Jailed, ‘heroic’ police officer who hoarded child sex abuse images
A FORMER policeman has been jailed after he was found with indecent images of children.
Darryll Burnside was arrested after former colleagues raided his home and cyber crime officers found the images on his tablet computer and a Kindle.
The 50-year-old, of Oban, Argyll, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at the town’s Sheriff Court to having more than 60 indecent photos, or pseudo photos of children in his possession between September 2016 and October last year.
Yesterday the former PC, who was once hailed a hero after rescuing a man from a burning building, was jailed for eight months at the same court and placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. Sheriff Patrick Hughes acknowledged the good work done by Burnside in his police career, saying: ‘There are people who are alive today who would not be alive but for the bravery you have demonstrated in your public service as a police officer.’
But he said he had to jail him because of the severity of some of the images which showed children suffering. After it emerged that Burnside is still entitled to a police pension, having quit the force before pleading guilty, a protest petition attracted more than 1,000 signatures.
Petition organiser Andrew Sandilands said: ‘He should have been suspended and his pension withdrawn. No officer should be allowed to abuse his duty and live comfortably.’
Defence lawyer Hannah Beaumont, who appealed unsuccessfully against jail, said: ‘Mr Burnside has a problem that needs to be dealt with head-on and he has to understand his offending behaviour.’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the outcome of the proceedings.’
NSPCC Scotland said: ‘Burnside was in a position of great trust in the community and would have been clear on the catastrophic impact sexual abuse has on victims.’