Selkirk fairground worker jailed

0 - 0 • Published 30 Dec 2008 09:30 0 Comments

A 35-year-old fairground worker who had unlawful sex with a girl aged 13 has been jailed for eight months.

Mark Connor or Coleman started drinking and smoking with the underage girl when the shows arrived in town for the Selkirk Common Riding celebrations in the summer.

They went back to his caravan where she willingly had sex with the man who was 22 years older than her.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told the offence only came to light when the schoolgirl mistakenly thought she was pregnant and confided in an adult and police were alerted.

Lawyer Gordon Addison said Connor was shocked when he learned the girl"s true age, belieiving she was 17.

He added:'He has acted in a laddish way all his working life. He has been moving from town to town and having casual relationships, from either being in the pub or on the showground.

'He is very conscious the stigma attached to this kind of offence and how it is regarded with some disgust.

'His actions were ill-judged and inappropriate and founded on alcohol, as was the victim.'

Connor pleaded guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with the 13 year old at the Shwoground on June 16.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Connor, who was described as a prisoner, :'You are 35 years old and you have admitted unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13 year old female and you already have a significant criminal record.

'I am satisfied that with the large difference in ages, this is a case which crosses the custody threshold.'

Sheriff Drummond said he would have jailed Connor for a year but took into account his guilty plea and reduced the sentence to eight months.

He back-dated the sentence to June 23 when Connor was first taken into custody and placed his name on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 30 Dec 08

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