Guidelines in place for released '˜predator'

Grant Lowrie (18) was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this year after he pled guilty to engaging in sex acts with underage girls, one as young as 14, between December 15, 2015, and January 24, 2016 and also January 1, 2015 and March 5, 2015.

Lowrie also breached his bail conditions by having unsupervised contact with someone under the age of 16 on March 18 and March 29, last year.

After he delivered his sentence Sheriff Craig Caldwell, who said he wished his sentencing powers were higher in this case, warned Lowrie he would recommend he be sent down for life if he ever committed another offence against a young girl.

Earlier this year Sheriff Caldwell said: “You have appeared before me on a number of occasions in relation to these matters. I had taken the view that your initial offending may be put down to commonplace adolescent urges coupled with a degree of immaturity.

“The circumstances now have shown you to be a persistent serious offender who engages in a significant degree of manipulation and devious, dishonest conduct. You are a predator on underage young girls.

“I have to do as much as I can to protect a particular section of society, which is underage girls, from your sinister conduct. You have twice breached your community payback order.”

Lowrie, 12 Mudale Court, Hallglen, was back in front of Sheriff Caldwell at Falkirk Sheriff Court on June 23.

Sheriff Caldwell said: “You are now back in the community with various orders that are in place – you must have no contact, direct or indirect, with the victims of these two cases.

“These offences were very serious and the level of supervision you are now under reflects that.”

Lowrie was also placed on a supervised community payback order for three years with the condition he complete 150 hours of unpaid work within six months and engage with the Moving Forward Making Changes programme.

Lowrie was placed on the sex offenders register and was prohibited from having any contact with anyone under the age of 16 without supervision.

Sheriff Caldwell ordered a review of the order to take place in three months time to see if Lowrie was engaging with the various conditions.