Mum and Daughter.....Renamed Thread

[DigitaLVampirE]

A DEPRAVED mum who watched her blindfolded little daughter being raped by three men in a caravan was jailed for 12 years yesterday.

Caroline Dunsmore, 43, did nothing to help the screaming nine-year-old as the monsters took it in turn to abuse her.

A court was told it was only one of a series of atrocities against Dana Fowley, now 26, led by Dunsmore's husband Billy King, who is now dead.

After the trial, Dana, who waived her right to anonymity, said: "From me being a child, my whole life has been hell. Going through the trial has been hell and today was hell."

The court was told both Dana and another girl who was a victim of the paedophile ring led by King had come to see being raped "as a way of life".

Both had been left severely traumatised and suicidal.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, one of the men involved in the caravan rape, John O'Flaherty, 50, who admitted raping Dana at least 12 times, was caged for 13 years.

orris Petch, 50, had denied any offences but was convicted of raping both Dana and the other girl, now 25.

Judge Lord Malcolm deferred sentence on him for reports - but warned him he was considering imposing a life term.

Dunsmore admitted several rape charges while acting with King, who was almost 20 years her senior.

The judge told her: "You pleaded guilty to a course of conduct carried out along with others, over many years, involving the rape and sexual abuse of your daughter throughout most of her childhood.

"It is hard to imagine a more grievous breach of trust on the part of a mother towards her child.

"You participated fully in the paedophile group whose abuse of the girl would have caused her severe damage and you took no steps to remove her from that situation."

He said O'Flaherty had taken part in the "horrific and terrifying" episodes and had shown no real remorse.

Victim Dana said after the sentencing: "At the end of the day, it was a justified sentence. It was a victory, the sentences that were handed out."

She had told the court she was only six when King first made her perform a sex act on him. Soon after that, her mother was in the room when King raped Dana and the couple then had sex in her presence.

Iain McSporran, prosecuting, said Dana recalled similar incidents involving Dunsmore and King happening frequently.

O'Flaherty, of Ferry Road, Edinburgh, was a friend of King's and he joined in the abuse of the girl. He had sex with her while King and Dunsmore were having sex and then the men swapped partners.

In 1990, Dana was in a caravan in Perthshire when she was awoken by King and blindfolded.

Mr McSporran said: "She recalls her nightie being being removed and three men raping her. During the course of the rapes she cried out, 'It's hurting' and cried for the men to stop. They did not.

"The accused Dunsmore was present during the assault and rape, although the girl did not know that at the time.

"She names O'Flaherty as one of the men who raped her that night."

Petch, of Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh, who was also a friend of King, began his abuse of the girls in 1990 and his reign of terror lasted for five years.

During his trial, the jury heard he'd had sex with the girls after making them perform a sex act on each other.

He had been jailed for 30 months in 1986 for assault with intent to rape.

Mr McSporran said all the offences came to light when the younger girl revealed she had been abused by another man - then the true scale of what had happened began to emerge.

When police first questioned Dunsmore, of Newhaven, Edinburgh, she claimed she had taken part only through fear of King. But she later agreed she had freely participated in the abuse.

O'Flaherty told police he had sex with Dana about 12 times and he knew that a number of other men had also had sex with her.

Police recently revealed they have identified three more men, aged between 40 and 65, whom they believe were also involved in the abuse. Another three men and a woman died before any charges could be brought against them.

O'Flaherty admitted the gang rape in the caravan and Mr McSporran said: "When asked about whether she had protested in any way, he admitted he had heard her screaming.

"It was pointed out to him that she'd been nine at the time but neither that nor his account of her screaming caused him to exhibit remorse and the police describe him as 'indifferent'.

"It appears that not only had these girls become so accustomed to being raped that it was seen as a way of life, but that their rapists saw it that way too. They were utterly indifferent to the effects upon the victims and not particularly conscious of the gravity of their crimes.

"The damage caused by this history of abuse is impossible to quantify, although it is known that the younger girl is finding it even more difficult to cope."

Gordon Jackson QC, for Dunsmore, said she had been abused by her own father, who is now serving a five-year sentence for molesting one of the girls.

Abuse was a way of life for Dunsmore, he said, and she felt unable to stop what was happening to the girls.

Richard Goddard, for O'Flaherty, said he could offer no cogent reason as to why he became involved in the abuse but he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Petch will be sentenced on August 10 and was remanded in custody.

By Gordon Mcilwraith|23 June 2007

[mikeyBoab]

Thought I'd jump on the site for a bit of distraction from work. Not a very cheery thread

[CatherineB]

Ugh, some people are just so awful!