A Highland sheriff had to step away from the bench today in order for her fury to subside as she sentenced a Highland paedophile who “plumbed the depths of depravity”.
Sheriff Sara Matheson had just been told of some of the sickening messages that Ross-shire dad David Murchison had sent during his attempts to get hold of indecent images of a child.
Murchison, 41, thought he was speaking to a like-minded mum in an internet chat room but it was actually an undercover police officer
Adjourning the court for a short time, Sheriff Matheson told Murchison: “It would not be fair to proceed to sentencing in my current state of fury about these offences.”
Thought he was chatting with like-minded mum
At an earlier hearing, the court was told that Murchison of Nobles Court, Muir of Ord, offered to swap images of a child with the ‘mum’.
Fiscal depute Shamielah Ghafar narrated the harrowing texts Murchison sent the decoy, who called herself ‘Vic’.
Murchison admitted a breach of the Communications Act on an occasion between March 28 2023 and March 30 2023 by sending communications to Vic which were grossly offensive, indecent or menacing, requesting images of her child, repeatedly expressing his desire to have sexual contact with children, repeatedly expressing graphic comments about children, sexual arousal and sexual contact with children.
Murchison also admitted a breach of the peace by covertly capturing photos of a young girl in various states of undress, which Ms Ghafar said he offered to exchange with Vic.
Mr Patterson said on behalf of his client: “These are offences which should not have happened and are wholly unacceptable.
“Upon detection, he was trying to understand why he behaved in this way and he is taking part in a sex offender’s programme. He is ashamed.”
‘I very much wish to impose a prison sentence’
After returning to the bench following the adjournment, Sheriff Matheson agreed with defence solicitor David Patterson that the “threshold for prison had been passed” but she decided not to jail Murchison.
She criticised the summary offence brought under the Communications Act, which carried only a six-month maximum penalty.
She added: “With your early plea, I have to apply discount and then you will only serve half which I impose, meaning you would hardly be in jail before you are out again.
“I very much wish to impose a prison sentence. But given the impositions put on me on sentencing, I think the protection of the public will be served with a strict community payback order with supervision.”
‘A risk to children’
She ordered Murchison to remain under social work supervision for three years and on the sex offender’s register for the same period.
He must also participate in a sex offender’s rehabilitation programme and carry out 210 hours of unpaid community work.
She told him: “The messages you sent were fortunately to an undercover police officer. They were disgusting and dangerous and you expressed the wish to ‘have a little girl’.
“I consider you pose a risk to children. Nothing would please me more than for you to breach these orders so you will come back to me and I can jail you for a long time.”
Murchison changed his clothes and donned a hooded coat before leaving
the court building.
He did not comment, but his companion told our reporter to “get a life”.