Sickos jailed for years of cruel child abuse

Two Fife men were today jailed physically abusing young girls over a period of several years.

 In the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing were friends Alan Johnston (41), of Hillfield Road, Inverkeithing and James Stewart (53), of Burnside Crescent, Rosyth.

 Three girls were regularly the victims of sickening violence when they were youngsters.

 One of the victims, now an adult, told the court that when she was a child Stewart held her by ankles and then plunged her head-first into a bath of cold water as a punishment.

 The witness said that she was regularly left with bruises after being smacked, punched and kicked.

 The brave girls shared their horrific ordeal with a jury but even after being found guilty the abusive pair still did not think they had done anything wrong.

 The sheriff paid tribute to the victims saying, “Having heard the girls I was struck by the fact that despite the abuse they all appear to be doing well in their lives.”

 The jury found Stewart guilty of two charges.

 On various occasions between 18th June 2000 and 18th February 2009 he assaulted a young girl, repeatedly removed herclothing, seized her by the body and placed her into baths while he poured cold water over her, placed her over his knee, removed her lower clothing and struck her on the buttocks to her injury.

 Between 19 April 2000 and 18th Feb 2009, he assaulted a second child by repeatedly seizing her by the body and pulling her from her bed, struck her on the head and body, placed her into baths of cold water and immersed her head under water, punched and kicked her on the head and body, placed her over his knee, removed her lower clothing and struck her on the buttocks to her injury.

 Johnston was found guilty of three charges.

 Between 18th June 2000 and 18th Feb 2009 he assaulted a young girl by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the head and body, seized hold of her body, pulled and pinned her to the ground, struck her on the head and buttocks with his hands and tripped her up, causing her to fall to the ground and struck her head all to her injury.

 Between 19th April 2002 and 18th February 2009 he assaulted a second girl by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body, placed her over his knee, removed her lower clothing, struck her on the buttocks, all to her injury.

 On various occasions between 13th July 2002 and 18th Feb 2009 he assaulted a third girl by repeatedly striking her on the head and body, kicked her on the body and tripped her up, causing her to fall to the ground all to her injury.

Stewart’s solicitor Peter Robertson asked for Stewart to be spared jail because he was the carer for his step-father.

 However, Sheriff Charles MacNair said that was “somewhat ironic” given the way Stewart had “cared for” the children he abused.

 He jailed Stewart for 10 months and Johnston for 15 months.