A Tayside rapist shot an arrogant sneer to the niece he first abused 40 years ago, as an appeal against his sentence was rejected.
Sharon Gardiner (51) spoke of her relief after her paedophile uncle, Matthew Ramage (72), failed in a bid to have his conviction quashed at High Court in Edinburgh.
Senior judges this week threw out the rapist’s case against both his conviction and the 11-year sentence handed down for sordid offences, including the rape of his niece from the age of 11 to 22.
After coming face to face with Ramage in court, Sharon said she felt no pity for the former Angus estate gamekeeper.
“Three times I met him eye to eye,” said Sharon, who lives in Lanarkshire, where she still attends sessions with a mental health nurse.
She added: “All I got was a sneer, him looking like his arrogant self.
“I wanted to face him but didn’t want him to see there was any more (grief).
“I would have had more respect if he didn’t make us all give evidence.”
Father-of-five Ramage, formerly of Trinity, by Brechin, abused six young girls over a 21-year period and was found guilty of 10 charges of rape and sexual assault by jury in 2011.
The offences took place between June 1973 and May 1994 at addresses across Scotland, including Edzell and Lanark.
Other victims who fell prey were aged between 12 and 16 when the abuse began.
Sharon hid her secret from her family for years, only going to the police in 2008 as her own granddaughter started growing up.
During this week’s hearing, solicitor advocate Ann Ogg, defending, said Ramage’s conviction shouldn’t stand on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
However a panel of judges headed by Lord Carloway, the Lord Justice Clerk, refused the appeal.
Lord Carloway also refused Ramage’s appeal against his sentence, which it had been argued was “excessive having regard to his personal circumstances”.
In a written judgment, he said the sentence could not be viewed as excessive.
“He has been married for over 50 years and has had a good work record as a gamekeeper and river manager since 1955.
“He is a first offender and is assessed as at low risk of re-offending.
“It was said that he has a good record in the limited time he has been in prison.
“The most significant individual sentence is that of seven years. That period of custody cannot be regarded as excessive for the rape of an 11-year-old.”
Sharon waived her right to anonymity to speak out against her relative at the time of the trial and yesterday said he should never be released.
“I’m very pleased with the outcome but it all just went on for too long.
“I was angry that he appealed at all but I am glad that it has been refused.
“What hurt most was that it kept on coming up and that he had the audacity to put us all through this.
“Hopefully that is it and now we can maybe get some peace.
“I will never be able to forget what happened but maybe I will get some peace.”
By September this year, Ramage will have served two years of his 11-year sentence, which was initially reduced from 14 years on account of his age.
Sharon said he has had a heart operation since being in prison, adding that she hoped he would never be released.
“He would still be a danger and he should never be let out,” she said.
“I had come to terms with it a long time ago. I have had a lot of support from my husband and my daughters and some family and friends.
“I went to the rape crisis centre but it wasn’t for me.”
Sharon is continuing working through her traumatic past with the support of her husband Robert (50) and daughters Lisa (33), Mandy (32) and Kelly (25).