Businessman found guilty of sex attacks on young children

Man raped and abused young girls in string of incidents stretching back more than three decades

A businessman was placed behind bars yesterday after he was found guilty of raping and abusing young girls in a series of attacks stretching back more than three decades ago.

A judge told Derrick Heeney at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had been convicted of “very serious charges”.

Heeney, of Aulton Way, Montrose, had denied a string of charges during a trial but was found guilty of six sex crimes by a jury, including rape, indecency and underage sex.

Heeney, 62, first struck in 1983 at an address in the Whitfield area of Dundee when he told a 13-year-old girl to sit on a

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The abuse of children and teenage girls is a very serious matter for this court. LORD MULHOLLAND

mattress before subjecting her to a rape ordeal.

Later that year he molested a five-year-old girl at a property in Dundee during which he touched her and put his hand in her underwear.

Heeney went on to molest a third child from the age of 10 at addresses in Dundee from 1990.

He later subjected her to rapes and had sex with her at a layby near the Airlie estate, at Forfar. The abuse continued until 1996.

After the jury returned its verdict, advocate depute Peter Ferguson told the court Heeney had previous convictions dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, which included attempted robbery.

Mr Ferguson said his client owned a business in his home town of Montrose.

The trial judge, Lord Mulholland, told Heeney: “The abuse of children and teenage girls is a very serious matter for this court.”

He adjourned the case for the preparation of a background report on Heeney ahead of sentencing next month.

The judge remanded Heeney, who had been on bail, in custody. He was placed on the sex offenders register.

Derrick Heeney was placed on the sex offenders register.