A Moray man is on trial in Aberdeen accused of historical child sex abuse and the rape of five girls when they were all under 12.
Albert Bremner, 58, is alleged to have sexually assaulted the girls at a number of addresses in Banff and Keith between 1993 and 2005 – often bribing them with sweets and taking pictures of his alleged victims.
He denies all the charges against him.
Aberdeen High Court heard evidence from one 27-year-old witness who claimed Bremner repeatedly raped her when she was nine, threatening to hurt her father if she didn’t comply.
Advocate Depute Chris Fyffe said the accused had raped a six-year old girl during the weekend of the Keith Country Show in 2004 by bribing her with money for candyfloss.
Bremner is also accused of sexually assaulting and raping three other girls in the 1990s and early 2000s.
A 27-year-old man who allegedly witnessed one of Bremner’s sexual attacks as a child described the experience as “traumatising” and said he was “frightened” of him.
He added: “I did not understand what I was seeing and I did not want to believe it.”
The witness also claimed Bremner attempted to coerce him into removing his clothing in 2001 and lie beside another female child, both of whom were under 12 at the time.
When questioned by Mr Fyffe over why two alleged instances of rape in 2000 and 2003 were not reported police until two weeks before the trial – despite giving a statement in January 2020 – the 27-year old female witness said she had been “scared” to come forward.
She added: “I’ve never spoken about it with anyone. I knew it would have to go in my statement and I would have to go to court.”
During closing speeches, Bremner’s defence solicitor Drew McKenzie cast doubt on the reliability of three of the female witnesses claiming they had provided “inconsistent evidence”.
He said: “Remember that people lie and witnesses lie. People lie for a variety of reasons – they lie to get themselves out of trouble and to get others into trouble.
“If someone if prepared to lie under oath then there is no way of knowing when they are telling the truth.”
Advocate depute Chris Fyffe said that he would be using “mutual corroboration” in order to connect similarities in the assaults.
He claimed that repeated witness references to the use of a Polaroid camera and of “bribing” girls with sweets showed “shared experiences” and a “similarity of circumstance”.
Mr Fyffe said: “If you use a Polaroid camera you don’t need to take the film to the chemist.
“You may think this marked a very dark period of these woman’s lives. Now they are here and are shining a light on that darkness.
“The accused is guilty of each and every charge on the indictment and this is why I invite you to convict him.”
Next, Judge Lady Poole will address the jury.
