Beast teacher’s caravan break sparked alert
Jailed after being fed up with police
a fleeing sex offender who went on holiday and sparked a nationwide hunt has been jailed.
Former teacher Neil McKay, of Ayr, who is on the sex offenders register went on a caravan holiday and deliberately didn’t tell the police.
The 73- year- old told a court last week he absconded because he “needed a holiday” and was “fed up” with the police monitoring him.
Police Scotland issued a statement appealing for public help to trace McKay on August 24 a month after he went missing.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of the convicted sex offender. Meanwhile he had been holidaying at a caravan park for 19 days in Dumfries and Galloway.
Following a major search the police caught up with him in the Scottish borders where he had just booked into a hotel in Kelso.
Depute fiscal Jo Cunningham said he was arrested after a police officer in the area aware spotted the registration plate on his car.
He had been taking a break despite knowing he should have informed officers.
McKay admitted failing to tell police he had been booked into the Anwoth Holiday Park in Gatehouse of Fleet from August 7 to August 25 and had failed to comply with his notification rules.
The OAP has been in custody since he was caught at the end of August.
On jailing McKay for 15 months, Sheriff John Montgomery said: “These notification requirements are put in place for a good reason. There has been a blatant disregard.”
Earlier during the hearing the Sheriff told McKay: “I am not quite sure if you committed this offence out of defiance or otherwise. But there is no doubt, because it has been said on your behalf, that you were fully aware that you are required to notify police of a change of address even for holiday puropses.”
The Sheriff asked him why he failed to adhere to the requirements of the register.
McKay replied: “I felt I need a holiday.”
He went on to tell Sheri f f Montgomery police officers had stopped him going on a jaunt to Belfast.
McKay continued: “After that I was really fed up with them. The Scottish word would be scunnered.”
Sheriff Montgomery said: “It is very concerning to try and speculate whether in the future you will adhere to the notifcation requirements or continue to ignore them.”