Latest Offenders West

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Sussex Police said former maintenance engineer Daniel Williams, 51, ‘preyed on a young girl in his care’ as a scouts leader in Sussex.

“At Lewes Crown Court on October 9, he appeared for sentencing after admitting assaulting the child by penetration at an earlier hearing,” a police spokesperson added.

Williams – formerly of an address in Hassocks – was a scout leader for more than ten years and ‘committed the offence while acting in this role’, police said.

The spokesperson added: “He also admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

“The court sentenced Williams to a term of five years in prison and an additional year on licence to make a six year sentence in total.

“It means Williams will not be automatically released half way through his sentence.”

Williams was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his access to children, and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Dan Griffiths from the Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “The victim in this case showed tremendous courage to come forward and report what had happened.

“She and her family received support from specially-trained officers.

“Daniel Williams is a dangerous offender who used his trusted position to enable his offending. He has abused that trust in the most abhorrent manner.

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A 'creepy' maths teacher made a schoolgirl play a game of sexual dares before luring her into bed.

Married James Stromfield, 39, who taught at a secondary school in Sussex, devised a sex game for the 15-year-old pupil to play at his home while his wife was out.

He wrote down 12 sexual dares, such as 'remove an item of clothing' or 'make out', on a piece of paper.

The teacher then produced a pair of dice and told her to roll them with the number corresponding to a sexual forfeit.

The game of sexual dares in February ended when he got her into bed where he sexually assaulted her.

Last week Stromfield was jailed for 12 years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, one charge of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting sexual activity with a child.

The tearful victim said she had been 'sickened' and 'disgusted' by his actions and was left 'completely broken'.

Reading a statement to court she sobbed as she told how her life had been destroyed and she had been left suffering 'flashbacks and nightmares' over her ordeal.

She said: 'James Stromfield's actions have affected me and my daily life in a way I wouldn't wish on anyone. I feel like a part of me died on February 27.

'I was keeping a big secret to myself and it was destroying me day by day'.

She said: 'I wasn't the one who should have known better. I was a child and still am. Mr Stromfield is now 39.

'He has taken away many significant experiences teenage girls should be able to feel.

'I would claw at my skin as it no longer felt like it belonged to me after it had been touched by him'.

Hove Crown Court heard the girl had been a pupil at a secondary school where Stromfield taught maths.

When the teenager began to suffer problems at home, she spoke to the teacher frequently and came to trust him.

The head teacher was forced to step in and formally warned Stromfield not to have any further contact with the pupil.

But Stromfield downloaded an app, Proton, which automatically deletes messages, and continued to contact the girl using it.

Orlando Gibbons, prosecuting, said: 'The victim initially saw him as a friend, father figure as well as a teacher. Over time his messages to her became flirtatious and sexual, which she did find a little creepy.'

The court heard she put up with the messages because she did not want to lose the support and friendship of the teacher.

When his wife was out, Stromfield arranged for the girl to come to his home in West Sussex.

The pair played the game of sexual forfeits before getting into bed where sexual activity took place.

However the girl had been tracked to the address by her then-boyfriend using the Snapchat app.

Stromfield was arrested by police on suspicion of child abduction but refused to comment. He was released on bail with strict instructions not to contact the victim.

Stromfield ignored the bail conditions and the pair met again at his house in February while he wife was out.

They went to an upstairs spare bedroom where sexual activity once again took place before he drove her back in his car.

The girl's father found handwritten notes in her handbag written to the teenager by the teacher.

The note read: 'Sorry to hear things were tough for you, hopefully it helps I am thinking and missing you. If you want to meet sometime see instructions on reverse. I will be there every day at 11.00am just in case you turn up.'

A second note read: 'I miss you so much and being apart is really tough. If you do want to come and see me come alone and be 100 per cent sure you can't be tracked. Love you loads Xx.'

Two days later the victim went to his home again and went to his spare room where he raped her.

