The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Pensioner jailed for preying on girl in Fife park more than 25 years ago
COURT: Victim reads out impact letter after being subjected to man’s indecent behaviour
A man who preyed on a schoolgirl in a popular public park more than 25 years ago is finally behind bars.
The victim, who was 12 years old at the time, was in court and in a letter read out before sentencing, called for a jail term.
She said her life had been ruined by the actions of Richard Brockie, now a frail 77-year-old but known to youngsters in the park as ‘Randy Andy’ at the time of the offences.
Brockie, of Katrine Crescent, Kirkcaldy, admitted that between March 16 1990 and September 3 1991 at Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, he used lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and committed a sex act in her presence.
After Brockie was jailed for 16 months, the victim, now a mother in her 30s, said: “I’m happy with the sentence.”
In her letter read in Dunfermline Sheriff Court yesterday by depute fiscal Fiona Nairn, the woman stated she had written it to tell “how this man has affected me throughout my life”.
She said she was bullied at school when others found out about it.
“I always thought it was my fault,” she added.
As a result, the woman had been put on medication for anxiety and anti-depressants. She had trouble sleeping because she could see Brockie’s “face and genital parts” in nightmares.
The woman said her husband had left her and that “he was never the same since he knew”.
She added: “I want this man to pay for his crimes and go to jail.”
Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison had called for a fine and compensation to be imposed.
However, Sheriff Craig McSherry said it was a course of conduct which lasted 18 months and merited a custodial sentence.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court was previously told that Brockie has previous convictions for lewd and libidinous behaviour and previous convictions for public indecency.
He has served custodial sentences in relation to these matters and was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Protection Order in January 2008, which stopped him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 and prevented him entering public parks.
Depute fiscal Claire Bremner told the court at Brockie’s previous appearance last month: “At the time of the first incident, the complainer was 12 years old and at that time she often socialised with her friends within Pittencrieff Park.
“At that time the accused was someone who was known to her. He also frequented the park, would often speak to the young people congregating there and was often under the influence of alcohol.”
The victim said she decided to report the matter to police after her own daughter was involved in an incident with a suspected sex offender.