Mum's releif as '˜total monster' convicted of raping girl, 11

A MOTHER whose daughter was sexually assaulted by a man from the Capital has described her attacker as a 'total monster' following his conviction for the rape of an 11-year-old girl.

Wes Nicholl, convicted at the High Court in Livingston of raping an 11-year-old gir

Painter and decorator Wes Nicholl will be sentenced in January after a jury heard he had filmed himself having sex with the girl, now aged 22.

Nicholl, of Haimyre Street in Leith, had three previous convictions for child sexual abuse and had attended a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Yesterday the mother of one of his previous victims said she hoped he would be locked up for life as she described her relief at the guilty verdict.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Nicholl’s actions had had a devastating impact on the entire family after he targeted her daughter in an “opportunistic attack”.

She said: “The police contacted us in January and they had told us that they were going to arrest him.

“He’s been on all these treatment programmes and he’s still reoffending. I just feel that people should be aware and know more about him.

“The jury were right in convicting him, that was a total relief – justice prevailed eventually.

“I’m hoping for [a sentence of] life, if not 13 years and above. I don’t know the circumstances of the [recent] case but as far as I’m concerned he deserves life for all the lives he has wasted.”

The woman said Nicholl, 50, was the type of man who “threatened people” and that she was sure other victims would now come forward.

“He’s a total monster,” she said. “The jury definitely returned the right verdict. It was a worry that he would walk free again.

“I felt for the families who were at court. I’m just so glad that he’s in jail and was remanded in custody.”

Her comments come after Nicholl’s latest victim had told the court how she had regularly gone to his home after school from the age of ten onwards.

Giving evidence from behind a screen, the victim told the jury she was too young at the time to understand what was going on, but recalled Nicholl groping her and undressing her.

She said this progressed to him having sex with her as his video camera filmed them in his bedroom.

Jurors at the High Court in Livingston heard Nicholl had a collection of naked pictures of her and used childlike language to message his victim.

In his closing speech, advocate depute Peter Kearney described Nicholl as a “calculating, controlling and devious individual” who took steps to ensure his crimes were not witnessed by others.

Judge Lord Uist called for a criminal justice social work report and ordered that the accused’s name be added to the sex offenders’ register for a second time.

He told Nicholl: “You have three previous offences for lewd, indecent and libidinous practices involving a child. That makes the present conviction all the more disturbing.

“You may take it in the light of your record and conviction by the jury today that when you’re sentenced in January you’ll receive a significant sentence of imprisonment.”

Nicholl will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on January 10, 2018.