January 2012

Victim’s relief as Stanhope man jailed for historic sex offences

A VICTIM of repeated childhood sexual abuse yesterday told of her relief as justice was finally served on the paedophile perpetrator.

The woman, now in her mid-20s, was speaking after Ian Malcolm MacGillivray was jailed for four years at Durham Crown Court.

He was found guilty of two of four alleged counts of indecent assault on the girl, dating from the 1990s, while living in Hampshire, following a seven-day trial at the court last March.

MacGillivray, living in Stanhope, County Durham, in recent years, denied the allegations, claiming they never took place.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting, said he ingratiated himself with her family, showing unhealthy interest in their daughter, to the extent they even moved away at one stage, but he continued to contact them and shower her with gifts.

Although the allegations were reported in January 2003, Hampshire Police decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case.

It was only after similar concerns were raised over interest MacGillivray was showing in another young girl, in County Durham, in 2009, that the Hampshire case was revisited.

Durham Police found paedophile pornography on a computer seized from his rented home, at Weardale House, in Stanhope, in November 2009. Miss Kidd said when police returned to reinterview him the following March, extreme pornography, featuring scenes of bestiality, was found on another computer he had acquired in the intervening months.

MacGillivray admitted seven counts relating to downloading and possessing the indecent child images and five charges over the extreme pornography.

But he was cleared of a further charge alleging sexual grooming a girl in County Durham, after a trial at the court in December.

He was brought back for sentence for the other matters yesterday, sporting a bandage beneath his lower lip as the court heard he was slashed in a prison attack earlier in the morning.

Caroline Goodwin, for MacGillivray, told the court he is now 63 and has no previous convictions.

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince told MacGillivray his repeated offending had a profound effect on the victim.

The judge praised her for her courage and fortitude in giving evidence to bring him to justice.

The judge also ordered him to pay £2,000 compensation to the victim, and said MacGillivray must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and comply with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, both indefinitely.

After the hearing, the victim said: “Finally I feel as if someone has listened to me.

“When no action was taken in 2003 I pretended it must not have happened until I got the phone call to say he had been arrested in Durham in 2009.”

Referring to the sentence and orders imposed, she added: “Although he’ll only be in jail for two years and out on licence for two more, at least he’ll be watched, so it’s a relief from that side of things.”