Man who raped and sexually abused young girl jailed for eight years

A man who raped and sexually abused a girl - beginning when she was 10 years old - has been jailed for eight years.

Michael Robb, 74, carried out the attacks at locations in the north of Scotland between 1982 and 1986, targeting the child when she was sleeping.

The victim told the High Court in Inverness how she protested during the abuse, while Robb denied the charges and accused the woman of "fabricating" her account.

He was found guilty of lewd and libidinous behaviour and practices, indecent assault, and rape. A judge said Robb had caused her "substantial" harm, and that she had since lived with panic attacks, depression and suicidal thoughts.

During the trial, the woman told prosecutor Anne Bennie how she could still hear her own voice saying "stop".

Jurors spent two days deliberating before finding Robb, of Alves, Moray, guilty of three charges.

Judge Simon Collins KC remanded Robb in custody and deferred sentencing for the court to obtain a background report.

When the case called in Edinburgh for sentencing, judge Collins spoke of what Robb, a first offender, told a court-appointed social worker.

He said it was clear that Robb, did not accept the verdict

Collins added: "Inevitably therefore he expresses no remorse or victim empathy, but rather accuses the complainer of fabricating her account for various malicious reasons."

In an interview with the Press and Journal newspaper, the woman thanked the jury for "finding the truth" in her words.

She said: "I will never know who I could have been, who I should have been if the trajectory of my life wasn't so cruelly changed.

"I summoned the strength to file a report over three years ago. It has taken until now for me to have my day in court – sadly, this is a reflection of how many cases there are."

Robb was placed on the sex offenders register for life. Judge Collins also imposed a lifelong non-harassment order on Robb, banning him from contacting his victim.