OLIVER DALGLEISH SENTENCED IN EDINBURGH FOR SEXUAL AND VIOLENT CRIMES IN BORDERS, FIFE, AND MIDLOTHIAN

In December 2018, a man named Oliver Dalgleish was handed a significant prison sentence after being convicted of a series of serious sexual and violent offenses committed over a span of ten years across multiple locations in Scotland, including the Borders, Fife, and Midlothian. The High Court in Edinburgh, presided over by Lady Maggie Scott, sentenced Dalgleish to eight years behind bars on December 7. In addition to his imprisonment, the judge ordered that he remain under supervision for a further three years following his release and mandated that his name be entered onto the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Dalgleish’s crimes were committed between December 2006 and October 2016, with incidents taking place in various towns and cities such as Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Gorebridge, Musselburgh, Crombie, Dumfermline, and Rosyth. The investigation into his actions was initiated by officers from Police Scotland’s domestic abuse task force, who began looking into allegations of abuse against Dalgleish, a resident of Rosyth, in November 2016. Following the investigation, he was formally charged in June of the same year.

Throughout the trial, Dalgleish maintained his innocence, denying the allegations of abuse brought against him. However, in September, he faced a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh, where he was found guilty of multiple serious offenses, including sexual assault and violence. The sentencing was postponed temporarily to allow for the preparation of reports, but it was ultimately delivered on the scheduled date.

The court proceedings revealed that Dalgleish had raped two women in Fife and the Borders between 2006 and 2016. Additionally, he was convicted of assaulting two other women in Fife and Midlothian between 2008 and 2010. The court also heard that in 2013, he caused a woman to live in fear and alarm by calling her abusive names, further demonstrating a pattern of violent and intimidating behavior.

During the trial, defense lawyer Susan Duff argued that Dalgleish acknowledged his physical violence towards partners but denied any sexual assault. She also highlighted that Dalgleish was only 16 years old at the time of his earliest offenses, suggesting that his age should be taken into consideration when assessing his actions.