MARK DUNBAR FROM EAST KILBRIDE SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD AND MOTHER RAPE IN LANARKSHIRE

In a case that has shocked the community of East Kilbride and the wider Lanarkshire region, Mark Dunbar, aged 29, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of a young girl and her mother. The incidents spanned several years, beginning when the girl was just seven years old and continuing until she was 11, with Dunbar repeatedly assaulting her at various addresses across Lanarkshire between 2005 and 2009. The abuse was so severe that the girl contracted a sexually transmitted disease, a stark testament to the brutality of the assaults.

The court proceedings revealed that the girl, now 14, bravely testified that Dunbar began touching her private parts when she was only six years old, and that the rapes started when she was around seven or eight. She described the assaults as occurring multiple times each week, a pattern of abuse that left her emotionally and physically scarred. Her mother, a 32-year-old woman, also recounted the trauma she endured at Dunbar’s hands. She tearfully explained how she was raped by Dunbar on several occasions between September 2009 and January 2010, despite her pleas for him to stop.

The case gained further notoriety after the victim watched an episode of the television soap opera EastEnders, which addressed issues of child abuse. Inspired by the storyline, she confided in her mother, revealing the horrifying details of Dunbar’s ongoing assaults. Her mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court, “She says the same thing is happening to me as what’s happening to the girl in EastEnders.” This revelation prompted the victims to come forward and seek justice.

During the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Dunbar denied all charges, claiming that the mother had consented to the sexual encounters and that the girl had fabricated the entire story. Despite his denials, a jury deliberated for only 90 minutes before finding him guilty of two counts of rape—one involving the young girl and the other involving her mother. The judge, John Morris QC, described the case as “very distressing” and emphasized the severity of Dunbar’s crimes.

In sentencing, Dunbar was handed a nine-year prison term, accompanied by a three-year supervision order upon his release. The judge also made it clear that Dunbar would spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders Register, reflecting the gravity of his offenses and the community’s need for ongoing protection. Dunbar’s actions have left a lasting impact on his victims, and his conviction serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and justice in cases of sexual abuse.