Man, 74, jailed for sexually abusing children 30 years ago

Two girls were raped and a third molested

A pensioner was jailed for eight years yesterday for inflicting a decade of sexual abuse on children more than 30 years ago.

Keith Sturrock repeatedly raped two girls and molested a third girl during a catalogue of offending.

But the High Court in Edinburgh heard that Sturrock continued to deny his guilt and claimed that victims fabricated evidence to “get back” at him.

Judge Nigel Morrison QC told the 74-year-old first offender: “There has to be a custodial sentence for these crimes.”

The judge said: “I note you do not accept you committed these crimes and that accordingly, as indicated in the social inquiry report, you show no remorse and have no insight into your behaviour.”

He told Sturrock that but for his age he considered a 10-year sentence would have been appropriate.

Sturrock began indecently assaulting his first victim in 1973 when she was aged 11 and went on to rape the schoolgirl using his bodyweight to restrain her and putting his hand over her mouth.

During sexual assaults on her he also struggled with her and struck her on the head.

By 1974 he had begun abusing a second victim who he carried out sex acts on from the age of seven and got the child to perform sex acts on him. He later went on to rape the victim.

Sturrock, formerly of Buckhaven, targeted a third girl in 1976 when she was eight years old and molested her and got the child to carry out a sexual act on him.

He had denied a string of offences during an earlier trial but was unanimously convicted by a jury of nine charges of rape, indecent assault and indecency committed between 1973 and 1984 at houses in Buckhaven and Methil.

Defence counsel Emma Toner told the court: “While he accepts the verdict of the jury it is one with which he wholly disagrees and he continues to refute these allegations.”

She said the former pit worker accepted that a prison sentence was “inevitable”.

Sturrock was told that he would be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

There has to be a custodial sentence for these crimes. JUDGE NIGEL MORRISON QC