Highland rapist gets four years
A MAN who raped a 30-year-old woman at a house in the Highlands has been jailed for four years and three months.
Derek MacKay, 26, of Inverness, attacked his victim while she slept in a bed at a property in Alness, ross-shire, on 7 August, 2011.
He was found guilty following a three-day trial at edinburgh High Court.
Peter Ferguson QC, prosecuting, said MacKay had 20 previous convictions, for drugs, road traffic offences and assault, and had been on bail at the time of the attack.
Temporary judge edward Bowen QC said: “You have a pretty bad record for a person of your age. Your offences indicate that you have a disregard for others.
“with regard to this particular offence, you had no regard for the dignity and physical integrity of your victim.
“The court can only impose one sentence and that is custody.” Flowers spelt out the tribute “Bye-de-Bye” yesterday at the funeral of actor and comedian Paul shane.
Hundreds of people stood in bright sunshine outside rotherham Minster as the Hi-de-Hi! star’s coffin was carried inside.
other well-known faces from the hit 80s sitcom joined shane’s family behind the pallbearers, including su Pollard, Jeffrey Holland and ruth Madoc.
Pollard said to the crowd: “Thanks for coming. He would have been so pleased.”
shane died at the age of 72 following a short illness a fortnight ago. There was applause in rotherham town centre after the cortege arrived yesterday afternoon with a police escort.
Yellow and white flowers in the side window of the hearse spelt out “Bye-de-Bye”.
shane’s costume, worn by his character, Ted Bovis, was hanging next to a photograph of the character at the front of church service.
Holland remembered his friend in a eulogy during the service. He said: “Thanks for all those wonderful times, but most of thank you for all the fun.”
Holland, who played Bovis’s sidekick spike in Hi-de-Hi!, said he worked with shane for 18 years. “In all that time, the one thing that sticks in my mind is fun,” he told the congregation.
And he led a rendition of the “Hi-de-Hi, Ho-de-Ho” shout, saying: “let’s have it one more time for shaney.”
The service included music from the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir and a poem read by Amy wragg, shane’s youngest granddaughter.
The actor died surrounded by friends and family in a hospice in rotherham.
shane – born George Frederick speight – was a coalminer before starting out as a cabaret act touring workingmen’s clubs in the 1960s.
As well as Hi-de-Hi!, in which he played holiday camp host Bovis, he starred in the TV series You rang M’lord? and oh, Dr Beeching!
He also appeared in Holby City, Doctors, Coronation street and ATouch ofFrost.
shane is survived by three daughters and six grandchildren. His wife Dory died in 2001.
outside, Pollard said: “He would have loved today. He would have thought ‘All these people, I must have done something right’. He was just really loved. what a great, great day for it.”