Justice finally catches up with abuser after attacks 50 years ago

Child victim eventually spoke to police when he was 60, about offences which occurred in the 1960s in Angus

An elderly sex offender is facing jail after he admitted a child abuse charge dating back more than half a century.

Ewen Laird, 81, was in is 20s when the attacks on a boy aged between nine and 13 took place at an address in Angus.

He was not reported to police for decades until his victim – by then aged 60 – confronted him about the abuse over the phone. The man only spoke up after telling Laird he should go to police to confess his crimes.

When Laird failed to do so he came forward and brought the attacks to light.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that on various occasions Laird took advantage of the boy – carrying out sex acts over the course of five years.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin told the court that when the boy knew Laird was coming to visit the family, he would take steps to avoid him and stay overnight with friends whenever he could.

Mrs Gilmartin said: “The complainer knew it was wrong and tried to stop it happening. He never spoke about the abuse.”

However, eventually in June 2014 he confronted Laird over the phone about the abuse.

The fiscal said the complainer told the accused he should go to the police and admit the offence, but Laird failed to do so and eventually, the complainer reported it to the police that year.

However, he did not make an official complaint as he was afraid of the effect on his family.

He later went to an Angus police station to report the matter and the accused was arrested at his home.

Laird, 81, of Mauchline Road, Kilmarnock, pled guilty on indictment to a charge of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the child, who was aged between nine and 13, on various occasions between June 5 1963 and June 4 1968 at an address in Angus.

His solicitor, Neil Little, told the court Laird had no previous convictions and social work background reports would be required.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence on Laird until March 8, calling for the reports and placing him on the sex offenders register in the interim.

The complainer knew it was wrong and tried to stop it happening. DEPUTE FISCAL CHARMAINE GILMARTIN