Helensburgh Advertiser | News | Child sex menace jailed

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Friday, 5th January, 2007 13:51

Child sex menace jailed

By Tracy-Ann Carmichael

AN ARROCHAR man has been jailed after he admitted sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

Sheriff Simon Fraser blasted the man — who we have not named to protect the victim's identity — for wrecking the girl's childhood after hearing how he molested her at his home in the village.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard that the 54-year-old carried out the assaults on `five or six` occassions in January and February 2005.

The youngster did not tell anyone about the incidents but they came to an abrupt end, the court heard, after the man realised he had `gone to far`.

Fiscal Depute Maggie Porter said that on the `fifth or sixth occasion`, `the accused asked the complainer to have sex with him`

Mrs Porter added: `She declined. He asked her not tell anyone about what had happened and offered her money not to tell her mother. The complainer declined this money.`

But the girl's behaviour started to deteriorate after the incidents, the court heard, and she started taking what she described as `panic attacks`.

The youngster eventually told all to a schoolteacher and police and social workers were called in.

The man was confronted by the child's mother and he admitted assaulting the girl. He later told Police that `he knew he had gone too far` by asking the child to have sex with him, the court heard.

He admitted using lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards the girl and attempting to induce her to have sex with him.

Defence agent Joanna Mortimer said that her client had admitted the offences, not wanting the youngster of having to go through the trauma of giving evidence.

But she told the court that the youngster had to attend an identification parade to pick him out and that she became visibly upset when she saw his image.

Ms Mortimer said: `On the last occassion the accused realised in his own words that things had gone too far and that this had to stop.`

She said that her client had `no recollection` of offering the girl a bribe to stop her from telling, but said that he did accept that `he did tell her that if she told anybody, he would to go prison`.

The agent added: `He recognises that this is an extremely grave offence. He is well aware that given the nature of these offences, the court will be considering a custodial sentence.

`He tells me he cannot explain why this happened. He has told me in no uncertain terms that he is disgusted with his behaviour and what he has become in effect. He recognises that this should never have happened.`

Sheriff Simon Fraser, who heard details of the nature of the assault, asked for further information on any lasting effects suffered by the youngster but the fiscal said that she was unable to give any further information on how the incidents had affected the girl.

Sheriff Fraser jailed the man, who had already been placed on the sex offenders' register over the incidents, for 32 months and ordered him to be supervised for a further three years on his release.

The Sheriff said: `The offences you committed were extremely serious and were committed against a young girl.

`Children of that age are entitled to grow up unmolested by the likes of you.

`Childhood is meant to be a happy time. God knows adulthood contains enough problems without entering it having been molested by you. You are no doubt someone the girl came to trust. You abused that trust.`

The Sheriff added that he made `no comment` on legislation forcing him to give the man a discount on his prison term because he had admitted his guilt, saying `I simply say, I don't make the rules, I just apply them`.

He added that he had not discounted the extended sentence term because it had been applied for `the protection of the public`.

New buyers squeezed out

FIRST-TIME buyers are being priced out of the Helensburgh housing market.

And if current trends continue buyers could be forking out nearly £400,000 in just five years' time — as the average price of a burgh property has more than doubled in the last five years.

According to Halifax Bank of Scotland Price Index the price of a Helensburgh home has soared by 15 per cent in the past 12 months making the average cost £190,005 — a figure seven and a half times the average income of a first-time buyer.

And Helensburgh Central Councillor John Tacchi slammed those responsible for awarding crippling mortgages.

He said: `I think it is very, very worrying for the future of the town.`

`Banks and mortgage societies are granting mortgages up to six times an individual's salary and I think that is very irresponsible and is encouraging people to get into huge amounts of debt.`

He added: `My house has gone up, five, six, maybe even seven times since I bought it, and that is a lot for first time buyer. A planning application has gone in for the Hermitage Academy site so we are getting the housing stock but not enough at the right price.`

The Price Index lists Helensburgh behind only Edinburgh in terms of being the most expensive place to buy property north of the border.

However, Colin Macmillan, a valuer based in Helensburgh's Slater Hogg and Howison, believes it is important to consider other factors as well as the price of the property.

He said: `We have got to focus on the fact that is it less expensive than in Glasgow and that is bringing professionals to the area. The peninsula is only around 40 miles from Glasgow, it is a great, healthy place to bring up children and more people are realising that.

`If you were to look at the price of a two-bedroomed flat in the west end of Glasgow it would be around £250,000 whereas in Helensburgh a two-bedroomed flat would cost somewhere between £150,000 and £197,000 so I don't know where they [HBoS] get their statistics from.`

The Advertiser reported in August how figures from Halifax Bank of Scotland showed that public sector workers such as ambulance workers, nurses, firefighters, police officers and some teachers, had been priced out of the housing market because of rocketing prices in the burgh.

But Colin Macmillan insists the figures are not as daunting as they sound.

He said: `For first time buyers the prices are not that great but it is great for the area.

`It is important to remember that Helensburgh still has considerably cheaper property than in Glasgow and buyers will get more for their money when they buy in the area.`

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