April 2020

Well-known Tayside artist jailed for eight years for historic rape and abuse of young girls

A prominent Tayside artist has been locked up for eight years after being convicted of the rape and abuse of young girls

Derrick Heeney preyed on his victims which included claiming to help one with a broken radio.

December 2019

Angus man who worked at Dundee Michelin blamed girl he preyed on for five years

A man who blamed his child victim after he subjected her to prolonged sexual abuse was jailed for five years and three months yesterday.

Anthony Clark, 74, repeatedly preyed on the girl more than three decades ago in Dundee.

The former Michelin tyre factory worker pled guilty to a sustained course of “disgusting sexual abuse” during a five-year period in the 1980s.

Lord Uist said: “Your abuse of her has had a serious and lasting impact over the past 30 years.

“Although you have admitted your guilt and thereby avoided your victim having to give evidence, you have blamed her for what happened. I regard that allegation as deplorable.”

Clark, formerly of Glenclova Terrace, Forfar, earlier admitted two offences of indecent behaviour and indecent assault committed between September 1983 and September 1988.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Uist told Clark if he had been convicted of the crimes after a jury trial he would have jailed him for seven years. “People who sexually abuse children must expect to receive long prison sentences when they are brought to justice, no matter how long that may be after the commission of the offences,” he said.

The court heard the victim originally disclosed the abuse she suffered from Clark in 1989 when she was a teenager.

A children’s charity was contacted and Clark was questioned by police but denied any involvement in the offending.

The victim reported him to police again in 2016.

Advocate depute Peter Ferguson QC said: “She gave a full account of the abuse she had suffered at the hands of the accused.”

Police began a further inquiry and in August last year Clark was interviewed again after declining the services of a lawyer.

Mr Ferguson said: “In the course of that interview the accused made certain detailed admissions of sexual conduct towards the complainer but attempted to suggest that it was all at her instigation.”

Clark was put on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

December 2019

‘Depraved’ Angus sex offender spied on child while amassing haul of sick images

A pervert took covert pictures of a child from his Angus home as well as amassing a haul of sick images.

Depraved Christopher Johnston, 44, was caught with thousands of vile images – some of which included animals – between 2016 and this year.

Johnston, who has previous convictions for sexual offences, is facing a lengthy jail term after being rumbled by police during an unannounced visit.

Police found images of children being abused as well as images of a female child in a state of undress.

Officers from the offender management unit, responsible for keeping tabs on Johnston, attended his home in Arbroath and searched his mobile phone.

After becoming concerned about an image of a female child in a “non-sexualised” position, officers were later granted a warrant to search Johnston’s home.

Prosecutor Stewart Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “A search warrant was granted for the accused’s property where officers recovered an LG phone, an HP laptop and a red Fujifilm camera.

“On the red camera there were 66 category C images. Some included one young female in a state of undress taken in her bedroom window between May and August 2016.

“The accused made full admissions. When he was advised a number of images of a naked young girl had been found, he stated he had recorded them from his kitchen window.”

A haul of indecent images were uncovered on phones and a laptop owned by Johnston which depicted children being abused.

Johnston, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to taking or permitting to be taken indecent images of children between May 2016 and August this year at an address in Arbroath.

Between July and August this year, Johnston possessed extreme pornographic images depicting females, dogs, horses and cats.

On numerous occasions between May and August 2016, Johnston observed a female child committing a private act in that the child was in a state of undress.

After pleading guilty to the offences, Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence on Johnston for social work reports to be prepared.

Johnston was placed on the sex offender’s register indefinitely and was remanded until his next court appearance in January.

December 2019

Repeat sex offender, 25, jailed for relationship with ‘vulnerable’ 15-year-old in Dundee

A “high risk” Dundee predator who had sex with an underage girl after meeting her at a party has been jailed.

Registered sex offender Mitchell Owen invited the “vulnerable” 15-year-old to his home in Charleston and told her it was a “house rule” she could not wear a top.

Owen, 25, knew the girl’s age but was driven by his “own emotional and sexual needs”, the court was told.

The alarm was raised by a teacher at the girl’s school after she was overheard saying that she was in a relationship with an older man, then told the same teacher she had lost her virginity to Owen.

Repeat offender Owen, who has previous convictions for sexual offences involving young females, exchanged messages with the Angus teenager on Facebook before having sex with her on February 5.

The court heard Owen is considered to be a “high risk” sex offender by police.

His solicitor, Jim Laverty said: “He pled guilty and this plea saved a number of witnesses from giving evidence, particularly a vulnerable witness who was the complainer in this case.

“Custody may not be the best way forward for the longer term protection of the public.

“Whilst the Moving Forward Making Changes rehabilitation programme is available in a custodial setting, my understanding is that its availability is limited and it is not as available as it would be in the community.”

However, Sheriff Martin-Brown jailed Owen for 20 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for ten years.

She told him: “I take into account your limited record, however, the offences you were previously convicted of were analogous.

“You were aware of the victim’s young age but you did not care because you were driven by your  own emotional and sexual needs. A custodial sentence is inevitable.”

Owen, of Charleston Drive, was also made subject to a five-year sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with females under the age of 17.

He will also be banned from having more than one internet-connected device and will have to submit the device to regular police checks.

November 2019

Dundee predator told teen he had sex with it was ‘house rule’ she had to take top off

A predator branded “high risk” by police is facing jail for having sex with an underage girl.

Registered sex offender Mitchell Owen, 25, admitted targeting the 15-year-old after first meeting her on Hogmanay last year.

The pervert, who has previous convictions for sexual offences involving young females, exchanged messages with the Angus teenager on Facebook before having sex with her at his home in Charleston.

Owen told her that it was a “house rule” that she couldn’t have a top on.

Prosecutor Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The complainer was made aware that the accused was 24 and he was aware of her true age.

“Over Facebook Messenger, the accused would ask if he would visit her.

“The complainer travelled to Dundee and met him at the train station.

“They went to the accused’s address and as soon as she arrived, he began being intimate with her.”

The alarm was raised by a teacher at the girl’s school after she was overheard saying that she was in a relationship with a 24-year-old man.

She admitted to the same teacher that she lost her virginity to Owen.

Owen, of Charleston Drive, pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with the girl when she was underage on February 5 this year.

The court heard Owen is considered to be a “high risk” sex offender by police and has previous convictions at High Court-level.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentence on Owen until next month for social work reports to be prepared.

He was remanded in custody.

November 2019

Tag for Forfar man who ‘showed no remorse’ after being caught with indecent image of child

An Angus pensioner has been placed on a four-month electronic tag and supervision for a year over an indecent child image offence.

David Brown, 77, of Dunnichen Avenue, Forfar, admitted possessing an indecent photo or pseudo photograph of a child at his home between June 9-15 last year.

Sentencing Brown, Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “Despite involving only one image, the disturbing nature of this case is heightened by the fact you showed no real remorse or understanding in the social work report.”

Brown will be confined to his home from 7pm to 7am daily. His name will also be added to the sex offenders register.