Melrose butcher admits abducting and sexually assaulting 11-year-old girl
The judge described his actions as 'every parent's worst nightmare'
Last updated 18th May 2023
A 53-year-old man has admitted abducting and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in the Scottish Borders.
Andrew Miller also pled guilty to possession of indecent photographs of children and intentionally causing a child to look at a sexual image, when he appeared via a video link at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning (Thursday).
The cross-dressing butcher, who also goes by the name Amy George, committed the offences at his home in Gattonside between February 2004 and February this year.
The court heard Miller, who owns a butcher's shop in Melrose, was driving through Galashiels dressed as a woman earlier this year when he spotted the girl looking cold and offered to give her a lift home.
She said she had accepted the offer and got into the Jaguar car because she believed the "lady" to be non-threatening.
But Miller instead drove her to his house in Montgomerie Terrace, locked her in a bedroom, and refused to let her leave.
It was here that he subjected her to a series of sexual assaults over 27 hours.
At one point, Miller told her he intended to keep her for a week but on another occasion, he told her that he was not going to let her leave as she was his "new family".
The court heard it was only by "complete fortune" the girl was able to escape, when Miller fell asleep - giving her time to find his landline and dial 999.
Police then arrived within minutes and described how the child was "shaken and crying".
The judge in the case, Lord Arthurson described Miller's actions as "every parent's worst nightmare", adding they were "abhorrent crimes of the utmost depravity and criminal deviance".
He deferred sentence until August 15th for background reports, and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register meantime.
The court was told that Miller is transgender and in the process of transitioning to female. He was not known to his victim before he abducted her.
At the time of his arrest, he was presenting as Amy George but confirmed he wished to be addressed as Andrew Miller using "he" pronouns.
He was wearing tights, female pants and a bra containing one silicone breast when police arrested him - the other having become dislodged during a struggle.
Officers also found a large stuffed doll on a bed within the main bedroom, with ropes attached to the corners of the bed and a sex toy and baby oil visible on the headboard.
Click on the link below to view our video report of the case...
During the time the child was detained in the house, Miller was watching pornography on the television. The dad, who was found with more than 200 indecent mages of children on his computer, also offered her alcohol which she refused.
On one occasion when Miller left the bedroom to go to the bathroom, he was not wearing pants and the child observed that the person she had known as ‘Amy’ had a man's private parts.
Miller initially told police he stopped to help the child out of a motherly instinct. He said he was being a Good Samaritan and the child had told him her family were on holiday – hence why he took her to his house.
But he has pled guilty to all four charges.
David Parker, who represents the area on Scottish Borders Council, revealed news of Miller's arrest had "shocked" the community.
"This is something that doesn't happen in a place like the Scottish Borders," he told Greatest Hits Radio. "It's a quiet place, it's a place of low crime. So, for this to happen in Melrose really did shake people.
"And for it to happen in a community where people knew the person involved really upset many in the community."
He added: "It was well known that Mr Miller used to dress up in women's clothes; that was something that was a talking point amongst many people in the community. But I don't think people ever expected anything sinister or dark would happen as a result of that, and that's why there was real shock."
Miller's butcher shop in Melrose - as well as his home in Gattonside - remain boarded up following his arrest. And now there are calls for his name to be wiped from the High Street.
Councillor Parker said: "There is no doubt that the empty shop on the High Street, which is boarded up, is something that people in Melrose don't like. It reminds them of the incident; it's a reminder that everyone would like to see gone."
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our new home page - https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/