MEMBER OF PUBLIC CHEERS AS SEX OFFENDER JAILED FOR EIGHT MONTHS IN STIRLING
Members of the public cheered in court after a sex offender was jailed for eight months.Thomas Blain, 48, admitted touching a 13-year-old girl on the leg at the Falkirk Wheel and on a journey to Stirling in October last year.
Elements of the charge were deleted, including an allegation he had touched her private parts.
The Crown accepted not guilty pleas to charges of communicating indecently with the girl by asking her to send him a photo of her breasts and sexually assaulting another teenager in 2017.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney pointed out, in a social work report commissioned for sentencing, Blain denied the offence was sexual and had “pled guilty to minimise distress to his family”.
Solicitor Virgil Crawford said his client now accepts the offence was sexual and is engaging with the authorities.
“He accepts this happened and after that I’m not in a position to give an explanation.” He said Blain had issues in his background and had previously suffered an aneurysm, making him unfit for unpaid work.
Noting the maximum sentence available was a year in prison, Sheriff O’Mahoney said: “It seems to me your position keeps changing — you tell the social worker one thing and Mr Crawford another.
“I don’t think I can have any confidence you will comply with an order.” As he jailed Blain for eight months, members of the public shouted “yes” and “taxi for nonce” as he was led to the cells.
Blain was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and banned from contacting his victim for five years.
