An Errol businessman accused of preying upon young children walked free from the High Court in Perth yesterday.
It took jurors just half an hour to deliver four ‘not proven’ and one ‘not guilty’ verdict in the case against joiner Neil Fairminer.
The quick-fire decision came after a week of evidence and saw his family sobbing as they left the courtroom.
Mr Fairminer, 49, had been accused of five serious charges related to the sexual abuse of four boys, then aged between five and nine, between the years of 1979 and 2010.
However, the jury of eight men and seven women found that a first allegation, that he used lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards a first youngster between 1979 and 1982 at an address in Perthshire, was not proven by the Crown.
Two further allegations of sexually abusing another boy between 1981 and 1984 and threatening to kill the child’s parents if they spoke and of assaulting the same child were also found to be not proven.
He was found formally ‘not guilty’ of a fourth charge alleging abuse of a third child in 2008, while a final charge, alleging the abuse of a fourth boy between 2007 and 2010, was once again found not proven.
Giving evidence during the trial conducted before Lord Bracadale Mr Fairminer denied all the allegations and said he had been “horrified” to hear they were being brought against him.
He denied having any inappropriate contact with any of the four complainers, maintaining that he had been nothing but a friend to them.