Highlands wheelchair bound man jailed for string of sexual assaults

A man who is confined to a wheelchair has been jailed for three years for a catalogue of assaults including sexual offences on children over more than two decades.

Advocate Lorenzo Alonzi pleaded with Sheriff David Sutherland not to jail 61 year-old Arnold Robert from Dingwall when he appeared for sentence yesterday (Thursday).

Robert had been convicted by a jury at Inverness two months ago on 11 charges.

Mr Alonzi criticised the social worker who compiled the report which stated Robert was ‘living with unfathomable rage and sexual depravity’.

"That is taking things too far," said Mr Alonzi.

The jury took just over an hour in September to find Robert guilty on six physical assaults, three sexual assaults, a breach of the peace and cannabis possession.

His victims involved one adult woman, four underage girls and an underage boy. They cannot be identified for legal reasons. The offences occurred between 1989 and 2012

At one stage during the trial Robert, of Deas Avenue, took ill and was treated in court before being taken to Raigmore Hospital.

He was later assessed fit to continue and the trial resumed three days later.

Mr Alonzi said the author of the report was not at the trial and had ‘lost sight of the true nature of the convictions’.

The charges relating to the sexual offences Mr Alonzi said involved behaviour which fell at the ‘lower end of the scale’.

"I accept these matters will have a lasting impact on the complainers and they were very unpleasant and wholly unacceptable.

"What I seek to do is keep it in context and it seems the author has treated this far more seriously than they actually were."

He said the offences were ‘nowhere near the serious end of the spectrum’.

Mr Alonzi referred to Robert’s health problems which included asthma, angina and seizures.

And he asked the sheriff to consider a non-custodial sentence where Robert could be kept under supervision in the community.

But after adjourning to consider his sentence Sheriff Sutherland told Robert: "You have been found guilty unanimously by a jury of serious offences. I consider only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

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