A mum has spoken out about how her 13-year-old daughter was left suicidal after being sexually assaulted by a man who befriended her and supplied her with cigarettes.
Alastair Bruce molested the girl, along with another 15-year-old victim, and played pornographic videos in front of them in Aberdeenshire.
The 58-year-old has now been convicted following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The mother of his youngest victim brand Bruce a “slimy creep” and said his vile behaviour has had a devastating effect on her daughter’s life.
“She tried to take an overdose. She started self-harming,” the mum said.
“We got a social worker for her to help her with speaking through things.
“The school nurse was really good and would have meetings with her once or twice a week so she could talk to her and tell her how she was feeling, because she’s quite a private girl.
‘I hope he gets jail, I really do’
“She wouldn’t even leave the house for ages. It did have an impact on her.
“It affected her school work as well.”
Bruce denied the charges – forcing his young victims to give evidence at the trial.
The mum said during her daughter’s evidence they had to take breaks because she became so upset.
The jury took less than two hours to reach guilty verdicts on all four charges by majority.
Bruce was found guilty of sexually assaulting the 13-year-old child by handling and striking her on the buttocks, and also of coercing her to look at a sexual image and communicating indecently with her.
He, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or
alarming her, made sexual remarks, asked her to engage in sexual activities and played pornographic films in her presence.
Bruce was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl by touching her on the body, and of coercing her into looking at a sexual image and communicating indecently with her.
‘Both complainers said they were offered energy drinks and cigarettes’
For the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or
alarming her, he made sexual remarks, asked her to engage in sexual activities, and played pornographic films in her presence.
Following the verdicts, sentence was deferred for background reports.
The mother said: “I hope he gets jail, I really do. I’m just glad he was found guilty, if I’m honest, and so are the kids.”
During the trial, in her closing speech to the jury, fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar said the 13-year-old girl had given evidence that Bruce’s actions had had a “lasting impact” on her.
Ms MacVicar said she had asked the child how it made her feel when Bruce said he “wanted her to be his” and “wished she was 16”, and that the child had replied: “It made me feel disgusted.”
The fiscal added: “It’s entirely evident the 13-year-old was not consenting to the accused touching her.”
Moving onto the 15-year-old girl, Ms MacVicar said: “What was her reaction to the touching? She was furious. It made her feel uncomfortable.
“‘You don’t touch a 15-year-old like that, it’s wrong’, I have her noted as saying.”
‘There’s absolutely no question that these are extremely serious offences’
Ms MacVicar added: “Both complainers spoke of unease. Both said they were offered energy drinks and cigarettes.
“Both made reference to the accused initially being fine and genuine enough, and then perhaps graduating in confidence to physical behaviour and speaking to them sexually.”
In his closing speech to the jury, defence agent Chris Maitland reminded them that if they had even a “nagging doubt” about Bruce’s guilt, they must acquit him.
He also highlighted a “bizarre discrepancy” in the evidence of the complainers about whether or not they had been at Bruce’s house at the same time.
However, the jury, undeterred, returned a guilty verdict on each charge.
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Bruce: “You have been convicted by the ladies and gentlemen of the jury of four very serious sexual offences committed against children aged 13 and 15 when you yourself were a mature man in your 50s.
“There’s absolutely no question that these are extremely serious offences.”
He deferred sentence for the preparation of background reports and made Bruce subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.
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