However police had already been called and turned up at the house while the victim and the teacher were naked in bed.

Stromfield ordered her to quickly put on some clothes before he answered the door.

Police found the victim curled up in a ball on the floor of the spare bedroom and the teacher was arrested once again.

He was charged with a series of serious sexual offences including rape, attempted rape and sexual activity with a child.

Jailing him Recorder Quincy Whittaker said: 'You groomed the victim. Your behaviour was abusive, exploitative and harmful to her.'

She said the teenager had suffered 'psychological trauma' that may last her entire life.

Recorder Whittaker said through 'distorted and dysfunctional thinking' Stromfield had managed to convince himself that his sexual attention was in some way helping with girl with her problems at home and self-esteem.

She told Stromfield he must serve at least eight years before being considered for parole and ordered him to pay his victim £5,000 compensation.

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A BRAZEN sex offender nicknamed himself “Amapedo” when he contacted what he thought was a 14-year-old girl online.

However, William Wilson later discovered that “Sophie”, the target of his predatory behaviour, was actually a fake identity set up by a paedophile hunter group, a court heard.

After making disgusting requests of the decoy “schoolgirl” and sending her indecent images of himself he was confronted by members of the Wolfpack group at his home in West Lothian from where video of his confession was streamed live on Facebook.

Wilson, 51, from Kirknewton, pleaded guilty on Monday to attempting to communicate indecently with a person he believed was an under-age girl.

He attempted to cause her to participate in sexual activity and asking her to photograph of the genitals of a seven year-old girl and send the image to him for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming her.

Christine Brownlie, prosecuting, told Livingston Sheriff Court that the fake profile picture posted on the website Meet24 around 20 March 2022 was of a young white girl aged 12-14. She said it was clear that the photo was of someone under the age of 18.

Within a few hours of setting up the account it was contacted by Wilson, calling himself 'Amapedo' and stating "I like you”, quickly followed by explicit messages.

The decoy replied as Sophie telling the accused that she was 14 years old and from Birmingham.

'Amapedo' then sent Sophie a message stating: "I just love young girls your age. Any pics of you in your school uniform with skirt? Can I see?"

When she replied that she didn't think she had any pictures he asked, "Any of you with your legs open?"

The decoy told 'Amapedo’ that she didn't have pictures like that on her phone, but she was then asked if she had a younger sister and if she did would she be willing to provide a picture for him.

The accused asked to take the conversation to WhatsApp, and the decoy provided a phone number and told the user to add her on WhatsApp, but rather than communicating via WhatsApp, she received a phone call from someone asking to speak to Sophie then began to receive text messages.

Two days later further contact was made with the profile Sophie on Meet24 with someone using the username Grampa70, who also turned out to be the accused.

The user Grampa70 also sent her explicit messages.

The child profile was thereafter contacted by a user also identifying themselves as Grampa70 on the app Meet4u and she asked him to confirm the last 4 digits of his phone number to confirm it was the same person.

Wilson did so and again sent her sexual messages in which he asked if she could take pictures of her seven-year-old sister due to having "a big thing for young girls".

Following this the user Grampa70 told to her to forget it and asked her to delete his number.

Details of the chat between the decoy and Wilson were passed on to the West Lothian Wolfpack paedophile hunting group, as was the accused’s home address.

At about 7.30pm the same day three members of the group – one woman and two men – knocked on Wilson’s door and the woman streamed his reaction live on Facebook.

When she informed Wilson she was at his address because of his online activity he replied “Aye, aye” and invited them in.

Police were contacted and screen shots of the messages and images sent by the accused were handed to them.

They also watched the video stream which showed the accused sitting within his living room admitting to communicating indecently with who he believed to be a child aged 14 years old.

The accused was cautioned and charged and replied: “I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to say.” He later added: “Yes, I done it. I put my hands in the air.”

Sheriff Susan Craig called for a background report before sentence, warned Wilson that he may face a custodial sentence and added his name to the sex offenders’ register.

