A Nairn man has been jailed after sexually assaulting two girls.
One of Gary Powell’s victims was under 13 years old, the other under 16 at the time of the assaults in 2023.
He told one of his victims: “You are practically a woman,” and asked the other: “Is this how you play with your boyfriend?”
Powell, 67, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously admitted two counts of sexual assault, which took place between June 3 and August 20 of 2023.
Young victims describe sex assaults
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told the court that Powell targeted his first victim in June of 2023.
She said: “She felt him place his hand first on her buttocks before moving it up her body to her breasts, which he squeezed for a few seconds over her clothing.
“As he squeezed her breast, he stated: ‘You are practically a woman now’.”
The fiscal depute said Powell targeted his second victim in August 2023, first tickling her on the chest and abdomen over her clothing.
He asked her: “Is this how you play with your boyfriend?” before putting his hand inside her underwear and touching her.
The child pushed Powell’s hand away.
Sex offender called allegation ‘a pack of lies’
When cautioned and charged, Powell told officers: “I believe there are two allegations, one I will admit to, the other is a pack of lies.”
At interview, Powell admitted squeezing the first girl’s breast but “could not provide an explanation for why he had done so”.
He denied the second offence.
Advocate Bill Adam, for Powell, told the court that his client was a Royal Navy veteran with 23 years’ service, including in the Falklands.
He said his client now accepted full responsibility despite having “no great recollection of events”.
“He is very, very sorry about what happened to both complainers – he is deeply ashamed and remorseful for his behaviour,” Mr Adam told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank.
He added: “He accepts that the two young complainers would have suffered trauma and he deeply regrets that.”
Sheriff Cruickshank, who had been provided with a victim impact statement on behalf of the girls, told Powell he had considered the narrative alongside a pre-sentencing report and the mitigation put forward by Mr Adam.
He said: “There seems to be no explanation provided as to why these offences were committed.”
Sheriff recognises victims’ suffering
The sheriff added he had “no reason to doubt” that the impact on the victims was “considerable,” noting that they had “suffered” and had subsequently engaged in self-harm.
He told Powell: “I’m fully aware that you have effectively no previous convictions.
“Balancing that against the fact that these are sexual offences involving bodily contact, I see no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.”
He jailed Powell, of River Park, Nairn, for 16 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.