Grandfather jailed for sexually abusing two little girls
Published 16 Feb 2012 08:00
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Matthew Fagan has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of "a serious catalogue of sexual abuse".
AN 83-year-old great grandfather from Tillicoultry has been jailed for five years after sexually molesting two little girls.
A judge earlier rejected a bid to keep first offender Matthew Fagan out of prison because of his age ahead of sentencing him for the sex crimes.
Lord Pentland ordered that he be held on remand while a background report was prepared on him.
The judge told Fagan at the High Court in Edinburgh last Wednesday that one of the charges he was found guilty of amounted to "a serious catalogue of sexual abuse".
Lord Pentland said matters were made worse by the abuse of a second victim.
The former miner had denied committing a series of sex offences at houses in his home town.
He was earlier found guilty of indecency offences against two girls, but was acquitted of the attempted rape of one of them and of abusing a third girl on not proven verdicts.
Twice-married Fagan, of Elmwood Avenue, abused one primary school pupil more than 15 years ago and committed sex acts against the child.
He also used indecent behaviour to another child between 1999 and 2003, beginning when she was aged three, on two occasions. Fagan claimed he had never touched the second girl in his life, but the victim said he had taken her hand and placed it on him.
He told the court that he had put his penis against the other girl but said, "She asked me to do that."
Fagan said he had played tickling games and incy wincey spider with the child while babysitting the girl, but maintained there was no sexual inclination in his behaviour.
Defence counsel Lorenzo Alonzi said the pensioner did not keep the best of health and argued that there was minimal risk. He maintained that the offences Fagan was convicted of could have been dealt with in a sheriff court.
Fagan was earlier put on the sex offenders' register.
This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 15 Feb 12
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