She said he would be told the length of time he would remain subject to notification requirements when he returned to be sentenced on 14 September.

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A man has been jailed for a string of historic sex offences against a young boy which left his victim “frightened and confused”.

Gary Woolgar, 51, committed the offences on the child and preyed on him over the space of four years, including when he was under 13 years old.

Woolgar, a heating engineer from Lancing, denied the sexual offences but was found guilty at trial.

He also admitted to being in possession of cocaine and cannabis.

Sussex Police Detective Constable Katherine Wilkins said: “This was a complex investigation that involved working closely with partner agencies.

“Woolgar preyed on the boy, and the abuse has had an ongoing impact upon him.

“I would like to thank the victim who showed great courage to come forward and report what happened to him, and to all the witnesses who provided evidence to ensure this offender was convicted.

“This case demonstrates that we take reports of sexual offences seriously and throughout we provided support to the victim with specially-trained officers.

“We are determined to get justice for victims of sexual abuse.”

Woolgar was found guilty of multiple counts of engaging in penetrative and non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy as well as two counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual assault by touching a boy under 13.

The crimes took place between 2013 and 2017.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described how the abuse left him frightened and confused and continues to impact his anxiety and stress.

At a hearing on August 3, Woolgar was jailed for 15 years. He will also be a registered sex offender for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed.

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A man who plied a 12-year-old with wine and raped her has been jailed.

Brian Hoad, 66, first attacked the girl in the 1980s and repeatedly raped her over further four years -including when other family members were in the house.

The woman reported the “abhorrent” and “detestable” abuse years later, Hoad was found guilty of four counts of raping a girl under 16 and two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 16.

The abuse was reported to Sussex Police in June, 2021, and Hoad was arrested the following day.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty at trial of all six counts.

Sussex Police have now praised his victim’s courage to come forward and report the crime.

Detective Constable Emily Turner said: “Brian Hoad abused his position of trust and responsibility in the most abhorrent ways, robbing his innocent victim of a normal childhood through his own depraved actions.

“His detestable crimes have had a long-lasting impact, but thanks to her bravery in coming forward he will now spend a significant part of the rest of his life in prison.

“The courage to confront her accuser, support the investigation to prosecution and help bring him to justice cannot be overstated. I would like to personally thank her.

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A high-risk sex offender who attacked women and children for more than three decades - and blamed one child for "seducing" him - has been handed a life sentence.

Kevin Scott was convicted of 10 offences, including violent assaults, rape, indecent communication and sexual activity with an older child he met online, abduction, and domestic abuse.

The 54-year-old's catalogue of crimes occurred between 1985 and 2021 in the West Lothian, Clackmannanshire, and Dumfries and Galloway areas.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Lady Haldane said the crimes against his child victims were "particularly disturbing".

The court heard Scott continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Referring to one young victim, Lady Haldane said to Scott: "You, of course, did not consider what happened between you to be abuse, as you regarded yourself as in a relationship with [the victim], although she was only a child at the time, and vulnerable in a number of respects.

"Indeed, you blamed her for seducing you.

"You are unable to recognise your grooming and abusive behaviour for what it really was, and this pattern emerges in your attitude to your other offending."

The judge imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction and ordered he must serve a six-and-a-half year prison sentence before being eligible to seek parole to be released on licence.

Scott has also been added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

A Criminal Justice Social Work report concluded that Scott was a "high risk" to intimate partners and children.

Lady Haldane said: "Your profile is one of psychopathy driven by a traumatic childhood and anxiety.

"You demonstrate no insight into your behaviours or their effect on others."

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A sex offender has been convicted after he failed to notify police of his travel plans.

As a condition of his sexual harm prevention order, Gary Ahearne, a registered sex offender, was required to tell police about his whereabouts.

But on May 17 last year Ahearne travelled from Luton Airport to Poland but failed to notify police of his intended travel.

