A paedophile who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old schoolboy who was out playing football with his pal has been handed an eight-year extended sentence.
However Connor Tait, who is from Dundee, could be back on the streets in just 10 months time under the terms of his sentence, which contained a custodial period of four years.
The 22-year-old has already spent 14 months on remand, firstly in Barlinnie Prison and latterly in Carstairs, being assessed by clinical psychologists, that was backdated to July last year when he was first arrested.
Under the legislation, convicted criminals are eligible for release after serving half their sentence, which could see him being set free in July, 2015, if the parole board believes he is suitable for release.
Sheriff Richard Davidson also placed him on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period and banned him from working with children and protected adults.
The mother of the victim, who is now 13, said she was “very disappointed” with the sentence and branded Tait “an animal.”
Sentencing Tait, Sheriff Davidson, who had returned from his new post at Fort William Sheriff Court said: “You were convicted after trial of one of the most horrible crimes I have had to deal with in the course of almost 20 years of sitting here.”
He said psychologists had come to the conclusion that Tait was not suffering from a mental illness nor from learning difficulties and that his “odd presentation” had been as a consequence of his drug and alcohol abuse.
Tait, who was on bail, pounced on the terrified young victim and his friend as they played outside on July 4, 2013.
His friend managed to escape and alert his parents and the police arrested Tait within hours.
The parents of the boys say they still won’t go out on their own, even to the park, and have lost all their confidence.
Tait had twice previously been convicted of sexual offences against young boys.
For more on this story see Friday’s Courier.