Social worker who carried out sex attacks on three women jailed

43-year-old Thomas Proctor, from Airdrie, used his position as a social worker at Clackmannanshire Council to prey on his victims

Author: Paul KellyPublished 2nd Apr 2024

A social worker who used his position to carry out depraved sex attacks on three women has been jailed for eight years.

Thomas Proctor, from Airdrie, threatened to have the children of two of his victims removed from their care.

The 43 year-old raped one woman while she was recovering in hospital, and took advantage of another after she drank water with a mystery substance in it.

Proctor had denied the accusations during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, but jurors found him guilty of a total of 11 charges.

They included the repeated rape and indecent assault of the first woman at different locations in Lanarkshire.

Proctor was convicted of sexually assaulting the second female at a flat in Glasgow's Maryhill.

He was finally guilty of raping and making threats to the final woman in Fife and Lanarkshire.

The crimes spanned between January 2002 and August 2019.

Judge William Gallacher imposed an 11-year extended sentence on Proctor.

He will be behind bars for eight years and under supervision upon his release for three years.

The judge stated that Proctor's actions were "simply disgraceful."

He added: "It is difficult to figure out the appropriate sentence due to the level of abuse carried out over a period of time.

"I will impose a significant penalty.

"You will have grasped that because of the gravity of this case, there is only one thing I can do."

After the sentencing, one of Proctor's victims said: "I am really pleased with the judge's reflections of the offences.

"I understand the appropriate length of the sentence however my fear is that it doesn't reflect the number of potential other victims."

An indefinite non-harassment order against Proctor's victims was granted.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Alan Parfery told how Proctor was "calculated in a predatory fashion" towards his victims.

Proctor had latterly been a social worker in the Alloa area in Clacks before being suspended.

A spokesperson for Clackmannanshire Council confirmed after the case he “was no longer employed” by the authority.

Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.