The 43-year-old, of no fixed address, was subsequently charged with failure to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

He pleaded guilty to the offence and at Lewes Crown Court on May 14, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

PC Mat Wyatt said: “These conditions are put in place for a reason. They are designed to protect the public from harm and to prevent those individuals subject to the conditions from further offending.

“This case should serve as a reminder that these are extremely serious offences which should not be taken lightly.”

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A former PSCO has been jailed for six years after child abuse images were found on his phone.

William Redwood, 24, of Boghall Drive, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to making, taking and distribution of indecent images of children and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 28 April.

Surrey Police said he met all of his victims before becoming a PCSO in Runnymede in 2019.

The images were discovered when his phone was seized, after his supervisor raised concerns that Redwood had accessed confidential information without a legitimate purpose.

His victims were aged between 12 and 17, and were both male and female.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: "This case has had a devastating impact on the victims involved and I commend them for their bravery in providing us with statements which led to him pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

"I hope all those affected by his abhorrent criminal actions can take some comfort in the fact that he is now behind bars and that it gives them some closure.

"It is extremely regrettable that Redwood had the privilege of serving as a PCSO with Surrey Police."

Redwood faced 37 charges, 34 of which related to offences involving causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity.

The remaining three related to making indecent images of children.

A sexual harm prevention order was made against Redwood and he has also been barred from working with children.

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A man has been convicted of sexual offences and animal cruelty offences in the West Lothian and Forth Valley areas.

Kevin Vivers, 56, was found guilty of 27 charges at the High Court in Livingston today (1 November, 2022) including rapes, sexual assaults and physical abuse of seven women between 1985 and 2020.

Vivers is due to be sentenced next month and he will be placed in the sex offenders register.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven McMillan said: "I hope the outcome at court can bring some comfort to his victims and their families.

"This conviction has only been possible due to the bravery and courage of those who came forward to report this horrific abuse and I commend and thank them for speaking out.

"This was a particularly difficult case due to the horrendous nature of Vivers’ crimes and the sickening animal abuse, which spanned several decades.

"I would encourage anyone who is experiencing or has experienced abuse to come forward and report it to police.

"All reports of abuse and sexual assaults, regardless of the passage of time, will be thoroughly investigated by Police Scotland and victims will be supported throughout.”

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A man who was dressed as a woman has been jailed for 12 weeks after trying to have sex with a dog in public. 

Peter Lerwill, 30, was caught in the act by a woman in his hometown in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, and was initially arrested before being released on bail.

He appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday and plead guilty to attempted intercourse with an animal, resulting in a 12-week prison sentence.

Lerwill has been banned from owning or having control of a dog for five years and is also now a registered sex offender.

Following the incident, which took place in June, the dog was taken to the vet where they determined it had suffered no injuries. The dog was then returned to its proper owner. 

Lead investigator with Sussex Police Oliver Robinson said: “This was an extremely upsetting case where Lerwill preyed on a defenceless animal. This was also a challenging case which relied on witness accounts rather than the victim, as in most cases.

“Thanks to the prompt reporting by the informant we were able to arrest Lerwill and complete forensic examinations within a timely manner which helped secure the conviction.

“The dog was able to be returned to its owner who can be confident that their dog and others cannot be targeted by Lerwill going forward.”

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A 49-year-old man has been handed a prison sentence after being found guilty of a number of sexual assaults.

49-year-old Michael Coburn has been handed a 23 year sentence after being found guilty of a number of sexual offences. 

Coburn was convicted of offences against two victims between 2018 and 2022 while he was living in Billingshurst.

In total the offender has been found guilty of 19 sexual offences against two girls.

Police opened an investigation on Michael after the two victims came forward to police and disclosed the assaults in January 2022.

The 49-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted by a unanimous jury.

Coburn was arrested and charged with 11 counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; four counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act; two counts of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration; and two counts of attempted rape of a child under 13.

