Dumbarton man fined for underage sex with girlfriend

Nov 28 2008 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

A DUMBARTON man who started having sex with his underage girlfriend on her 15th birthday was fined last week.

Kevin Harrison, 18, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week and admitted having unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between January 18 and August 7 this year.

Harrison pled guilty to having relations with the girl, three years his junior, at his home in Mary Fisher Crescent and in other parts of Dumbarton during the eight month period.

Roddy Boag, defence solicitor for Harrison, told the court how the pair had been in a relationship and that the girl had given her consent to the intercourse. However, the lawyer did accept that there would be further consequences for the young girl and that the relationship could never be resolved.

He said: “There is a continuing difficulty this young lady faces at the break up of this relationship.

“Since then she contacted him but he was on a bail condition at the time.

“The relationship is completely fractured. For all concerned, especially the victim and the family involved. They need to go on and try to get on with their own lives as best they can.”

Fining Harrison £500 and removing him from the Sex Offenders Register on which he was placed when he admitted his guilt, Sheriff Des Leslie said: “You have done something you shouldn’t have done and it will have long-standing implications for you by way of having a record of having an offence of this nature.

“This is an irreparable situation and you should consider removing yourself from it.”