November 2016 Child sex “beast” jailed for three years for attacks on girls aged seven and eight A paedophile who sexually abused two young girls aged just seven and eight was caged for three years yesterday amid angry scenes at court. There were shouts of “beast” from the packed public gallery as depraved lorry driver Leslie Gilmour, 69, was sent down for targeting the two sisters, who had befriended his family. His catalogue of sexual abuse was laid bare in open court because he is still defiantly refusing to accept his guilt — even after he was convicted at trial at Paisley Sheriff Court. As Gilmour appeared for sentence yesterday, Sheriff Seith Ireland told him: “No disposal, other than custody, is appropriate given the gravity of the offences.” He slated the accused for his “substantial denial, even after ladies and gentlemen convicted you after evidence.” The court heard he exposed himself to his first victim. He stripped the eight-year-old of her clothing and assaulted her, and even refused to stop when she pleaded with him. The attacks took place on various occasions between January 1988 and December 1989. But his crimes against his second victim were far worse. Gilmour, formerly of Arran Drive, Johnstone, forced her to perform a sex act on him and sexually assaulted her. The incidents took place between May 1991 and May 1996 in a house and even the cab of a lorry, when the girl was aged between 7 and 11. Members of the public shouted out in anger and disgust as he was sentenced yesterday. Shouts of “beast!” rang out in court room, where the bar officer had to calm people in the gallery. And the court’s police officer had to walk over to the public benches to remind people to stop shouting out during the sentencing. The accused’s wife, Roberta, 64, who gave evidence on his behalf at his trial, was in court yesterday with other members of his family. Gilmour’s defence agent Nuala Devlin had asked the court to consider an alternative to prison because social work reports revealed that he was of “low risk” of offending and suffers from health problems. She also said the family have had to move home since his conviction at trial last month because of a number of “vigilante” actions. Ms Devlin said: “There have been a number of difficulties for him and his wife. A car was set on fire. “Same make, model and colour as the accused’s car, however it was a neighbour’s car. “They also have had windows broken and have moved from the family to stay with other family members. “He is a 69-year-old man with no previous convictions and continues to deny the offence, as was his position throughout the trial. “Members of his family, including his wife and son continue to support him.” However Sheriff Seith Ireland said the court had a duty to punish the accused for the offences against the two young girls, who had even looked on Roberta as an “aunty”. He said: “The court must send a message to you as an offender and give justice to those people who suffered at your hands by your lewd, indecent and libidinous practices conducted against young girls.” On the first charge, he was handed 18 months and on the second, charge he was handed to three years. These prison sentences will run concurrently. Gilmour was also placed on the sex Offenders’ register for life. October 2016 Paedophile trucker abused two little girls for nearly a decade A paedophile lorry driver has been found guilty of sexually abusing two sisters over almost a decade. Depraved Leslie Gilmour, 70, targeted the girls after he and his wife befriended their mum. He even molested one of the terrified youngsters in the cab of his truck after tricking her into going on an overnight delivery to England. Evil Gilmour denied a slew of sex attacks against the pair when they were aged between eight and 11 at Paisley Sheriff Court. But he was convicted after one of his victims bravely took to the stand to put the beast behind bars. The woman, 32, told afterwards how she waited more than 20 years for her abuser to be punished. She said: “I’m pleased he’s been found guilty, but we’ve had to live with this all our lives. “He’s put us through hell and no amount of time in jail is going to change that. “I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.” Gilmour began assaulting the sisters at visits to his house in Arran Drive, Johnstone. The first victim was attacked at various dates between January 1988 and December 1989 when the girl was aged around eight. The jury heard how he exposed himself to her, and stripped her of her clothing then sexually assaulted her. The creep also hounded the younger girl when she was aged between seven and 11. He repeatedly molested her between May 1991 and May 1996 at his two-bedroom home and in his truck, forcing her to perform sex acts. The victim, who still lives in Renfrewshire, lifted the lid on the harrowing abuse she suffered after turning at Gilmour’s door last year and revealing all to his wife. The court was told how she was allowed to England in the cab of Gilmour’s truck on a overnight trip. Her parents, who had befriended the Gilmours, believed she would be safe from harm and gave her permission because the youngster possessed an “adventurous” streak. She explained: “I felt excited about going but I knew some strange happened. “I was very young. “I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t really know what was happening. “But I was a tomboy when I was younger. “But I can remember the lorry trip. Things happened. “I also remember things in his house. Lying on the bed with Leslie. “Feeling uncomfortable and feeling as uncomfortable as it was in the lorry. It was all happening at different times.” The woman said her mother and Gilmour’s wife Roberta were best friends. The families had even gone together on a holiday to Salou, in Spain, with one sister even nicknaming the woman “Mumma Bertha.” Roberta, 64, gave evidence on behalf of her husband of 47 years. The retired nursing assistant reacted furiously when confronted with the truth of what Gilmour had done. Fiscal depute Alan Parfrey said: “We have heard evidence your husband was lying on your bed wearing a towel with a girl of eight giving her a cuddle. Mrs Gilmour replied: “No way. “No way did that happen. That’s totally untrue. “If I had walked into that room and I found my husband in bed with a child, cuddling her, my husband wouldn’t have walked out of that room.” The court heard lorry driver Gilmour, a retired night-shift trunk driver for Carpet Express in Paisley, kept a cupboard full of sweets at his house at the end of the cul-de-sac and used them to bribe the girls. He would invite the girls to his house, where he would expose himself them, while wearing only a towel. The fiscal accused Gilmour’s wife of covering up for the abuse that happened to the two victims under her roof, “over and over again,” He said: “Your were like an auntie figure to these children. “You say you loved them and they loved you. “Yet we have heard evidence he exposed himself to them over and over and over again. “Was it appropriate for Leslie to be going around the house wearing only a towel?” “It happened again and again and again under your roof over the years. “When are you going to finally speak for these girls for what happened under your roof?” Mrs Gilmour insisted there was nothing wrong with wearing just a towel and claims she never seen her husband flashing the sisters. She added: “I don’t believe it happened.” Gilmour who was later interviewed and charged by police, refused to answer any questions during the inquiry. He gave no comment interviews to officers throughout the investigation. The beast, dressed in grey trousers and a dark blazer, stared straight ahead as the guilty verdicts over two charges of sexual abuse against children were read out. One of the sisters and their mother hugged and sobbed as the jury of nine women and six men made their decision. Sheriff Seith Ireland warned he faced a lengthy prison stretch when he returns for sentencing on November 18. He explained: “You have been convicted of two very serious charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour against two girls some years ago. “A question of custody is one the court must consider.”