JAMES GORDON SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN GLASGOW FOR HORRIFIC SEXUAL ABUSE OF THREE GIRLS

At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews delivered a severe sentence of 12 years imprisonment to James Gordon following his conviction on 15 serious charges involving three young girls. The charges included a range of heinous crimes such as rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault, reflecting a pattern of disturbing and predatory behavior.

During the sentencing hearing, Lord Matthews addressed the court with a detailed account of the crimes committed by Gordon. He emphasized that the defendant was convicted after a trial of 15 charges, each revealing a disturbing history of abuse. The first charge involved Gordon touching and penetrating a young girl, referred to as complainer A, with his fingers on one occasion when she was only 12 or 13 years old. At that time, Gordon was between 13 and 15 years old himself. The girl was sleeping on her bed when she awoke to find him assaulting her, an act that left a lasting impact.

The second charge detailed multiple assaults on the same girl over a period when she was aged 10 to 17, with Gordon aged between 12 and 19. These assaults included punching her breasts and karate chopping her neck, causing her to collapse on one occasion. The court heard that these acts inflicted physical and emotional trauma that would resonate throughout her life.

Charges three through eight involved complainer B, another victim of Gordon’s predatory behavior. The defendant raped her despite her being on her period, an act that demonstrated his blatant disregard for her well-being. On one particularly brutal occasion, when she was pregnant, Gordon pushed her downstairs and repeatedly kicked her in the stomach, telling her that the baby was not his. Tragically, this assault resulted in the loss of her pregnancy. The court also heard that about two weeks after this incident, Gordon karate chopped her to the back of her head, shouting, “Die ya bastard, die.”

For nearly eleven years, Gordon continued to assault this girl on various occasions. The assaults ranged from slapping her to hitting her on the face, back, and legs as often as once a week. At one point, he had his hands around her throat, causing her further suffering. During a period of separation, Gordon took her to her mother’s house under false pretenses and raped her again, despite her being on her period. Despite her attempts to return to him, his violence persisted. After they finally separated, Gordon appeared at her house and made disgusting comments, leading to additional charges.

Charges nine and ten involved complainer C, with Gordon repeatedly calling her between the ages of 11 and 16, asking invasive questions about her underwear. As an adult, Gordon also touched her private parts and coerced her into touching him on multiple occasions when she was between 11 and 15. He attempted to rape her when she was 12, and on another occasion a month or two later, he did so again. These incidents were charged as separate counts.

The most severe of these was the charge involving Gordon forcibly raping her with a vibrator inserted into her vagina. This act caused her significant pain and trauma, as evidenced by her testimony. The court noted that Gordon continued to assault her on numerous occasions until she was 15, with the pattern of abuse leaving lifelong scars.

Additionally, charge sixteen involved an incident of indecent assault on complainer D, when she was 16. Gordon rubbed her thigh while she was in his car and made suggestive remarks, further demonstrating his predatory behavior.

In considering all the evidence, including the impact statements from the victims and the contents of the Criminal Justice Social Work report, Lord Matthews acknowledged the gravity of Gordon’s crimes. Despite his age of 74, the court determined that a substantial custodial sentence was necessary to reflect the severity of his offenses and their lifelong consequences.

Gordon was sentenced on the common law charges (charges 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16) to a cumulative term of 12 years imprisonment, effective from 31 March 2023, the date he was remanded in custody. For the statutory charges (charges 1 and 10), he received a concurrent sentence of 12 months, to run alongside the other sentences. The court also ordered that Gordon be subject to the notification provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for an indefinite period, reflecting the ongoing risk he poses to the community.