Care worker jailed over sexual abuse at Ayrshire boys home

A former children’s care home worker has been jailed for 13 years after being convicted of a catalogue of abuse on vulnerable boys in Ayrshire.

Brian Newman, 58, denied abusing the boys at the home, but a jury unanimously found him guilty of eight of the charges and convicted him of the further two offences on majority verdicts.

Newman, from Kilmarnock, was earlier convicted of ten charges of indecency and sexual assault against six boys who were resident in the home where he worked during the 1990s.

Sentencing him at High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Glennie told Newman: “You were put in a position of trust, particularly grave trust, given the background of the children you were supposed to be looking after.

“You abused that trust horrendously.”

Lord Glennie said he had read testimonials sent to the court by family and acquaintances that paid tribute to Newman as “a loving, caring, family man of the highest integrity”.

But he added: “It is clear there is another side to you your family and friends are not aware of.”

In court the victims described feelings of confusion, shame and embarrassment after they were abused by him.

Some boys described an escalation in the abuse moving on from touching to sex acts, while others were given sweets and cigarettes or subjected to threats.

Defence counsel Dale Hughes said Newman continued to vehemently deny the charges.