Kingswells man jailed for campaign of abuse against women and children

A rapist who carried out a catalogue of abuse and violence against victims over nearly two decades has been jailed for 12 years.

John Fox brutalised women and children at a series of addresses in Aberdeen between 1985 and 2002.

A judge told the 58-year-old at the High Court in Edinburgh that the sentence he imposed was punishment for the "atrocious and sometimes cruel conduct" he perpetrated towards three women and three children.

Lord Uist said: "You now have to pay the price for the deplorable crimes you committed all those years ago."

Fox, who was assessed as posing a high risk of future sexual offending, was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

He was earlier found guilty of a total of 21 charges of physical and sexual violence, including two charges of rape involving one woman and four charges of rape against a second victim one of which was committed when the woman was pregnant.

Lord Uist acknowledged that Fox, formerly of Kingswells, in Aberdeen, had a good work record and a limited record of offending with three previous convictions, none of which led to a jail sentence.

The judge said that in view of Fox's age and that he had not convicted of any offence in the last 20 years he had decided not to call for a full risk assessment report, which can lead to the making of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

Fox attacked his first woman victim in 1985 and hit her with a mug before going on to punch her and throttle her. He also restrained the woman and raped her at a house in Aberdeen.

He also turned his violence on a girl from the age of four who was subjected to slaps and punches and was lifted off the ground by her neck and held against a door. The child was also hit on the head with a plate.

A second girl was assaulted from the age of three and was also slapped, hit and punched and had a knife thrown at her which struck her body. She was also lifted from the ground by the neck before being dropped.

A boy was also attacked from the age of three and during violence at the hands of Fox was slapped, punched and kicked and his neck was grabbed and squeezed.

Fox throttled a second woman in 1991 and pushed his knee against her stomach while she pregnant.

Two years later he repeatedly punched and slapped a third woman and kicked her on the body before dragging her, forcing her onto a bed and raping her. He later raped the woman again when she was pregnant.

Fox also carried out an indecent assault on the victim ignoring her repeated pleas for him to stop. He also attacked the woman while she was holding a baby. He grabbed the woman's head and struck it off a door resulting in the child's head also hitting the door.

Fox's final offence occurred in April 2002 when he again attacked the boy, who was then aged 14, at a house in the Kingswells area. He grabbed the teenager by the neck and throttled him, stood and stamped on his head and punched him in the face and to the body.

Police Scotland's National Child Abuse Investigation Unit in Aberdeen led on this case, and its efforts have been highly praised by the Procurator Fiscal following the verdict, with the presentation of the case, the strength of statements and the interactions with those involved being particularly highlighted.

This is one of the first cases the NCAIU took on following its establishment in March 2015 and also involved officers in Glasgow, as well as from Sussex Police and the Metropolitan Police.

The NCAIU works closely with officers across the country, bringing together specialist expertise, to better understand and respond to the many complex and challenging issues, which can arise around child abuse.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Morris said: “This case, and today's sentencing, shows how important it is for victims of any kind of abuse to come forward when they feel able to. It doesn't matter how much time has elapsed, allegations will be investigated thoroughly, and perpetrators will be brought to justice, regardless of the passage of time.

“Keeping people safe is a priority for Police Scotland; as a national service, we have the ability to bring together expertise from around the country to assist us in protecting and advocating for vulnerable people.

“Crimes of this nature are notoriously difficult to investigate, involving complex cases and requiring a sensitive and dedicated approach to support victims.

Police Scotland will not tolerate domestic abuse in any form - sexual, verbal, physical or emotional. Our officers will address it head-on and are committed to preventing it destroying the lives of not only victims, but also of their children, family and friends.

An incident of domestic abuse is reported roughly every nine minutes in Scotland - and yet only one in four victims will disclose their experiences.