Tag: sex offender jailed

Man jailed for string of sex crimes

A man has been jailed for a catalogue of sexual offences committed against four women in East Lothian and Edinburgh.

Gary Yuill, 45, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday after previously been found guilty by a jury of 21 offences, which included nine counts of rape.

The offences were committed against four women in Haddington, Dunbar, Wallyford, and Edinburgh between 2004 and 2021.

Police first began investigating Yuill following a report of rape which was received from a woman in May 2021. This subsequently led to other victims being identified and the scale of Yuill’s offending revealed. He was arrested and charged in June 2021.

Detective Inspector Laura White said: “Yuill subjected these women to horrific crimes and I would like to thank them for their cooperation as our investigations were ongoing. Hopefully today’s verdict will allow them to move on from this part of their lives.

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual violence to come forward and report it to us, regardless of the passage of time. We, alongside partner agencies, will support you through the process, investigate thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice.”

John O’Flaherty jailed for non-recent sexual assaults in Edinburgh

A man who committed a number of sexual assaults on women and girls in the 1980s and 1990s has been jailed.

At the High Court in Livingston yesterday (Tuesday, 27 February), John O’Flaherty (67) was sentenced to an Order of Lifelong Restriction with a minimum punishment part of five-years in prison for the offences, which took place in the North and South West of Edinburgh.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The survivors were aged between 7 and 32 and after reporting the crimes to police in 2018, officers from Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit spent more than two years gathering evidence against O’Flaherty.

He was initially arrested in June 2020, with further charges added over the following months.

Chief Inspector Jonny Wright said: “Our response to sexual crime is victim centred, with the safety and wellbeing of victims at the heart of what we do. I hope the conviction and sentencing of John O’Flaherty highlights that time is no barrier to investigating offences and we will respond to all reports we receive.

“I wish to thank the women he targeted for coming forward and reporting the attacks to police.

“Their continued support of our investigation and their testimony during the trial ultimately led to O’Flaherty’s conviction.”