JOHN MILLARKIE SHOCKS SHETLAND: LERWICK SEX OFFENDER AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE REVEALED

In a series of disturbing incidents that have rocked the community of Lerwick in Shetland, John Millarkie, a man with a troubling criminal history, faced serious allegations and convictions related to child abuse and possession of indecent images.

Back in 2009, Millarkie, aged 50 and residing in Hoswick, Sandwick, was brought to trial at Lerwick Sheriff Court on charges of indecent behaviour towards two young girls. The victims, aged 11 and 12, had approached Millarkie at his residence during the summer holidays, seeking work weeding his vegetable plot. Instead of offering work, Millarkie was accused of engaging in lewd and inappropriate conduct towards them.

During the trial, the court heard that Millarkie had denied several key allegations. He claimed he had not asked one of the girls to pose for a photograph in her swimming costume, nor had he stroked her leg or touched her beneath her clothing. Similarly, he denied offering the other girl £10 to remove her top and allow him to massage her on his four-poster bed. Despite his denials, the evidence presented by the girls, who testified via video link, was compelling.

Following four hours of testimony, Sheriff Philip Mann adjourned the case to the following Monday to allow Millarkie’s defense lawyer, Mark Lovie, time to prepare a comprehensive submission. Lovie argued that the Crown had not provided sufficient evidence to conclusively identify Millarkie as the perpetrator, emphasizing that no dock identification was necessary in cases involving vulnerable witnesses. Nonetheless, the prosecution pointed out that Millarkie’s own statements during a police interview linked him to the scene and the victims.

Sheriff Mann noted that Millarkie’s account placed him at the relevant location when the incidents occurred, and that the girls knew him and his residence well, including his vegetable field where they had worked. Despite Millarkie’s persistent denial of the allegations, the court found the girls’ testimonies credible and reliable. The judge also acknowledged that the girls’ responses during their evidence were too sophisticated for children to fabricate convincingly.

Consequently, Sheriff Mann found Millarkie guilty of both charges. He was placed on the sex offenders register and his sentencing was deferred until April 30th. Millarkie was released on bail, awaiting his sentencing.

In a separate but related matter, in March 2013, Millarkie, still registered as a sex offender, appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court to face new charges involving the possession of indecent images of children. The court was informed that a family member, who was placing online bets on Millarkie’s behalf, discovered a suspicious window on his laptop labeled ‘Nude Boys’. This led to police intervention at his residence in Brevik Cottages, Burgh Road, Lerwick.

Officers found a total of 384 downloaded images depicting naked children aged between four and sixteen years. Millarkie admitted to downloading these images from nudist holiday camp websites worldwide between August 22 and November 22, 2011. He claimed he did not derive sexual gratification from viewing the images, and the prosecutor, Duncan Mackenzie, noted that while the images were not the most serious category of child pornography, their possession was nonetheless concerning.

Millarkie’s prior conviction in 2009 for lewd and libidinous behaviour towards two young girls had resulted in a sentence of 200 hours of community service and placement on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. Despite his denials at the time, he was found guilty of asking one girl to pose in a swimming costume, stroking her leg and beneath her clothing, and offering the other girl money to remove her top and allow him to touch her.

As of the 2013 case, Sheriff Philip Mann deferred sentencing until April 18th to allow for social work background reports. Millarkie remains under police supervision, and the community continues to grapple with the implications of his actions and the ongoing legal proceedings.