A Western Isles driving instructor has been convicted of committing sex acts while giving lessons to schoolgirls.
Iain Munro, of Newmarket, Lewis, was found guilty of six counts of sexually related threatening or abusive behaviour which caused females fear or alarm, plus one charge of a sexual breach of the peace.
Sheriff David Sutherland placed the 55-year-old – who now works as a lorry driver – on the sex offenders register, and deferred sentence for background reports.
Stornoway Sheriff Court heard the offences happened while the women were driving his car during lessons along the Braighe roadway, by Parkend and in the Point area in 2014, and up to the end of March last year.
The seven victims were mostly teenagers.
One learner driver previously told the court she was driving Munro’s car at 60mph on the Braighe when it happened.
She said she was “shocked” but did not say anything to him. She was “shaking and burst out crying” after he dropped her off at the end of the lesson, the court heard.
The court heard the victims carried on driving and never said a word to challenge him. Some booked further lessons and passed their test.
Defence solicitor Ellen Macdonald maintained many of the girls knew each other as they were the same age in school and only made allegations after the island “jungle drums” started.
And giving evidence yesterday, Munro stressed the women had control of the vehicle, and could have stopped and got out.
He said: “You know what Stornoway is like. They are talking among themselves.”
He added: “In Stornoway, everyone knows each other and there’s jungle drums.”
Munro was found guilty of six counts of behaving in a sexually related threatening or abusive manner plus one charge of a sexual breach of the peace.