JOHN MACLEAN FROM NEWTONMORE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES IN INVERNESS AND LAGGAN

In a case that shocked the small community of Newtonmore and the surrounding areas, John Alick MacLean was finally brought to justice after a lengthy investigation that involved an extensive DNA sweep across the village. The police efforts were prompted by a disturbing incident that occurred during the early hours of New Year’s Day, when MacLean attempted to assault a woman at a house party in Laggan, a village near Newtonmore.

MacLean’s criminal activities did not end there. Following his arrest, two additional women came forward, revealing that they had been sexually abused by him during their childhood and teenage years. These revelations uncovered a pattern of predatory behavior spanning several years, with the victims’ ages at the time ranging from as young as eight to as old as seventeen.

The 62-year-old man, who was a married father of five, was ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison at the High Court in Inverness. The presiding judge, Lord Bonomy, did not hold back in condemning MacLean’s actions, describing his crimes as “disgusting” and profoundly damaging to the victims.

Details of the court proceedings revealed that MacLean had admitted to a series of heinous acts. Between 1981 and 1984, he engaged in repeated sexual abuse and indecent practices against a young girl, who was between eight and ten years old at the time. Later, between 1984 and 1988, he admitted to sexually abusing and raping a second girl, who was between 14 and 17 years old during the period of abuse.

Most recently, MacLean confessed to attempting to rape a woman during the New Year’s party in Laggan last year. According to court reports, he entered the woman’s room in the early hours of the morning while she was unconscious due to alcohol consumption. The woman was unable to resist or defend herself during the assault.

Initially, the Northern Constabulary suspected that an intruder might have been responsible for the attack, which led to a comprehensive investigation. Detectives conducted a thorough screening of the entire village, including all men who attended the party, in an effort to identify the perpetrator. The breakthrough came when MacLean’s DNA profile matched the evidence collected from the scene, leading to his arrest.

During the court proceedings, defense lawyer Mark Moir acknowledged that MacLean had been in denial about his actions for many years. “MacLean has largely been in a sense of denial up until recently that these offences took place,” he stated. “But he accepts they did and no excuse can be found for his conduct. He simply has no explanation as to why he did these things. It cannot lessen the impact these crimes have had.”

As MacLean begins his prison term, the community of Newtonmore and Laggan are left to grapple with the aftermath of these revelations, and the victims are left to seek some measure of closure after enduring years of trauma.