A former foster carer who was found guilty of terrorising children in her care during decades of horrific abuse plans to appeal her conviction and sentence.
Sandra Harper, 63, of Westhaven Crescent in Cairnbulg, was convicted of eight charges – including four of assault – but managed to dodge prison.
Giving evidence in her own defence during the trial, Harper admitted to jurors that she would swear at the children “in banter” or when “reprimanding” them.
Sheriff Ian Wallace, who called Harper “nasty, verbally abusive, cruel, vindictive, violent”, also said to her: “You told lies … the truth is now out.”
He sentenced her to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and placed her under house arrest between 4pm and 4am each day for the next 12 months.
Now, the five victims in the harrowing court case have been informed by letter that Harper intends to appeal to the High Court.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has confirmed to The Press and Journal that an appeal has been lodged on Harper’s behalf.
Next, a single senior judge will consider whether there are “arguable grounds” for an appeal to proceed, based on legal matters and evidence.
But if permission for an appeal is denied in the first instance, two or three judges may, if called upon, reconsider that decision.
If they choose to grant the appeal, then a hearing is arranged to discuss the points of law to be considered in the appeal.
Council investigation amid legal action
The development comes as Aberdeenshire Council, which was responsible for the welfare of children in Harper’s care, faces civil legal action.
Several of the five victims in Harper’s prosecution are part of separate court proceedings against the local authority.
A council spokeswoman previously said that it “will undertake a multi-agency review of the circumstances leading to” the criminal case “to ensure learning is embedded in practice and improves outcomes for care experienced young people”.
Harper, who was herself taken into care when she was younger, was a foster parent for 23 years and looked after 35 children.
Boy’s faced rubbed in urine and girl forced to eat vomit
The jury at Peterhead Sheriff Court heard how Sandra Harper would call her foster kids “little b******s, little pigs, little tinks” and referred to one of them – a boy with a learning difficulty who had no girlfriends as a teenager – as a “spastic” and a “poof”.
The jury found her guilty of rubbing another boy’s face in urine-soaked bedding and repeatedly forcing a girl to eat food that she had spat out and vomited.
The same girl was repeatedly grabbed by her hair and dragged, struck on the head and even had liquid soap poured into her mouth, the court decided.
A second girl, who had clothing thrown at her and was repeatedly shouted and sworn at, urinated herself because Harper refused to let her go to the toilet.
However, Harper was acquitted of one charge, after it was dropped by the Crown, clearing her of being threatening or abusive towards one victim and his partner by repeatedly shouting, swearing and pointing at them on August 23 2019 at the Tesco on South Harbour Road, Fraserburgh.
Her 63-year-old husband Andrew Harper was also found guilty by a jury of nine women and six men of three assault charges, although they returned two not proven verdicts and the Crown formally acquitted him of two other charges.
The SCTS has confirmed that Andrew Harper has not lodged an appeal of any kind.
Read more: Abusive foster mum rubbed boy’s face in urine, forced girl to eat vomit and poured soap into her mouth
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