JAMES LANDSBOROUGH, CLACKMANNAN, SENTENCED FOR GROPING TEEN ON BUS

In February 2019, James Landsborough, an 80-year-old man living in Clackmannan, was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl on a bus. The conviction followed a trial held the previous month, where the jury found Landsborough guilty of engaging in sexual activity with an older child, instead of the original charge of sexual assault.

Landsborough had befriended the girl over several months during the summer of 2018. On multiple occasions, including June 1 and August 28, while traveling through Clackmannanshire, he approached her on the bus. The victim reported that Landsborough repeatedly touched her thigh, squeezed it, and grabbed it during these encounters.

During the trial, the girl explained from behind a screen, “When I first met him he would sit at the front of the bus and I would sit at the back. But one time he asked if he could sit next to me and after that he just sat next to me every time. He started just, like, tapping my leg before he left to get off the bus. Just, like, as he was getting off he would tap my thigh, just as he was saying goodbye.”

The prosecutor, Cheryl Clark, stated that Landsborough’s behaviour escalated, becoming more aggressive, with instances where he slapped and then firmly grabbed her thigh. He also asked her to go for walks and invited her into his home, invitations she declined. The victim described Landsborough as “out of control,” noting she was uncomfortable but unsure of how to make him stop.

The situation was further escalated when a member of the public observed the touching and reported it to the police. During the two-day trial in January, Landsborough’s defence argued there was no sexual intent behind his actions. Nonetheless, after about 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him guilty.

It was revealed during the sentencing that Landsborough had prior convictions for sexual offences. In 2006, he served a seven-year sentence for lewd and indecent practices with a child.

Sheriff William Gilchrist addressed the court, stating, “This was a serious charge. Although you were convicted of the alternative, it was still a very serious offence, particularly in your case given your previous conviction for a very serious sexual offence. A custodial sentence is the only appropriate outcome.”

Landsborough, of Alloa Road, Clackmannan, received a 12-month jail sentence with an extended two-year period. His name has also been added to the sex offenders register for ten years.