Police have praised a witness for giving evidence in the trial of a Perthshire paedophile who sexually abused her as a child 50 years ago.
Terence Blackwell was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after the woman told how she still had nightmares about what he did to her.
Blackwell, 80, of Castlelaw Crescent, Abernethy, was found guilty of three counts of historic child sex offences at Oxford Crown Court.
The offences all involved one child victim and took place in Oxford on numerous occasions between 1970 and 1974.
Before his trial the paedophile pleaded guilty to a fourth count, admitting he placed the girl’s hand on his private parts.
The victim, now an adult, said the abuse made her feel “hideous” and described Blackwell’s assaults as “a bit random” in an interview with police officers.
During the trial she read out a statement while Blackwell sat in the dock.
In its reporting on the case, the Oxford Mail said the woman said: “I still have nightmares about the abuse, but thankfully they are much less frequent now.
“I am determined not to allow him to continue to have a hold over my life.
“I didn’t think the rest of the world wanted or needed to know how deeply unhappy I really was.
“It took a great deal of strength to finally make the report.
“I was put through the ordeal of living through the horrific memories that I had spent years trying to suppress.”
The jurors, six men and six women, took two hours and 37 minutes to reach unanimous guilty verdicts on all three counts.
At the sentencing hearing judge Ian Pringle told Blackwell his behaviour amounted to “grotesque abuse” before putting him behind bars for seven and a half years.
He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite restraining order, preventing him from contacting the victim in the future.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Sophie Holliss of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit based at Cowley police station, said: “I am pleased that Blackwell has received a significant prison sentence as a result of his offending from the early 1970s.
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim for the enormous amount of bravery that she has shown, not only by reporting this to the police, but also for supporting police throughout the entire investigation process, including having to give evidence at court.
“The victim has had to live with these offences for many years, and I hope that this sentence will provide her with some closure and determination to move forward with her life.”
