April 2018

Dalkeith man jailed for repeated abuse of underage schoolgirl

A Dalkeith man was jailed today for the repeated sexual abuse of an underage schoolgirl in West Lothian.

Bruce Henderson, 53, was caught abusing the youngster by her mum after she returned home unexpectedly and found her daughter in his bed.

Henderson was today sentenced to three years in prison for the sexual assaults.

The girl – who was just weeks away from her 13th birthday at the time – looked “shocked” when her mother walked into the room, prosecutor Jim Robertson told Livingston Sheriff Court.

She broke down in school the following day before eventually disclosing details of Henderson’s long-term abuse to her mum, he said HGV driver Henderson, formerly of Mayfield, Dalkeith, earlier pled guilty to sexually assaulting the youngster while she was in his care at addresses in Whitburn and Bathgate, West Lothian, from September 2014 until March 2017.

He admitted abusing her by kissing her on the mouth and touching her inappropriately.

The day her mother caught Henderson in the act of abusing her, the girl had been off school because she was feeling unwell, Mr Robertson revealed.

He told the court: “She said on that day he touched her breasts and put his hands inside her pants.

“It would appear they were disturbed by the return of the complainer’s mother. “She recalls the complainer looking shocked.”

After the mother fetched her daughter from school the following day she asked the girl what was wrong, he said.

“She replied: ‘(The accused) has been touching me inappropriately’.

“The mother asked her daughter if she’d been touched ‘down below’ and she replied ‘Yes’ and told her the last incident had occurred the previous night.

“The complainer was visibly upset and went into detail about what had been happening.” Mr Robertson said there was then a confrontation between the accused and the girl’s mother during which she told him what her daughter had disclosed.

Henderson at first told her the sexual abuse had “maybe” happened by accident. Then he claimed: ‘It was an accident but it only happened once or twice’.”

Mr Robertson said social work and police officers were brought in to question the alleged victim as part of a joint forensic examination.

He said: “During the interview the girl described the actions of the accused on a number of occasions.

“He was detained and interviewed, during which he made various admissions that ‘inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature’ had taken place in the manner she had described.”

Jailing Henderson, Sheriff Douglas Kinloch told him: “It’s extremely sad to see a man of 53 years of age who has never offended before in his life sitting in the dock facing charges of sexual abuse on indictment.

“You have admitted sexually abusing (this girl) over a period of two and a half years when she was aged between 10 and 12 with what long-term effects I don’t know.

“In my view the gravity of these matters means that I would be failing in my public duty if I did not impose a sentence of imprisonment.”

February 2018

Mother’s horror as she returns home to find paedophile groping daughter

A paedophile who preyed on a 10-year-old schoolgirl has had his name added to the sex offenders’ register.

Bruce Henderson, 53, was caught after the girl’s mum returned home unexpectedly on March 13 and found him groping her daughter in his bed.

The youngster – who was just weeks away from her 13th birthday – looked “shocked”, prosecutor Jim Robertson told Livingston Sheriff Court.

She broke down in school the following day before eventually disclosing the details of her long-term abuse at his hands to her mother, he said.

Henderson, of Mayfield, Dalkeith, claimed the sexual abuse was “an accident” and only happened a couple of times.

However he pleaded guilty on Monday to sexually assaulting the youngster on various occasions over a two and a half year period from September 2014 until March 2017.

He admitted committing the offence at addresses in Whitburn and Bathgate, West Lothian, while she was in his care, the court heard.

Henderson admitted kissing the girl on the mouth, placing his hands under her clothing and handling her private parts.

The first offender had the case against him adjourned for background reports.

He was told he would learn the length of time he will be subject to registration as a sex offender when he returns to court for sentence on April 6.

Mr Robertson said the complainer had been off school feeling unwell on the day her mother caught Henderson in the act of abusing her.

She had taken her laptop through to the bedroom where Henderson, who was also unwell, was lying in bed and there she was indecently assaulted by him.

He told the court: “It would appear they were disturbed by the return of the complainer’s mother. She entered the bedroom, she found the accused lying on the right hand side of the bed on top of the covers and the complainer sitting up up against the pillows.

“She recalls the complainer looking shocked and the accused saying he was having a lie-down for an hour.”

The following day, he said, the mother fetched her daughter from school after teaching staff called to say the girl was upset and asking for her.

She did not disclose to the school why she was upset. Mr Robertson said: “When asked what was wrong she initially would not say anything but then did state: ‘(The accused) has been touching me inappropriately’.

The mother asked daughter if she had been touched ‘down below’ and she replied ‘Yes’ and told her the last incident had occurred the night before.

“The complainer then was visibly upset and went into more detail about what had been happening over a period of time.

“There was then a confrontation between the accused and the mother during which the mother told him her daughter had disclosed she’d been sexually abused.

