Ayrshire man convicted of historic sex attacks on schoolgirls

A man who raped two schoolgirls more than 40 years ago has finally been brought to justice.

Fifty-nine-year-old Michael Martin, from Springside, Irvine, Ayrshire denied the rapes and claimed his victims were wicked and evil liars.

He raped a seven-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl at various addresses in Glasgow between 1976 and 1978.

Martin was also convicted of sexually abusing a four-year-old girl in 1979.

At the High Court in Glasgow Martin was convicted of the rapes and sexual abuse.

His victims who are now grown women - aged 47, 55 and 42 - told the High Court in Glasgow that when Martin abused them he told them to be quiet saying “Shh.”

They told the jury that they told no one of their ordeal them and one added: “Who would have believed us in the 1970's.”

The jury was told by the victim who was 14 when she was raped by Martin: “I told my mum, nothing came of it. “

The abuse took place when Martin was looking after the children. His vile crimes were finally exposed when his victims decided to go to the police after 40years.

Prosecutor Angela Gray said: The sexual abuse of children is often committed in a secretive way and there are rarely eye-witnesses.

“These are different children of different ages, in different houses, but there are striking similarities in their evidence. The accused found and took opportunities.”

Judge Lady Carmichael deferred sentence on Martin, who is behind bars, until next month at the High Court in Livingston and placed him on the sex offenders' register.

The court heard that Martin has previous convictions, but they are non-analagous and he has never served a prison sentence.