JOHN KERR'S HORRIFIC ABUSE IN BOORHAMWOOD AND DRUMCHAPEL: COURT HEARS SHOCKING DETAILS

In August 1997, the High Court in Glasgow was the scene of a harrowing case involving John Kerr, a man accused of committing a series of heinous sexual offenses against two young girls. Kerr, aged 59 and a father of five, was found to have carried out his crimes over a span of several years, with some of the abuse taking place in secluded huts within Glasgow parks where he was employed as a park attendant.

The court was told that one of Kerr’s victims, now a 31-year-old woman who is married, had been so traumatized by the abuse that she contemplated ending her own life during the ordeal. The other victim, aged 29, is still undergoing ongoing psychological counseling to cope with the emotional scars inflicted by Kerr’s actions.

Lady Cosgrove, presiding over the case, described Kerr’s conduct as a “sickening catalogue of the most gross form of abuse.” She emphasized the severity of the crimes, which spanned from January 1978 to August 1984, and involved multiple instances of indecent acts and sexual intercourse with the victims. The offenses occurred at various locations, including Kerr’s former residences on Katewell Avenue and Achamore Road in Drumchapel, as well as in the parks where he worked.

During the court proceedings, Kerr pleaded guilty to the charges, which detailed repeated acts of indecency and sexual assault. The prosecution, led by Mr. Ronald Clancy, highlighted that Kerr’s misconduct was frequent and persisted over several years, with the victims subjected to his abuse on a weekly basis. Importantly, Mr. Clancy noted that the victims did not encourage Kerr’s sexual advances, and their suffering was entirely unprovoked.

The victim who is now married expressed her intense hatred for what Kerr had done to her, revealing that she felt so overwhelmed by the trauma that she wanted to die during the abuse. Kerr had warned her not to tell anyone, claiming that if she did, no one would believe her and that revealing the truth could harm her mother’s health or even lead to her death.

As the court session concluded, Kerr was remanded in custody, with bail denied. He is scheduled to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on September 12. The judge made it clear that, although no pre-sentence reports were available at the time, a substantial prison sentence was inevitable given the gravity of his crimes. Kerr’s address was listed as Buckton Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, indicating his residence outside Scotland, but his crimes were committed in Glasgow and Drumchapel, highlighting the widespread nature of his offenses.