At Lewes Crown Court on September 29, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a further five years on licence.

He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A perverted partner sexually assaulted his sleeping girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him, a court heard.

James Skelton had sent his victim a message earlier pleading with her, Livingston Sheriff Court was told.

That weekend the young woman went to bed alone, leaving Skelton talking to her nieces and their mum who were staying over in their home.

Roshni Joshi, prosecuting, said the accused's girlfriend had fallen asleep in their bed on her right-hand side as normal, but at 3am she stirred and went to turn around.

When she woke up she was on her left-hand side and the accused’s right arm was over her side.

She was then sexually assaulted.

“She shouted at the accused: ‘What the f**k are you doing?’ She did not see him but could hear him saying: ‘I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!’ She left the room.”

Miss Joshni said the woman was aware of her phone vibrating as it received messages that night but did not look at them until later the same day.

The texts included messages from Skelton who told her: “I’m so, so, so f*****g sorry. I thought you were awake. I feel quite sick right now.

“You moved your hand out of the way and made a few noises. I’m so ff*****g sorry.”

A later message read: “You know I wouldn’t do anything like that without your consent.”

Skelton's victim told her aunt the next day what he had done and Skelton handed himself into police but on legal advice gave a 'no comment' interview.

Skelton, 26, of Bathgate, West Lothian, pleaded guilty on Monday to sexually penetrating his former girlfriend at an address in West Lothian on 30 August while she was asleep and incapable of giving or withholding consent.

He admitted that the offence was aggravated by involving abuse of a partner or former partner.

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch ordered that his name be added to the sex offenders’ register with immediate effect and adjourned the case until 4 November for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared before sentencing.

He told Skelton: “I’m not going to pass sentence today because as a matter of law I have to obtain a background report before sentence is passed.

“You must also as a matter of law be placed on the sex offenders’ register in relation to this case and the length of time you’ll remain on the register will be decided when sentence is actually passed.”

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Police Scotland acknowledges the sentence given to a man who was found guilty of sexual offences in the Highlands, Dundee and West Lothian over a 13-year period.

Daniel Fuller, 38, was convicted of seven charges last month and was remanded in custody.

He was sentenced today (Friday, 16 September) at the High Court in Aberdeen to 12 years imprisonment, with a further three years on licence, as well as being added to the sex offender register indefinitely.

Detective Inspector Jennifer Priestley said: "We welcome the sentencing of Daniel Fuller, who has shown himself to be a predatory and dangerous man having committed such terrible crimes against his victims.

“It is thanks to the courage of the women who came forward that he has now been found guilty of his crimes and the cruelty of his behaviour has been exposed.

“I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to come forward and report it.

“Police Scotland takes all reports of abuse seriously and we will carry out a thorough investigation no matter how long ago these incidents took place.”

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A serial child sex offender has been jailed today for a minimum of 12 years and is being sent to a women's prison - despite not being legally recognised as female.

Sally Dixon, 58, began transitioning 18 years ago and carried out the offences against seven children from 1989 to 1996 while she was a man.

She was found guilty on 30 offences of indecent assault or indecency with a child against seven victims in July, the youngest of whom was seven years old at the time.

A jury took 17.5 hours to find her guilty on the charges, and not guilty on three more.

Ryan Richter, prosecuting, described a campaign of offending against two boys and five girls lasting eight years.

He told the court: 'The defendant, living as a man in the late 80s and 90s, was a brazen and callous sexual predator.

'He exploited young males and cultivated a toxic relationship with female children who he systematically abused throughout their childhoods.'

Sally Anne Dixon, who was born John Stephen Dixon in 1963, married twice and began transitioning to live as a female in 2004.

Despite being jailed for six months in 1997 for the sexual abuse of a teenage by, it was not until a victim came forward in 2019 that Dixon's years of offending came to light.

Judge Van Der Zwart said opportunities to jail her earlier had been missed.

Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex heard Dixon will be sent to HMP Bronzefield where she will serve her sentence, despite not being legally recognised as a woman.

Wearing a pink jumper and dyed pink hair, Dixon scowled, frowned and shook her head during a sentencing hearing.

The victims were now vindicated, the judge said.

Sussex Police reopened their investigation into his earlier offending in 2019 following a new complaint from another victim.

Harrowing victim statements were read to the court by victims, now adult men and women, who described horrific abuse by Dixon.

One woman said her childhood abuse left her feeling constant anxiety.

'I was hoping he would do the right thing for once and not put me through the trial but he didn't.

'He is a coward who did not give evidence.

'He was happy to put us through it but not himself.'

Dixon lived in Crawley and Bexhill where he worked repairing TVs and as a DJ around local bars, clubs and a caravan park.

The court heard he abused the children at a lock-up garage and in a caravan on the south coast.

Dixon was given consecutive nine year custodial sentences with two one year extended licences and will serve at least 12 years in custody before becoming eligible for parole.

Detective Constable Amy Pooley of the Sussex Police Complex Abuse Unit said: 'Dixon came to know these vulnerable young children successively through family connections, and used that trusted access to systematically abuse each of them for sexual gratification, in some cases for several months at a time.

'Only when one of the victims eventually came to us in 2019 was the terrible and distressing nature of Dixon's offending over many years finally uncovered.

'As one victim escaped this predatory interest, another would take their place, but sometimes some victims would be offended against simultaneously.

'This case shows again that we will always follow up such reports, no matter how long ago the events are said to have happened, to support victims and to see if we can achieve justice for them wherever the evidence justifies that.'

His Honour Judge Mark Van Der Zwart heard in July that Dixon did not have a Gender Recognition Certificate.

She will serve time at the women's prison despite not having a gender recognition certificate - the document which allows transgender people to legally be recognised as an alternate gender. It is understood she will have all the normal opportunities other prisoners at the jail have.

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Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019. A serial Scots rapist who reigned terror on four women may never be freed from prison and will be monitored for the rest of his life. Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019. His crimes included rape, knocking the teeth from one of his victims and burning her body with cigarettes. Another awoke to find Thomson had placed a plastic bag over her head to restrict her breathing. Thomson stood before the High Court in Glasgow today, convicted of 17 charges involving the abuse of four former partners including charges of assault, abduction and 10 counts of rape. Two victims who suffered at the hands of Thomson sadly died before he faced trial. Their evidence was heard with statements read by one of the investigating officers in the case, which contributed to Thomson being found guilty. He was handed an Order of Lifelong Restriction and sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison before he is eligible for parole. He was further given a lifetime Non Harassment Order, preventing him approaching or contacting his victims. Scotlands head Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Fraser Gibson, said: Alexander Thomsons offending brutalised and bullied women who trusted him. He betrayed their trust in the most despicable manner. It is extremely sad that two of his victims did not live to see Thomson brought to justice. "We are grateful for the evidence they provided in their determination that he be held to account and to the other two women who bravely spoke out. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is committed to the rigorous pursuit of justice. Our prosecutors will utilise all evidence available in this process. We would urge any victim or witness of similar offending to come forward, report it and seek help. Earlier, we told how the officer reading testimonies from the two victims who had sadly passed away said they had deserved to have their voices heard from beyond the grave. Detective Sergeant Aisling Corduff, who read their statements from the witness box, told the Record: " It is not something that happens very often but I believe it had a huge impact on the case. They couldnt speak but I had sat and listened to them and I knew their voices. I formed relationships with these women, spent hours with them. Bernie Laing, 30, died in July 2020, before Thomsons trial and her mum Margaret blames him for her death. DS Corduff said: I felt proud to be reading their words aloud for them because I knew how much it meant to them and to Bernies mother. I felt like they deserved to be heard. Thomson was arrested for his heinous crimes on December 12, 2019.