June 2022 Scots pensioner who raped two girls dies behind bars at HMP Edinburgh A convicted child rapist has died behind bars at HMP Edinburgh. David Ferguson was found dead at the prison on Saturday, June 4. The pensioner was serving a 10-year sentence for sexually abusing two girls. The 67-year-old formerly of Cowdenbeath was initially handed a 10-year sentence in 2015 after being found guilty of a campaign of sexual abuse at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. While serving at HMP Edinburgh, he was sentenced to a further 10 years behind bars in August 2021 for the sexual abuse of two more victims – one when the victim was a teenager, and the other a child. A trial at Edinburgh High Court found him guilty of three sexual offences, including rape and attempted murder committed between October 1988 and August 2010 in Fife. The first rape took place at a house in Ballingry when he attacked a victim who was sleeping. He went on to attack and molest the woman again at a property in Cowdenbeath. The second victim was aged just six or seven when the sexual abuse began. August 2021 David Ferguson sentenced to 10 years for sexual abuse in Fife A Fife man has been jailed after sexually abusing a woman and child for more than two decades. David Ferguson, 67, has been sentenced to 10 years after being found guilty of sexual offences at the High Court in Edinburgh. The sexual abuse of a woman and child took place in Fife between October 1988 and August 2010. Detectives from Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit in Fife carried out the investigation into Ferguson and reported him to the Procurator Fiscal in February 2019. Court transcript from the sentencing  On sentencing Lord Richardson made the following statement in court: “David Ferguson, you have been convicted, following trial, of four charges of the sexual abuse of two women.  In both cases, the abuse started when the women were children.  In the case of the first complainer, she was around 16 when you first raped her. In the case of the second complainer, she was around 6, 7 or 8 when you first attempted to rape her. In both cases, you subjected these women to sustained abuse.  In the case of each of the women, you raped them repeatedly over a period of more than 10 years.  You raped each them so often that neither of the women was able to count how many times it had happened. In both cases, the abuse comprised the vaginal rape of both of the women.  In the case of the second complainer, it also included the penetration of her mouth and anus with your penis. It is difficult to find the words to describe the utterly appalling nature of what you have done. It is clear from the Victim Impact statements prepared by each of the women, which I have read and very carefully considered, that your crimes have and continues to have a profound impact on these women. Although you did not give evidence, it is apparent from the defence mounted on your behalf that, at least until the conclusion of the trial, you denied all responsibility for your actions. Your criminal record discloses that you have 5 previous convictions for sexual offences over a period from 1973 to 2016. Most notably, in 1985, you pled guilty to charges, on indictment, relating to the sexual abuse of one of the complainers in the present case. Furthermore, in January 2015, you were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment following conviction for five charges involving the sexual abuse and rape of two women who were children at the time of the abuse.  One of those women was the sister of the second complainer in the present case.  I understand that the abuse concerned in that case took place at the same time as the offending with which I am concerned. I have had due regard to your record in selecting the sentence for these charges. I have also taken into account everything that has been said on your behalf by Mr Martin yesterday.  I take into account your age, your mental and physical difficulties and your other personal circumstances. I have considered the argument made on your behalf by Mr Martin that I should adjust the sentence I am imposing today to take into account the sentence imposed following your trial in the High Court in Aberdeen because the charges you faced in this trial could hypothetically have formed part of the same indictment.  I am not persuaded that much assistance can be gained from this type of counter-factual reasoning. You are now aged 67.  It has been apparent to me during the course of this trial that you are not in good health. Your mobility, for example, is clearly significantly affected. As a result of that I will not be imposing an extended sentence, which would certainly have been under consideration but for your poor health. However, a lengthy period in custody is the only appropriate sentence I can pass on you to reflect your appalling conduct.  In respect of all of the charges, I sentence you to a cumulo sentence of 10 years. This sentence is to commence from yesterday’s date. As a result of your conviction and the sentence imposed, you are subject to the notification requirements under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for an indefinite period.” January 2015 Cowdenbeath rapist of under-age girls sentenced to 10 years  A Cowdenbeath man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping two under-age girls young enough to be his granddaughters David Ferguson was sentenced at Aberdeen High Court after being found guilty of abusing the children for almost 12 years. The 60-year-old – who never married – took advantage of the innocent schoolgirls when they visited him to borrow videos. Ferguson, of Blamey Crescent, Cowdenbeath, denied all the charges and was earlier cleared of a further rape after the Crown withdrew the allegation. Last month, a jury returned majority verdicts finding Ferguson guilty of two rapes and two indecent assaults on girls under 16, and one charge of lewd and libidinous practices towards a child aged between 7 and 11 years.  December 2014 Vile monster convicted of raping under-age girls A vile pervert has been convicted of raping two under-age girls young enough to be his granddaughters.  David Ferguson, of Blamey Crescent, Cowdenbeath, denied all the charges and was earlier cleared of a further rape after the Crown withdrew the allegation. The jury returned majority verdicts finding Ferguson guilty of two rapes and two indecent assaults on girls under 16, and one charge of lewd and libidinous practices towards a child aged between 7 and 11 years. A jury at the High Court in Livingston found David Ferguson guilty of abusing the children for almost 12 years. The 60-year-old – who never married – took advantage of the innocent schoolgirls when they visited him to borrow videos. One of the girls, now aged 24, wept as she told how he groped and fondled her as she sat on his knee when she was just seven years old. As the abuse escalated over the next six years, he indecently assaulted her then raped her repeatedly, after stripping her and pinning her to the floor of his video cupboard with his body. He also raped her in his bathroom after asking her to clean a fish tank ornament and threatened to do the same to her wee sister if she told anyone, she said. Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman – who can’t be named for legal reasons – said she frequently went to Ferguson’s home to borrow movies for her gran because he was a friend of her family. But she said she never returned to his flat after he raped her roughly and abusively when she was 11 years old and didn’t tell anyone what he had done to her until 2008 – five years later. The second girl, now aged 20, told of her shock and fear when Ferguson stuck his hand down the front of her trousers and groped her, as he had done with the first victim. She also related how he raped her after he took off her lower clothing and pinned her to the floor of his bathroom –a copycat version of the other girl’s experience. She said the rape happened on her 15th birthday when she went to his flat to collect a present and card. She never went back. The 20-year-old was persuaded to report Ferguson to police by her father, who she told about the abuse when she was contacted by him via the Child Support Agency. Cops checked their records and discovered the other victim’s allegations – which could not be corroborated at the time – were still on file. The Crown used the Moorov doctrine – under which victims of similar crimes can corroborate each other’s evidence – to secure the conviction. Advocate depute Richard Goddard moved for sentence and revealed that Ferguson already had three previous sexual offences on his record for lewd, libidinous and indecent practices. His most recent conviction was in 1985. Judge Lord Kinclaven adjourned the case for a criminal justice social work report on Ferguson’s background. He told Gordon Martin, defending, that he would also welcome additional medical and psychological reports. Ferguson was remanded in custody until sentence at the High Court in Aberdeen on January 23. The judge ordered that his name be added to the Sex Offenders’ Register and his conviction notified to Scottish Ministers under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.