Brute jailed

Man terrorised children

An East Kilbride man who terrorised six children over a four-year period was yesterday caged for 18 months.

Callous Joseph Law had earlier pled guilty to charges at Hamilton Sheriff Court. Sheriff Thomas Millar said: “Mr Law was in a position of trust and not able to keep that trust.”

A callous brute who terrorised six children over four years was yesterday caged for 18 months.

Joseph Law, 40, showed no emotion as he was handed down the reduced sentence for beating vulnerable youngsters and driving a traumatised teenage victim to alcohol and drug abuse.

Hamilton Sheriff Court earlier heard how the East Kilbride man locked young children outside in the cold for long periods of time and once dragged an infant down a flight of stairs by her hair.

The horrific abuse came to light in June 2014 when the oldest victim bravely confided in her guidance teacher about the “catalogue of physical abuse” she and five other children were subjected to at addresses in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire and Glasgow.

The court was told she had sustained bruising and had red marks all over her body from where she had been punched by Law.

Fiscal depute Callum Forsyth said that during interviews by police and the social work department, the children described a catalogue of physical abuse from October 24, 2010.

He said: “The eldest child was repeatedly punched and slapped on the body, subjected to abusive remarks, shouted at and, on one occasion, he [Law] threw a plate near to her.

“During this time, she was repeatedly seized and pulled by her body.”

The court heard how the teenager

“Despite the fact his actions were unacceptable he doesn’t strike me as a bad person... he struggles to understand situations.”

Mr Bruce told the court that Law, who had been remanded in custody, had been placed in solitary confinement for his own safety because details of the case had been mentioned in the press.

Asking Sheriff Thomas Millar for an unpaid work order or restriction of liberty order as an alternative to a custodial sentence, Mr Bruce added: “He [Law] has to attend to the difficulties in his life.

“The charges, although very unpleasant, by court standards, I wouldn’t say they were at the higher end of the scale.”

However, Sheriff Millar hit back and pointed out that the older child was affected more deeply than the others.

He said there was no excuse as the incidents were “not one-offs but numerous, repeated incidents”.

Sentencing Law, Sheriff Millar said: “Clearly from what’s been said the abuse of most of the children took place consistently over a four-year period and, therefore, this case has to be dealt with by way of a custodial sentence.

“Mr Law was in a position of trust and not able to keep that trust.”

Law was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment backdated to September 27 when he was first taken into custody.

His sentence was reduced from two years because of his guilty plea.

Mr Law was in a position of trust and not able to keep that trust.