Broughty Ferry man who raped 14-year-old girl given four and a half year sentence

A Broughty Ferry man who raped a 14-year-old girl is facing four and a half years behind man.

Michael Gray admitted sexually abusing the youngster in the 1990s when she was aged between 12 and 15 before raping her on two separate occasions in 1992 and 1993.

The High Court at Livingston was told that Gray, 64, preyed on the girl at his home in Gardyne Road, Broughty Ferry, while she was in his care.

His victim, now aged 41, kept the abuse secret until 2017 when she reported Gray to the police.

She said in her victim impact statement that she had struggled to overcome what Gray had done to her and, even after receiving professional counselling, still suffered to this day.

Chris Fyffe, defending, said Gray had made “full and frank admissions” to police without being prompted after he was cautioned.

He accepted that there was no alternative to a custodial sentence given the gravity of the charges to which his client had pled guilty.

He said: “His attitude is one of genuine remorse. He presented to social workers as tearful and upset and that description very much sits with my experience of him.

“When I asked why he had committed the offences his response was: ‘I find it difficult to work out why I did these things’. He describes his behaviour as ‘dreadful’.

“He has found it difficult to come to terms at all with his behaviour and wants to make it clear he doesn’t blame anyone else. He believes (his victim) did the right thing in going to the police.”

He said Gray – who left school at 15 and has been out of work for 10 years – was “extremely anxious” about being sent to prison.

He suffered from numerous health problems including chronic hip pain, cataracts and diabetes and often had to use a wheelchair.

He said his client’s mobility problems were to blame for his failing to attend a court hearing on 9 July, as a result of which he was arrested on warrant and remanded in custody on 2 August.

Mr Fyffe said Gray, who was assessed as being at moderate risk of reoffending, was willing to engage with a social work programmes aimed at re-educating sex offenders.

Jailing Gray, judge Lady Scott told him his offending, which escalated from indecent conduct to rape of a child who had already had a difficult life, represented a gross breach of trust.

She said: “In your own words you ‘took advantage of her’ by raping her. On the second occasion you noticed she was crying and you stopped.

“The abuse only came to an end when the victim had a boyfriend and you no longer had access to her. She has struggled throughout her life to overcome what you did to her.”

She said the fact that Gray had a drink problem at the time he was sexually abusing the teenager did not excuse his actions.

She added: “Sexual abuse of a child deserves a prison sentence.”

Gray, whose name has already been added to the sex offenders register, was sentenced to six months in prison for child abuse, 45 months for rape and three months for failing to attend court.

The judge said the sentences would run consecutively but would be backdated to 2 August when he was remanded in custody.

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