The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Child rapist walked into police and confessed to his ‘deplorable offences’
Ten years in jail for Andrew Steele who abused two young girls
A child rapist who walked into a police station and confessed to abusing girls was jailed for 10 years yesterday.
Andrew Steele was interviewed by officers after arriving at the office in Kirkcaldy where he admitted sexually touching one child from the age of eight and having sex with another.
A judge told Steele, 49, that the sex crimes he had pleaded guilty to were “utterly deplorable offences” involving the abuse of young children over a significant period of time.
Lord Bannatyne said all the offences were serious, but the repeated rape of a girl was “extremely grave”.
The judge ordered that he be placed under supervision for a further five years and warned that during that period if he failed to comply with licence conditions he could be returned to jail.
He also told Steele, formerly of William Street, Dunfermline, that he would be on the sex offenders register for life.
Steele admitted abusing one girl from the age of seven at addresses in Kirkcaldy and later raping her as a teenager at a house in the Fife town and in a tent. He also admitted molesting a second girl from the age of eight in Kirkcaldy.
His offending began in 1996 and continued up until 2005.
Depute advocate Mark McGuire said: “On December 28 in 2014 the accused voluntarily attended at Kirkcaldy police station and disclosed that he had interfered with the children.”
Steele revealed he had touched one child and had sex with another.
He was released pending further inquiries and police traced the victims and obtained statements.
In March last year he was detained but claimed to police that on the day of his confessions he was having hallucinations.
Mr McGuire said: “He told them that his mother was up in the sky telling him to confess to interfering with the children.
“He maintained this position throughout the interview.”
The prosecutor said unemployed Steele was seen by doctors who concluded that he was suffering from alcohol withdrawal and considered him fit to be discharged.
Defence solicitor Krista Johnston said that following the confession Steele had reverted to being in denial. She said he now felt “disgusted and ashamed” over the offending.
The defence lawyer said: “The accused is an alcoholic. He has been for many years.”
She said: “As a consequence of his acceptance of his responsibility he has given some closure to the victims.”