DAVID LIPSCOMBE

A 64-year-old primary school bus driver has received a three-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting two vulnerable children.

He will also be registered as a sex offender for life.

David Lipscombe, who resides in Restalrig, Edinburgh, targeted children with severe and complex learning needs while employed at a school serving such pupils.

The offences involved repeated inappropriate touching of the children, aged eight and 12, over their clothing on multiple occasions between June 2015 and April 2017.

The driver was accused of grooming one of the victims by giving him sweets and crisps and allowing him to sit in the front seat during bus rides, before assaulting him when they were alone.

He also brought the younger child to his home and inappropriately touched him by placing his hand inside the child's underwear and fondling his genitals—acts described as occurring on numerous, unquantified occasions.

Though Lipscombe denied the charges, a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual assault after a three-day trial at Edinburgh’s sheriff court last month.

He was remanded in custody pending a social work assessment and appeared for sentencing on January 9.

His solicitor, Paul Smith, indicated Lipscombe is a married man and father of one who has not been in employment since his arrest three years ago.

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Smith added that Lipscombe has shown remorse and insight into his actions.

The social work report assessed him as a low risk for reoffending.

During sentencing, Sheriff Charles Walls remarked that Lipscombe was convicted of two offences involving boys he knew through his job.

The sheriff noted one victim was between 12 and 13 years old during the assaults, which involved the accused befriending him and his mother, then sexually assaulting him by grabbing his penis over clothing on some occasions.

The second victim was under 13 and was assaulted repeatedly in similar fashion.

Sheriff Walls described the harm inflicted as incalculable, emphasizing that the full impact on the victims might never be understood.

One victim has experienced severe emotional and relational difficulties, including distrust and reluctance to be touched.

Lipscombe was sentenced to three years in prison, with the sentence backdated to his December remand.

He was also subject to lifelong non-harassment orders prohibiting contact with both victims, and his name will be referred to Scottish Ministers to be considered for inclusion on the register of individuals banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Additional charges included multiple instances of touching a child’s genitals over clothing during journeys between Glasgow and Edinburgh from July 2016 to April 2017, as well as further assaults at his home and during school commutes from June 2015 to April 2017, all involving similar inappropriate contact.

The court’s ruling underscores the seriousness of the offences and the lasting impact on the victims involved.