Victims of prominent Fife businessman John P. Goldie sobbed with relief as he was found guilty of child sex offences.
In stark contrast he showed absolutely no emotion when after nine days of at times harrowing testimony a jury found him guilty on six counts of sickening abuse.
Relatives of the financial advisor’s traumatised victims last night told The Courier of their relief and described Goldie as “pure evil.”
The 58-year-old started abusing one of the victims when she was just six.
Goldie’s reign of terror against the complainer continued for more than two decades. She was subjected to repeated sexual assaults until well after her 30th birthday.
Many of the assaults took place in a car during school lunch breaks. During emotionally-charged testimony the court heard how Goldie would often stop on level crossings in a bid to further terrify his helpless victim.
Despite the young complainer’s revulsion and very apparent horror, he would tell her, “You love it, you love it.”
The businessman’s second victim was eight when she first fell prey to the paedophile. She was then abused over a period of seven years.FondledOn one occasion brazen Goldie sexually assaulted her in public, fondling her within the Jacuzzi at a popular Fife country club.
The trial at Cupar Sheriff Court came to a close when a jury of nine women and six men found Goldie, of Crossford in Dunfermline, guilty of six charges including the use of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour toward two children.
They took one-and-a-half hours to reach their verdict, finding him guilty by majority of four charges and unanimously guilty on the other two. Goldie had previously been acquitted of abusing a third child.
While outwardly maintaining the image of a respectable businessman, in private Goldie callously tormented his victims over many years.
They lived in constant fear of him and both broke down while giving evidence. Goldie, however, never showed any emotion and, when asked why he felt the complainers had been so upset in the witness stand, said, “It is not easy to tell lies… They were scared of being caught out.”
During his trial he constructed a fantastic defence that alleged his victims had been “coerced” into making false allegations.
The businessman first blamed social workers for trying to “poison” people into making complaints against him. He then accused the press of trying to destroy his business and also said a “man-hating” domestic abuse worker had “coerced” one of the victims into making a complaint.
At one point he even claimed to have suffered from sexsomnia a disorder that leads people to commit sexual acts in their sleep.ReliefA close relative of one of Goldie’s victims fought back tears as he described his relief following the verdict.
“He has tried every trick in the book but the jury saw through his antics,” he said. “Justice has been done. He has done nothing but tell lies and blamed everyone but himself for what happened.”
Describing Goldie as “pure evil,” he added, “This judgment vindicates everything the victims have said. I hope the sentence he finally gets represents the severity of his crimes.”
Meanwhile, one family friend told The Courier that Goldie’s victims hoped the case might prove inspirational to other people suffering child sex abuse.
“They are delighted that he has been found guilty,” he said. “They suffered in silence for years but hope this might help others in similar situations to come forward.
“If more child abusers are reported to the police as a result of this case, then Mr Goldie’s victims will be delighted.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey deferred sentence until May 5 for the preparation of reports. Goldie was released on bail in the meantime and his name has been added to the sex offenders register.
Advocate depute Rosemary Guinnane had asked for her client to be spared a period on remand prior to sentencing as he is suffering from terminal cancer and desperately requires treatment.
“Mr Goldie elected to go to trial and not to commence treatment for the cancer in the face of medical advice to the contrary,” she told the court. “Clearly any medical treatment would be unlikely to take place if he is on remand.”
Image used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user steakpinball.