Five years for pervert who abducted 6-year-old as she played in her Disney outfit
Little girl was grabbed close to her home and assaulted
A MAN who abducted a six-yearold girl and sexually assaulted her with intent to rape was yesterday jailed for more than five years.
David Johnston, 33, was also told he would be monitored in the community for two years after his release from prison in order to protect the public.
Judge Lady Wise told him that his victim, who was wearing a princess dress from the Disney film Frozen, was ‘inconsolable after her terrifying ordeal’ and praised locals and police who tracked him down.
Defence counsel Tony Graham said that Johnston was drunk and had taken a legal high called Bubble that night.
Mr Graham added: ‘His behaviour that night was bizarre, but he had no memory of it. However, he accepts the evidence against him.’
The High Court in Glasgow was told that Johnston was out on licence at the time of the assault, having been released two months early from a jail sentence for a racially aggravated offence.
Johnston took the young girl, who was out playing, from a street in Barrowfield to a secluded area.
When concerned residents and police caught up with Johnston, he was in a state of partial undress with the girl beside him.
Johnston, who is a prisoner in Barlinnie, admitted abducting and sexually assaulting the girl with intent to rape on August 7. He also pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace.
Advocate depute Shanti Maguire, prosecuting, told the court that Johnston’s victim was out playing when he snatched her. After hearing that her daughter had been taken by a stranger, the distraught mother fetched her mobile phone and began showing recent pictures of the child to passers-by in a desperate bid to find her.
Miss Maguire said: ‘By this time a large number of local residents had been made aware of the situation and had made their way onto the street.’
The first person to find Johnston was John Farrell, 50. He had begun searching for the girl after seeing Johnston talking to her, before leading her away by the hand.
Mr Farrell was walking past a billboard near a Kwik Fit garage when he heard a noise behind it.
He startled Johnston, who pushed the girl back and ran away, causing her to stumble and scream loudly.
Johnston, who lives on benefits, told police when he was caught a short distance later: ‘You better chop me up. There is something wrong with me.’
The little girl was reunited with her family and had initially felt guilty for going off with a stranger.
But the prosecutor added: ‘She has since returned to her happy self, out playing with her friends.’
As well as five-and-a-half years in prison, Johnston was placed on the sexual offenders’ register.
Speaking after sentence, Detective Inspector Ogilvie Ross said: [This] was a very disturbing case in which David Johnston preyed on a six-year-old girl who was out playing near her home.
‘I would like to thank the local community for their help and assistance.’