A child abuser whose victims included children fostered into his care has today been sentenced to eight years in custody after pleading guilty to a number of child abuse charges between 1992 and 1997.

On sentencing Paulnacha O’Mairthini at Paisley High Court Lady Dorrian made the following statement in court:

"The charges to which you have pled guilty are serious charges of abuse against persons to whom, in the most part, you were in a position of trust. This is particularly so in relation to charges 2,3,4 and 8. The complainer in charge 8 was actually being fostered by you when the abuse occurred. The circumstances and dates of the offences make it impractical for me to impose an extended sentence, but in passing sentence I must nevertheless take account of the risk which you pose to the public.

"A further matter I have to consider is the question of whether a discount should be given for the plea of guilty and if so what discount would be appropriate. I have to take into account that when originally indicted on these charges you absconded from justice and were maintaining pleas of not guilty.

" do take into account that you have now admitted your guilt of these matters and did so at the first Preliminary Hearing and thus avoided the need for your victims to give evidence. I consider that the way to deal with these matters is to award a discount for the pleas, but to make the sentence on charge 12 consecutive. Had it not been for the plea of guilty the cumulo sentence on charges 2,3,4,6, and 8 would have been 8 years imprisonment. As a result of the plea it will be reduced to 6 years. On charge 12 the consecutive sentence would have been one of three years which will now be reduced to a consecutive sentence of 2 years 3 months. That is a total sentence of 8 years and three months dating from 3rd October.

"For the avoidance of doubt you should understand that you will indefinitely be subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Act. Furthermore I propose to refer your case to the Scottish Ministers under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 in relation to working with children”.