October 2017 Paedophile pensioner begs sheriff not to jail him so he can spend time with his dying wife A paedophile pensioner begged a sheriff not to jail him so he could spend time with his dying wife. Sex beast Robert Young told the court in Hamilton that his partner was seriously ill and a custodial sentence could mean he would never see her again. But the 70-year-old’s pleas fell on deaf ears with Sheriff Marie Smart sending him to prison for three years and nine months on Wednesday. Young, from Langholm Crescent, Wishaw, was found guilty of sickening crimes against young girls almost 50 years ago. A jury convicted him in his absence last month after the pervert fled the court during the trial to spend time with his dying cat. The predator was convicted of using lewd and indecent practices against a girl at a house in Wishaw between 1967 and 1970. He was also found guilty of handling the breasts of an adolescent in the late 70s at a house in Glasgow and at a wooded area near Cambusnethan Priory. During the case, prosecutors dropped their attempts for conviction in relation to two alleged offences in Wishaw in the late 70s and early 80s. Young was also acquitted of using lewd and indecent practices against a girl between 1985 and 1988. Young’s lawyer said his client “did not accept” the jury’s guilty verdict and, as he had been remanded in custody before the sentencing, was finding prison life very difficult.   He added: “My client is a hard-working man who has held down a job since he left school. He feels his services would be better used if a community payback order was imposed. He finds not working very difficult and is struggling to adapt to life in prison.” Young’s lawyer also asked Sheriff Smart to delay his sentence to allow him to spend time with his ill wife. He said: “Mr Young’s wife is very poorly and he is deeply concerned that if a custodial sentence is imposed he will not be able to see her before she passes away.” But Sheriff Smart shut down these suggestions, describing Young as “opportunistic” and “a predator”. She said he showed no remorse for his actions and was at a high risk of reoffending after reviewing the findings of his criminal justice social work report. She said he had shown no compassion towards his victims and treated the court case as a joke. She also told the court she believed Young had previously absconded from court in the hope that the trial would be aborted forcing his victims to give evidence for a second time, adding to their trauma. The father-of-one was sentenced to 15 months in prison on charge one and 30 months behind bars on charge two. These sentences will run consecutively and will be backdated to August 31.