Iain Owens, 46, Elaine Lannery, 40, Scott Forbes, 51, Barry Watson, 48, Lesley Ann Williams, 43, Paul Brannan, 42, and John Clark, 49 were all given an Order for Lifelong Restriction when they appeared for sentence today with a total minimum of 93 and a half years imprisonment.
The offences included rape and attempted murder.
Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said:
“I commend the bravery of the young victims; their strength has resulted in the conviction and sentence of their abusers for these heinous crimes.
“Every child has the right to be heard and to be listened to and COPFS are committed to ensuring that the needs of children in the justice system are fully recognised and met.
“Prosecuting this case has been complex and a challenging task for our experienced prosecutors. Consideration of the trauma these children suffered was utmost while working to secure these convictions.
“COPFS linked in at an early stage with our partners in policing and social work to undertake a thorough investigation and ensure access to recovery, support, and justice for the victims.
“I urge any victims of similar crime to come forward, report it and seek support. They can be assured that prosecutors are committed to the effective prosecution of such crimes.
“We will continue to seek justice and ensure people are safe from crime and those responsible are identified and held accountable.”
Further information
An Order for Lifelong Restriction is a lifelong sentence put in place to protect the public. It is a sentence of imprisonment which can be imposed on people convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, other than murder, at the High Court.
The judge must set a ‘punishment part’ of the OLR which is the minimum time the offender must spend in prison before being considered by the Parole Board for release into the community.
If offenders are considered to be safe to serve the rest of their sentence in the community, once they are released they will remain under the intensive supervision of a criminal justice social worker. If the person commits another crime, they can be sent back to prison.
On 27 January 2025, at the High Court in Glasgow, all seven of the accused were given an Order for Lifelong Restriction, with a minimum punishment period as set out below. Their names were also added to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Minimum punishment part:
Iain Paul Owens – 20 years
Elaine Lannery – 17 years
Lesley Ann Williams – 14 years
Paul Brannan – 15 years
John Clark – 10 years
Barry Watson – 9 years 6 months
Scott Forbes – 8 years