Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Justice after 40 years for sick child abuser
Preyed on three young sisters
A paedophile has been convicted of sexually abusing three young sisters and their cousin in Coatbridge more than 40 years ago.
Samuel McCuaig’s victims had been abused by men who passed them around an organised “paedophile ring” but the 58-yearold escaped earlier prosecution for offences committed in the 1970s because of a lack of evidence.
McCuaig has now been convicted of raping a nine-yearold girl – a cousin of his other three victims – at a house in Coatbridge during a 12-month period from February 1976.
He was also found guilty of indecently assaulting an “intellectually challenged” teenage girl at a house in the town between 1975 and 1978.
The jury at the High Court in Livingston heard that McCuaig got into bed with her and her sister and took turns with another man to lie on top of her, simulate sexual intercourse with her and indecently assault her.
McCu aig, formerly of Coatbridge but now living in Devon, was also found guilty of attempting to rape the teenager’s nine-year-old sister during the same disturbing incident.
He was acquitted of two charges of raping the older girl prior to April 1974, when she was aged between 13 and 15, after the jury returned not proven verdicts.
McCuaig was further found guilty of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards another of the teenager’s sisters between 1975 and 1979.
His victim on this occasion was aged just seven when McCuaig and other men started abusing her.
McCuaig had denied all the charges but the jury took less than two hours yesterday to return majority verdicts, finding him guilty of four serious sex offences.
Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie told the jury: “These girls were subjected to horrific sexual abuse by men.
“Although the details are not exactly the same, they are closely connected.
“All of these incidents are properly seen as one big crime with four main witnesses.”
Judge Lord Armstrong told McCuaig: “The jury have convicted you of four grave crimes against young women who were vulnerable some time ago.”
The judge remanded McCuaig in custody and told him he would pass sentence at Glasgow High Court on May 23.
He ordered McCuaig’s name to be added to the sex offenders’ register.
McCuaig showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.
In 1994 McCuaig’s father Peter, then aged 65, was found guilty of 17 charges relating to offences between 1964 and 1979.
These included nine convictions for rape and he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.
One girl was raped when she was just eight and another was sexually assaulted when she was only six years old.
Two of McCuaig’s uncles pled guilty to similar charges and were also given lengthy prison sentences.