sentencing, Sheriff Eoin McGinty said: Sexual Offences Prevention Orders are put in place to protect the public, particularly children and vulnerable people, so the court has to take these types of offences seriously otherwise these orders are toothless.

With passage of time your offending behaviour gets worse.

Sheriff McGinty jailed Gibson for 14 months, backdating this to his date of remand on April 19.

In December 2020, Gibson messaged four women he knew through his Facebook account, while at his home in Paisley.

But he had failed to tell police about the interactions and had deleted the Facebook and Messenger apps from his phone, and with it his activity on the apps which was another breach of his SOPO conditions.

In 2019, vile Gibson was caged for 15 months for sending a nude picture of himself to an undercover paedophile hunter.

He tried to groom someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl for sex - but she was actually an adult decoy.

He had actually been messaging a member of Wolf Pack Hunters UK, which roots out and identifies online groomers who target children.

They chatted through apps Skout and WhatsApp, with Gibson saying he wanted to teach her to kiss, that he wanted her to touch his private parts and that he wanted to have sex with her without wearing a condom.

After telling her sex is not sore he sent a photograph of himself naked with his private parts clearly exposed and his face visible.

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A SEX offender who distributed indecent images of children from his 900,000 home in Kilmacolm told how he 'fantasises' about young female members of his own family.

William Robertson, 66 who was caught with photos of girls aged between four and 15 years revealed his sordid thoughts to another pervert in a flurry of online messages.

Robertson also wrote on the Kik messenger app that he was 'into schoolgirls', a hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court was told.

Cybercrime police swooped on his plush home as part of an intelligence-led sting operation on May 4 last year.

Officers found 66 indecent images of female children on Robertson's laptop computer and iPhone spanning the three most serious categories.

During the raid, the 66-year-old said to his wife: "I'm not part of a ring or anything like that."

Prosecutor Laura Wilcox told the court how police were acting on information about indecent images 'connected to the accused' being 'uploaded to the internet'.

Fiscal depute Miss Wilcox said: "Child exploitation and abuse material was recovered.

"All of the images were accessible to the user.

"The accused said he fantasizes about young female members of his own family."

Robertson pleaded guilty to charges of, on various occasions, taking or permitting to be taken or making and possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between August 1 2018 and May 3 2021.

He also admitted to, on various occasions between February 1 and May 4 last year, distributing or showing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.

Robertson committed the offences at a house on Kilmacolm's West Glen Road and elsewhere. He is currently on bail at a different address.

His plea of not guilty to a charge of covertly filming female children entering a school was accepted by prosecutors.

Sheriff Linda Smith deferred sentence on Robertson until June 29 for a background report and electronic tagging assessment to be carried out.

The sheriff immediately placed him on the Sex Offenders Register, with the length of his inclusion to be determined at his next hearing.

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A perverted grandad sent sex messages to a teen then blamed his victim afterwards for being a slut.

Twisted Ewen Murray, from Linwood, sent a series of explicit texts to the 14-year-old girl, including one while his wife was in the bathroom.

After being caught out, he offered various explanations for his vile behaviour, including mental illness and labelling the youngster a slut.

Murray, 59, finally faced justice at Paisley Sheriff Court, where he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

He was also banned from being in the company of children he isnt related to without adult supervision.

The case had dragged on since 2019, with Murray claiming he suffered mental illness as a result of a blow to his head some years ago causing multiple adjournments in the case.

His lawyer Anthony Boland stated Murrays illness was responsible for him not having control of what he was doing.

But Sheriff Eoin McGinty slammed the pervert for his inability to accept responsibility throughout the case.

He said: You have tried to manipulate proceedings from the offset.

I dont believe your so-called brain injury played any part in this.

You say in the report that you were highly intoxicated, then you went on to say that you sent one message when your wife went to the bathroom.

One of the messages was at 11.30am.

I simply dont believe you were so drunk at that time of the day.

You claim you were so drunk, but you were compos mentis enough to pick your moment.

Murray, of Clippens Road, admitted that between June 21, 2018 and June 25, 2018, he repeatedly sent a girl he knew to be 14-years-old, messages of a sexual and indecent nature.

Court papers show Murray sent the messages for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the youngster.

Mr Boland told the court Murray now accepts responsibility for the messages.

However, he told how the social worker who wrote the criminal justice social work report considered Murray to deny any sexual nature to the messages.

Sheriff McGinty was worried Murray was supported by his wife in court. He stated: The fact that the report states you deny any sexual nature to these messages, and that your wife is here in court today supporting you, concerns me.

Mr Boland asked the court to deal with Murray without imposing a custodial sentence, adding: We have a man here for offences in 2018.

He has committed no further offences and he is a man who has been on bail for three years and never breached the order.

Sentencing, Sheriff McGinty imposed a direct alternative to custody, warning Murray that if the order is breached, he would be facing jail time.

He said: Ive read the deeply disturbing report, given your comments you have made.

I find your various explanations very disturbing in that you blame the 14-year-old girl, calling her a slut.

This offence does constitute a significant breach of trust and power given that this was a 14-year-old girl who confided in you.

Vile Murray was placed under supervision of the social work department for three years and ordered to carry out the Moving Forward Making Changes programme for sex offenders.

In addition, he was ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work and given a number of conduct requirements that prevent him from deleting internet browsing history and from having any unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18, that isnt related to him, without another adult being present.

A review hearing was set for July 29.