Paedophile ring man given life term

Morris Petch, 50, was told he would spend a minimum of 12 years behind bars for the rape of the girls in Edinburgh.

Petch was part of a paedophile gang which started abusing the two girls when they were less than 10-years-old.

Earlier this year, Caroline Dunsmore, 43, was ordered to serve 12 years in jail for her role in the abuse of the girls - one of whom was her daughter Dana Fowley, now 26. She waived her right to anonymity. Another man, John O'Flaherty, 50, was sentenced to 13 years for his part.

Petch, of Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh, denied his involvement but a jury convicted him of raping both girls, now aged 25 and 26, after a three-day trial earlier this year.

Sentencing Petch at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Malcolm told him: "You have been convicted of grave and disgraceful crimes towards young and vulnerable children.

"It is plain from the assessment carried out on you that you have no remorse for them nor for the damage that you have caused to your victims."

Lord Malcolm said Petch was in denial about his conduct and his inability to control his "deviant behaviour".

He continued: "It is clear from the material now available to the courts that you are a serious risk to the public. Nothing has been said on your behalf, no doubt because there is nothing that can be said."

Lord Malcolm fixed the punishment part of the sentence - the minimum period Petch must spend behind bars - at 12 years. He said he had taken into account Petch's previous conviction for a similar offence, the nature and gravity of the crimes and the damage caused to his victims.