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Seven members of a depraved child sex ring have been told that they face a possible life sentence after subjecting multiple youngsters to depraved abuse.
The five men and two women, who repeatedly raped, attacked and brutalised the vulnerable children at a dirty hovel known as the ‘beastie house’, were branded a potential danger to the public by a judge at the High Court in Glasgow today.
The gang subjected three children to years of heartbreaking abuse and even got their victims to take part in ‘occult practices’ such as casting ‘spells’ and making them believe they were turning into animals as part of a satanic ‘coven’.
In one incident the group one girl was pinned down and attacked as other members of the gang cheered, hollered and encouraged what was happening.
The gang were said to have had ‘rape nights’, ‘dance and sex nights’ as well as ‘dog killing nights’ at the hell-hole flat where they routinely took drugs and abused the children.
One terrified young girl was even ‘put in an oven’ as well as padlocked in a fridge and shut in a cupboard that had ‘beetles and spiders in it’.
The ordeals only emerged after the brave young victims revealed how they had suffered to a couple they got to know before a massive police probe was sparked.
Last year jurors had returned verdicts on 21 charges which occurred between April 2012 and June 2019.
Iain Owens, 45, was convicted of 18 charges including the rape of the three children and the attempted murder of one involving shutting her in a microwave and other kitchen appliances. The jobless addict was also guilty of other sex offences and class A drug supply.
Elaine Lannery, 39, was convicted of 12 charges including the rape of the children.
Lesley Williams, 42, was convicted of five charges including the rape of two girls.
Paul Brannan, 40, meantime was guilty of seven charges which also featured the rape of all the three sex abuse victims.
Lannery, Williams and Brannan had also been convicted of attempted murder.
Scott Forbes, 50, was convicted of the rape of one girl.
Barry Watson and John Clark, both 47, joined them in the dock having been found to have raped two of the young victims.
Marianne Gallagher was cleared of sex abuse, but was convicted of being part of an assault on one girl. The 39-year-old was spared jail and was ordered to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
In the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, Judge Lord Beckett said he would send them for a risk assessment before passing sentence,but warned them they all faced potential lifelong restrictions for their crimes.
‘All of you were convicted of sexual abuse of a young child in the most appalling circumstances,’ he said.
‘All the crimes you were convicted of are serious. All the sexual cases are of extreme gravity.’
He added: ‘In light of the nature of the charges you are convicted, all the evidence led and the information on each of you it appears to me that with the nature of the circumstances of this offence, you may, at liberty, seriously endanger members of the public at large particularly younger children.
‘I’m close to concluding the risk criteria may be met in which I will be bound to impose a risk assessment order.
‘It is not inevitable that an order of lifelong restriction may be imposed on all or any of you. You are not all in the same position and the court will consider the case of each of you and your own circumstances and the charges you were convicted.
‘Understand each of you face a substantial prison sentence and these may be extended.’
In such cases, the offender will also be ordered to serve a minimum period in jail – a punishment part – before they could be considered for a parole bid.
The case was deferred until Tuesday next week for a risk assessor to be identified for each person.
The group, who were convicted after a harrowing nine-week trial last year, were remanded in custody meantime.
The case mainly centred on three children – two girls and a boy. Another girl was listed in a charge, but she was not physically or sexually harmed.
Jurors heard details of the victims depressing young lives – even before they were preyed upon.
One in particular suffered from chronic, severe head lice described as the ‘worst’ a child professional had seen in her near 40-year career.
A number of witnesses in the trial became emotional as they recounted their dealings with some of the youngsters.
Describing one, a woman told jurors how a ‘bubbly wee boy’ became ‘hyper vigilant’ and lost his innocence.
The behaviour of another of the older children changed from her being ‘very friendly’ to a ‘boisterous’ girl tormented by what she was being subjected to.
The youngsters suffered in silence until police were alerted in 2020. This was after a man who got to know the children reported what he had been told.
It was sparked after one of the victims became hysterical having mistakenly thought she had been shut in a room.
The man told the trial he had then been ‘driven by his conscience and principles’ to then help the victims.
Along with his wife, he painstakingly documented horrific details of what the children recalled happening at the hands of the gang.
There were said to have been ‘rape nights’, ‘dance and sex nights’ as well as ‘dog killings nights’ at the hell-hole flat.
One of the girls was ‘put in an oven’ as well as padlocked in a fridge and shut in a cupboard with ‘beetles and spiders in it’.
The same child described the flat as the ‘dark and scary beastie house’.
What was described as a satanic ‘coven’ – a mixture of ‘witches and wizards’ – were also said to have got the children involved in ‘occult practices’ casting ‘spells’ and turning them into animals.
The young boy was also made to courier drugs on behalf of one member of the gang.
The couple were then told of depraved sexual abuse – much of it too graphic to explain in detail – at the hand of the paedophile ring.
A series of emails – shown during the trial – were sent to Police Scotland sparking the huge inquiry.
On hearing this read back to him in court, the man said: ‘That is a nightmare in real time. Listening to that, it is quite distressing.’
The pre-recorded police interviews and evidence before a judge were played during the trial.
Among the crimes jurors heard about was one of the girls being restrained and abused by members of the ring in a disgusting room until she was injured and unconscious – all while it was being recorded on camera.
Owens was said to have ‘received payment’.
The gang all denied being paedophiles or physically harming the children. Some, however, confessed to openly taking drugs in front of the youngsters.
In her closing speech, advocate depute Miss Harper said the children had been victims of a ‘scary and confusing world’ and that they would had to have been ‘off the scale devious’ to have made up the abuse.
Owens’ KC Gary Allan on Thursday said: ‘His position on oath always has been that these allegations of sexual misconduct were wholly without substance.
‘He does not accept in any respect his guilt of these charges of misconduct set out in the indictment.’
Ronnie Renucci KC, defending Lannery, meantime told the court: ‘It has been brought home to her the impact of drug misuse in a wider scale rather than the single person who is taking it.’
Michael Anderson KC said Williams maintains her position of innocence.
Brannan’s defence KC Tony Lenehan told the judge: ‘On the evidence, his involvement was through drugs rather than sexual convenience.’
Tony Graham KC, defending Watson, said: ‘He gave evidence at trial and you heard the position in relation to the allegation.
‘He was convicted on the face of the evidence and he maintains his position of denial.’
Forbes’s KC Jim Wallace stated ‘His position from the outset is that he is innocent of all of the charges he was convicted.’
Iain McSporran KC, defending Clark, told the hearing: ‘You heard him give evidence that he categorically professes his innocence.
Gallagher’s advocate Thomas Ross KC said: ‘The charge is serious due to the age of the victim – more serious allegations were deleted by the jury.’
Mark Carr, 50, Richard Gachagan, 46, and Leona Laing, 51, had also stood trial last year, but were acquitted of all the charges they faced.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
