NORMAN DUNCAN FROM BONHILL CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES IN DUMBARTON

In a significant and long-awaited legal development, Norman Duncan, a resident of Bonhill, has been found guilty of a series of heinous child sex crimes that spanned several decades. The conviction comes nearly 50 years after the initial offenses, which involved the sexual abuse and impregnation of a 15-year-old girl, along with assaults on three other young girls.

Duncan, now aged 70, faced an eight-day trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court. The proceedings concluded swiftly when a jury composed of 15 men and women deliberated for less than two hours before reaching unanimous verdicts on all charges. The court heard that Duncan was responsible for six criminal counts involving four girls aged between eight and 15, with one charge not proven. The crimes in question were committed during the 1960s and 1970s, a period marked by significant social and legal changes regarding child abuse and sexual offenses.

Following the verdict, Duncan was immediately placed on the sex offenders register. The court also ordered that he be detained until sentencing, which is scheduled for next month. A request for bail was denied, and Duncan was led away to the cells in front of three of his now-grown victims, who were visibly distressed and crying. One of the women, overwhelmed with emotion, sobbed, “He’s going to jail, he’s going to jail.”

Duncan, who hails from Ladyton, vehemently denied all allegations throughout the trial. His denial compelled three of his victims to give detailed evidence in court, recounting the traumatic experiences they endured. The court was presented with evidence that one of the girls became pregnant at the age of 15 and subsequently gave birth when she was 16. She left her home a year later, leaving her baby behind with relatives, and has not been seen since. Tragically, the baby died several months after her disappearance. However, crucial DNA evidence was introduced last week, confirming Duncan as the biological father of the child.

This DNA evidence played a pivotal role in the jury’s decision to convict Duncan of impregnating the 15-year-old girl. The court also found him guilty of engaging in lewd, indecent, and libidinous acts towards three other girls, who were approximately five, 12, and 14 years old at the time of the abuse. A separate charge involving lewd practices and kissing a girl under 16 in the 1970s was not proven.

Testimonies from three victims, presented last week, detailed repeated sexual abuse inflicted by Duncan. One woman described suffering from depression, traumatic flashbacks, and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, all linked to her abuse. She recounted being repeatedly assaulted in a house located in the Vale of Leven between the ages of eight and 14. Another victim shared how the abuse profoundly affected her personal relationships and overall well-being.

The three women who testified in court were comforted by relatives and friends after the verdict was announced. The fourth victim, who had given birth to Duncan’s child, fled the Vale of Leven area in the 1970s, approximately a year after her baby’s birth, and has not returned since. She left her child in the care of relatives, and tragically, the infant died months later. Blood samples from the baby, preserved on a Guthrie card, were stored for nearly 40 years at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow and later in Livingston. These samples were recovered by police investigators in January 2014 and sent to the Scottish Police Authority laboratory in Dundee for testing.

The DNA analysis, conducted on both the baby’s blood and a mouth swab from Duncan, yielded a conclusive match. Fiona McMahon, the manager of the police DNA database, testified that the DNA markers tested showed a match at all 15 points, with only a 1 in 170,000 chance of someone else being the biological father. This evidence was instrumental in securing Duncan’s conviction, bringing closure to the victims and highlighting the importance of forensic science in solving cold cases of abuse.