Council care worker who assaulted kids has jail sentence increased
Gordon Collins will now serve 10 years behind bars.
A council care worker who carried out a catalogue of abuse and rape of vulnerable girls at children's units in Edinburgh has had his jail sentence increased to 10 years by appeal judges.
Gordon Collins was originally sentenced for six years after grooming youngsters before committing indecency offences against four underage girls and repeatedly raping one of them.
But the Crown successfully appealed against the sentence imposed by the trial judge, Lady Wise, arguing that it was unduly lenient.
Lord Brodie told the rapist via a video link to Glasgow's Barlinnie prison: "As the trial judge observed in her sentencing remarks Collins committed an appalling series of offences involving the predatory sexual abuse of four vulnerable teenaged girls."
"He was in a position of trust in relation to each complainer and the offences comprised a gross breach of trust. Although he had no analogous convictions, he has shown no remorse and continues to deny responsibility for the offences," he said.
Lord Brodie, who heard the appeal with Lady Clark of Calton and Lord Turnbull, said: "The court is bound to hold that the sentence of six years falls outside the range of sentences reasonably open to the trial judge and is unduly lenient. A sentence of 10 years' imprisonment would, in our opinion, be appropriate."
The appeal judges quashed the original sentence imposed on Collins and substituted the higher prison term on the sex offender.
Collins (60) was a residential care worker at Northfield Young Persons Unit and St Katherine's Secure Unit, both in Edinburgh, when he committed the abuse between 1995 and 2006.