“He initially stated: ‘No’ then went on to state ‘It maybe happened by accident.”

Mr Robertson said social work and police officers were brought in to conduct a joint forensic medical examination.

The complainer was interviewed and basically complained about this behaviour from the dates on the libel and in the circumstances that these were the actions of the accused on a number of occasions.

He was detained and interviewed, and during the course of the interview made various admissions that “inappropriate behaviour had taken place of a sexual nature” had taken place in the manner she had described. 

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch told Henderson: “As a matter of law a background report must be obtained before sentence is passed therefore I won’t deal with your case today. “The case will be continued to allow the background report to be obtained. You’ll remain at liberty on bail in the meantime.”

November 2018

Midlothian pensioner found guilty of abusing vulnerable schoolgirls is facing jail

A Midlothian pensioner who sexually abused vulnerable schoolgirls is facing jail.

Lawton James Ramsay targeted two young girls by exposing himself and touching them during weekly visits to his home.

Ramsay, who is known as Jim, began abusing the youngsters when they were just just ten and 11-years-old.

The 77-year-old also abused the girls during car trips to the countryside by getting them to carry out sex acts on him.

And during a police interview the elderly predator even attempted to blame the girls by claiming they “instigated” the sexual contact between them and that he had fallen into “a trap”.

Ramsay stood trial on indictment at Edinburgh Sheriff Court this week and was found guilty by a jury of four charges of using lewd and libidinous practices towards the two girls on various occasions between 2005 and 2009.

Sheriff Alistair Noble placed Ramsay, from Mayfield, on the sex offenders’ register and deferred full sentence to next month.

The youngest victim, now aged 24, told the court the OAP forced himself on her while she drew pictures in his kitchen and with his wife in the next room.

The older victim, now 25, said that they would regularly visit Ramsay’s home he shared with his wife after their mother had passed away.

She said: “We used to visit him and his wife about once a week. His wife was there sometimes but sometimes she was at work.

“The relationship was good at first but then things started to happen – sexual stuff.”

Both women also described incidents when Ramsay, a retired blacksmith, took them out for trips in his car.

Ramsay’s police interview was played in full to the jury where he admitted having sexual contact with the girls, though he claimed he believed both of them to be over 16 at the time.

Ramsay claimed the older girl had “instigated” the sexual contact between them and said both girls had “wound him up sexually”.

He said: “About three of four years ago the girls were winding me up sexually by saying different things and doing things.

“I should have had the sense to stop it. It wasn’t intercourse but it was other things.

“I would never groom anybody – they just wound me up. I fell into the trap.

“I was like a father-figure – I loved those girls. But there was never a case of molesting them.”

Ramsay was found guilty of four charges, all at his home address between 1 April, 2005 and 21 July, 2009.

An allegation of having unlawful sexual intercourse with one of the girls was dropped from the indictment following the closure of the Crown case earlier this week.

August 2018

70-year-old man jailed for six years for raping teenage girl in Midlothian

A 70-year-old man has been jailed for six years for raping a teenage girl in Midlothian.

Paul Cooke was earlier convicted of repeatedly raping the girl when she was aged 16 and carrying out sex assaults on two other younger teenagers.

He had denied the charges which forced the victims to give evidence against him in court

August 2018

Sex predator who ‘touched teen as she slept’ jailed

A sex predator who attacked a teenager when he was an overnight guest of her family was jailed for four years

A judge told Kevin Cowley at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You gave no explanation for your behaviour but it is clear it was for your own sexual gratification.”

Lord Boyd of Duncansby said: “It is clear this had a traumatic and lasting effect on your victim.”

The judge told the 57-year-old that he would be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely following his conviction.

Cowley, formerly of Broadhurst Road, Easthouses, Midlothian, was originally charged with raping the 15-year-old girl but pled guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting her at a caravan site in East Lothian on May 21 last year.

During the assault on the sleeping girl the first offender took off the victim’s pants and molested her. DNA evidence showed that he had carried out a sex act on himself.

The court heard that Cowley had been out drinking in the Leith area of Edinburgh and spent about £100 on alcohol before contacting the victim’s family asking to be picked and to spend the night at their home.

The victim went to her bedroom and fell asleep but awoke to find Cowley leaning over her.

Advocate depute Lynsey MacDonald said: “The victim could smell a strong smell of alcohol from the accused’s breath.” Her pants had been removed and bra and t-shirt pulled up.

The prosecutor said: “She does not know what happened in the period before she awoke.” The girl panicked and got out of bed and pushed her attacker out of her way as she screamed running to her parents’ room. She was extremely distressed and crying and complaining of pain. Her mother remained with her while her father went and confronted Cowley who was told to wait while the police were called.

Cowley was detained and during an interview did not deny that he had touched the victim.