Mick Hartley

Back in Scotland:

A man who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl in a park when he was 17 has avoided a prison sentence.

Sean Hogg, 21, attacked the girl in Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian, on various occasions between March and June 2018.

On various occasions! Not even the excuse of it being some kind of one-off aberration.

Judge Lord Lake said that if the offence had been committed by an adult over 25, Hogg would have received a jail sentence of four or five years.

Instead he was ordered to do 270 hours of unpaid work.

Court papers stated Hogg, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, threatened the girl, seized her by the wrists and forced her to carry out a sex act before raping her.

He was found guilty by a jury and appeared in the dock for sentencing in tears at the High Court in Glasgow.

The poor lad. But at least he doesn't have to go through the bother of taking the traditional Scottish route and claiming he's now a woman, to save himself from the men's prison.

Donald Findlay KC, defending, told the court an appeal was planned.

An appeal from the defence! Maybe just drop the charges altogether then. She was only a wee girl, after all….