A pensioner who was found with hundreds of child porn images – but claimed he only had them as he was searching for Madeleine McCann – has had his sentence postponed after a Sheriff ruled he needs further psychiatric testing.
David Brinkman was caught by police with 694 indecent pictures and 88 video clips of children, some at the most extreme level.
But the 68- year-old insisted he was on a crusade to find the missing youngster, who was snatched from her parents villa in Portugal in 1997.
Brinkman’s lawyer Mike Monro said his client had read a book by Maddie’s mum Kate and become “fascinated” by the case.
He was convinced the tot was the prisoner of a paedophile ring, and as a result, he became “immersed” in looking at child pornography.
Today, Sheriff William Summers – who was due to sentence the pensioner – said his crime warranted a custodial sentence, but that he was not convinced his psychological state had been assessed thoroughly enough yet.
He said Brinkman was on the “autistic spectrum”, that he had possible dementia and a possible personality disorder.
Sheriff Summers said that although it was not the courts job to provide medical assessments or help, it would influence the social workers view on whether he should go to court.
He said a community-based sentence could be granted as an alternative.
Brinkman will return to court next month.