EDINBURGH PAEDOPHILE MORRIS PETCH'S SENTENCE REDUCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN SHOCK RULING
In a significant and controversial decision, the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh has reduced the minimum term that Morris Petch, a convicted paedophile from the city, must serve before being eligible for parole.Petch, aged 54, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of heinous crimes committed against two young girls during the 1990s.
His initial minimum term was set at 12 years, but recent legal proceedings have altered that timeline.
In May 2011, the appeal judges, comprising Lord Osborne, Lord Woolman, and Lord Wheatley, delivered a split verdict—five judges to two—resulting in the reduction of Petch’s minimum incarceration period by four years.
This decision has sparked considerable debate, given the gravity of his offenses and the depraved nature of his crimes.
The ruling means that Petch’s minimum sentence now stands at eight years, although this does not guarantee immediate release.
As Lord Osborne clarified, the actual timing of his freedom would depend on the parole board’s assessment of whether it is safe to release him into society.
Lord Osborne’s written judgment expressed some reassurance for the victims and their families, noting that Petch’s release is not automatic after serving the minimum term.
“Such a state of affairs may never come into being.
Alternatively, if it does, that may happen only at some distant point in the future,” he stated.
This underscores the uncertainty surrounding the release process and the importance of parole considerations.
Petch’s case gained further attention because he had previously challenged the legality of his life sentence, claiming that it was inappropriate.
However, the appeal judges dismissed this argument with little difficulty, emphasizing the severity of his crimes.
They pointed out that Petch had a prior conviction from January 1986, when he was jailed for 30 months for a sexual assault.
The court’s decision was heavily influenced by the disturbing details of his offenses.
During his 2007 trial, it was revealed that Petch had subjected two young sisters, aged approximately ten and eight, to sexual assault at his home in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh.
The girls had been sent there by their mother, Caroline Dunsmore, 47, who was later convicted and sentenced to 12 years for her involvement in the paedophile ring.
The ring was reportedly run by her husband, Billy King, and involved multiple acts of abuse and molestation.
One of Petch’s victims, Dana Fowley, chose to break her silence by publishing a best-selling book, shedding light on the trauma she endured.
Her decision to speak out has contributed to the ongoing public awareness of the case and the broader issues surrounding child abuse and exploitation in Edinburgh and beyond.
