An Aberdeen paedophile has been jailed after being convicted of abusing a young girl – who said it happened so often it felt “normalised”.
Keith Grant, 44, stood on trial for the vile attacks and was found guilty of abusing the young girl, beginning when she was just seven years old.
Appearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing, Grant’s defence agent Eilish Lindsay said he still maintained his position from the trial that the abuse was made up and did not happen.
Jury found him guilty
The court heard Grant preyed on the child at addresses throughout Buchan between 2014 and 2017.
A second charge against Grant of sexually assaulting another pre-teen girl was found to be not proven.
The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, gave her evidence against Grant, who the jury had been told was from the Aberdeen area, by video link.
Brave testimony at trial
As she fought tears, she told the jury: “I would just hear the door open. And then I would know. He never, ever said a word.”
As the years went on, Grant would start taking her into a garage where the attacks would continue.
She would eventually raise the alarm on Grant when she confided to a school friend, who urged her to tell a teacher in 2018.
In her evidence, the girl went on to say she was still struggling with the effects of Grant’s abuse.
Asked how she felt about what happened, she replied: “Angry at myself.”
“I spent so long trying to forget all of this,” she added.
“I can’t sleep sometimes, I get nightmares.”
First trial abandoned
Grant was also convicted of failing to appear at court on the day of his first trial, meaning a second trial had to be arranged.
Ms Lindsay said: “There is not much to say in the way of mitigation.
“He has previously succumbed to substance misuse and has been on methadone for a number of years. He has employment pending the outcome of this case.”
Sheriff Philip Mann heard the trial and spoke to Grant before passing sentence.
He said: “You have been convicted of a very serious charge involving a young girl in respect of whom you were in a position of absolute trust.
“There’s no doubt in my mind the behaviour you subjected her to will have caused her significant distress and trauma. I don’t know how long-lasting that will be.
“The custodial threshold clearly has been amply reached. There is no other disposal other than a custodial sentence.”
Grant was given a 24-month jail term for the sexual assault conviction.
Two consecutive sentences
Speaking to the charge of failing to turn up for his first trial, Sheriff Mann jailed Grant for an additional 11 months, adding: “This is also a serious offence causing significant inconvenience, not just to the court, but to all parties engaged in the trial, including the ladies and gentlemen of the jury.
“The trial had to be run for a second time.”
In total Grant was sentenced to 35 months’ imprisonment and was added to the sex offenders register.