Seven members of Glasgow child sex ring found guilty of horror abuse

Five men and two women were found guilty after a harrowing nine-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Three already vulnerable youngsters in particular were subjected to relentless rape, wanton violence and drug taking at the dirty hovel in the city.

This included the horrific sex attack of one girl who was pinned down as some cheered, hollered and encouraged what was happening.

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It was also filmed - with money also exchanging hands for what went on.

The ordeals only emerged after the brave young victims revealed how they had suffered to a couple they got to know.

Their accounts of depraved abuse, witchcraft and the slaughtering of dogs at the flat were documented and handed over to detectives.

It sparked the huge police probe into the crimes.

Seven men and four women - believed to be the largest number of accused to appear in the dock together in recent Scots legal history - eventually went on trial.

They all denied any physical and sexual abuse occurred with claims of being "upset" and "shellshocked" at the accusations.

One even claimed she would have "battered" anyone she seen harming a child.

Jurors today returned verdicts on the 21 charges which occurred in the city between April 2012 and June 2019.

Iain Owens, 45, was convicted of 18 including the rape of the three children, attempted murder of one involving shutting her in a microwave and other kitchen appliances.

The jobless addict was also guilty of other sex offences and class A drug supply.

Iain Owens (Image: Police Scotland)

Elaine Lannery, 39, was convicted of the rape of the children among the 12 charges she was done for.

Lesley Williams, 42, was convicted of five charges including the rape of two girls.

Paul Brannan, 40, meantime was guilty of seven charges which also featured the rape of all the three sex abuse victims.

Scott Forbes, 50, Barry Watson and John Clark, both 47, were further convicted today.

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Elaine Lannery (Image: Police Scotland)Forbes was found to have raped one girl with Watson and Clark guilty of raping two of them.

Marianne Gallagher, 39, was cleared of sex abuse, but was found convicted of being part of an assault on one girl.

Mark Carr, 50, Richard Gachagan, 46, and Leona Laing, 51, were meantime acquitted of all the charges they faced.

Owens, Lannery, William, Brannan, Watson, Forbes and Clark were all remanded in custody by judge Lord Beckett pending sentencing in the New Year.

Gallagher was granted bail.

The case mainly centred on three children – two girls and a boy. Another girl was listed in a charge, but she was not physically or sexually harmed.

Jurors heard details of the victims depressing young lives - even before they were preyed upon.

One in particular suffered from chronic, severe head lice described as the "worst" a child professional had seen in her near 40-year career.

A number of witnesses in the trial became emotional as they recounted their dealings with some of the youngsters.

Describing one, a woman told jurors: "At first, he was a very bubbly wee boy.

"A cheeky, happy type of character - in a harmless way.

"As time went on, I could see a change. He became, perhaps, more hyper vigilant.

"He found certain things difficult to brush off. He did not have the same bubbliness.

"He became quite a serious boy, almost withdrawn at points."

Paul Brannan (Image: Police Scotland)

The behaviour of another of the older children changed from her being "very friendly" to a "boisterous" girl tormented by what she was being subjected to.

The youngsters suffered in silence until police were alerted in 2020.

This was after a man who got to know the children reported what he had been told.

It was sparked after one of the victims became hysterical having mistakenly thought she had been shut in a room.

The man told the trial he had then been "driven by his conscience and principles" to then help the victims.

Along with his wife, he painstakingly documented horrific details of what the children recalled happening at the hands of the gang.

Scott Forbes (Image: Police Scotland)

There were said to have been "rape nights", "dance and sex nights" as well as "dog killings nights" at the hell-hole flat.

One of the girls was "put in an oven" as well as padlocked in a fridge and shut in a cupboard with "beetles and spiders in it".

The same child described the flat as the “dark and scary beastie house".

She further stated: “It is not nice when people laugh at you when you are hurting.”

What was described as a satanic "coven" - a mixture of "witches and wizards" - were also said to have got the children involved in "occult practices" casting "spells" and turning them into animals.

The young boy was also made to courier drugs on behalf of one member of the gang.

The couple were then told of depraved sexual abuse – much of it too graphic to explain in detail – at the hand of the paedophile ring.

A series of emails – shown during the trial – were sent to Police Scotland sparking the huge inquiry.

On hearing this read back to him in court, the man said: "That is a nightmare in real time. Listening to that, it is quite distressing."

Prosecutor Kath Harper asked him if the traumatised children got upset when discussing their ordeals.

The witness: “The boy did a couple of times about things that happened, but, the majority of occasions, it was just very much matter of fact… like replaying it in their minds, talking it over.”

The pre-recorded police interviews and evidence before a judge were played during the trial.

The boy was quizzed around 14 or 15 times by the same detective.

They explained how they suffered in harrowing detail leading to the gang being arrested.

Among the crimes jurors heard about was one of the girls being restrained and abused by members of the ring in a disgusting room until she was injured and unconscious – all while it was being recorded on camera.

Owens was said to have “received payment”.

The 11 all denied being paedophiles or physically harming the children. Some confessed to openly taking drugs in front of the youngsters.

Ex-abbatoir worker Owens claim he was “upset” at the accusations.

His KC Gary Allan put to him that there had been allegations of "organised sexual abuse" involving a "viewing gallery" and a "camera with a tripod".

Mr Allan: "Do you understand how bad that sounds? Did anything like that happen?"

Owens: "No."

Lannery claimed she would have “battered” anyone she saw harming a child.

In her closing speech, advocate depute Miss Harper said the children had been victims of a “scary and confusing world”.

Referring to the account by one of the girl, she told the court: "She was describing, as was the boy, her normal.

"Not a few days, weeks or months, but a significant part of her short life."

The boy was said to have become "desensitised" to what allegedly occurred.

Miss Harper stated any suggestion the claims of physical and sexual abuse being untrue meant there had been "collusion" and "fabrication" of allegations of the "most monstrous kind".

She added it would have been "off the scale devious and deceitful" as well as "highly organised".

Prosecutors had withdrawn witchcraft allegations during the trial.

Jurors today acquitted any of the gang of being involved in dog killing.

After the verdicts were delivered, there was a delay as the court clerk was given time to document the decisions.

The hearing was adjourned for a short spell with Lord Beckett ordering all of the gang to remain seated in the dock meantime.

Despite the depravity of what they had been convicted, a number of them casually chatted between themselves.

When he returned to the bench, Lord Beckett told six of them: “You are no longer enjoying the presumption of innocence. I am going to remand each of you in custody.”

Gallagher had been locked up during the trial, but she was given bail pending sentencing for all of them on January 4 next year.

Prosecutors had listed in some of the charges three others as also being involved in the abuse.

These included wheelchair bound amputee Robert Brown nicknamed "Nae Legs".

But, Brown along with Maureen Goudie and Stephen McHendrie all died before the gang first appeared in the dock at the high court.

Lord Beckett went on to praise the jurors at the end of the case.

He said: "Can I thank you for serving in this long and harrowing trial featuring the most distressing of evidence.

"Our system demands a lot from those who serve on juries, but the burden is rarely higher than a case of this type which has taken up so much of your time.

"You have responded magnificently."

He said it must have often been "demoralising" and "unpleasant" having to listen to what they had heard.

The judge stated a counselling service was available to the men and women, who have been excused from further jury service for life.