ALASTAIR BRUCE FROM MACDUFF ESCAPES JAIL AFTER ABERDEENSHIRE SEX OFFENCES

In May 2022, a disturbing case involving Alastair Bruce, a resident of Macduff in Aberdeenshire, came to light following his conviction for multiple sexual offences against two young girls. Bruce, aged 58 at the time, was found guilty of molesting two schoolgirls aged 13 and 15, and of exposing them to pornographic videos, in his home in Aberdeenshire between January and August 2019.

Despite the severity of his actions, Bruce was spared imprisonment after a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in March. The court heard how he had sexually assaulted the young girls, with the youngest victim, aged 13, being handled and struck on the buttocks, while the older girl, aged 15, was touched on her body. Additionally, Bruce coerced both victims into viewing adult pornography by playing explicit videos in their presence and made indecent remarks, asking them to engage in sexual activities.

The court was told that during the trial, the two girls recounted how Bruce had offered them energy drinks and cigarettes, which added to the disturbing nature of his misconduct. The jury, after less than two hours of deliberation, convicted Bruce on all four charges by majority. The charges included sexual assault, indecent communication, and coercion, with the offences taking place at his residence in Aberdeenshire.

During her closing argument, the prosecution's representative, Lynne MacVicar, highlighted the lasting impact Bruce's actions had on the victims. She detailed how the 13-year-old girl had expressed feelings of disgust when Bruce made inappropriate comments about her age and expressed a desire for her to be 16. The older girl, meanwhile, was described as feeling furious and uncomfortable about the physical contact.

Following his conviction, Bruce failed to appear for his sentencing hearing two weeks prior. Instead, he was arrested and appeared via videolink from HMP Grampian. His defence lawyer, Chris Maitland, acknowledged the court's consideration of detention but argued that a curfew would be a more appropriate punishment, especially since Bruce was now able to move out of his caravan, where an electronic tag could not be fitted, and into his mother's home.

Sheriff Andrew Miller agreed that Bruce had shown some willingness to engage with intervention programmes and suggested that supervision and a structured rehabilitation plan would be more beneficial than jail. The sheriff acknowledged the psychological harm caused to the victims but also noted that Bruce had no prior record of such behaviour and considered his personal circumstances at the time.

The decision to impose a non-custodial sentence disappointed the mother of the youngest victim, who revealed that her daughter was left suicidal following the abuse. She expressed her frustration, saying, “I thought he’d be getting jailed especially with him skipping court last time. I think it’s a bit unfair. My daughter has been struggling lately. She won’t go to college or anything just now. She’s getting support from social workers and charities to speak to. I will have to break this news to her. She would have felt a little bit of relief had he been jailed. It’s a shame about the outcome, but at least he has had two weeks in jail. And at least it was in the paper and everybody knows his face now.”

As part of his sentence, Bruce, of McKay Road, Macduff, is required to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and participate in the 'Moving Forward: Making Changes' rehabilitation programme. He will also be under social work supervision for three years, during which he must agree to have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 16. Furthermore, he is subject to the notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his conduct.