By Bruce Robbins

APPEAL COURT judges yesterday quashed the sheriff court sentence of admonition given to former Dundee doctor Craig Morton for downloading pornographic images of children and imposed one of three years’ probation instead.

Morton (25) had originally been admonished by Sheriff Derek Pyle—a decision that provoked an outcry—but this was challenged by the Lord Advocate on the grounds that it was too lenient.

Morton, of King Street, had admitted downloading indecent pictures of boys between 1999 and 2002. A paediatrician viewed 11 of the images and concluded that five were of boys under 16 but found the others too distressing to examine.

Sentencing him last August, Sheriff Pyle acknowledged that the admonition could lay him open to criticism.

But he did not want to add to Morton’s suffering, “whatever the criticism.”

At the appeal court the Crown said it was not looking for a prison sentence but considered probation appropriate.

The offence of which Morton was convicted carried a maximum penalty of six months in jail or £5000 fine.

Yesterday the Lord Justice General, Lord Cullen, with Lords Macfadyen and Kingarth, overturned the sheriff’s decision.

They imposed the probation order with the conditions that Morton attend the Tay Project for sex offenders and should not live in a house with young children or be left in sole charge of them.

Sheriff Pyle’s sentence angered children’s charities.

The Moira Anderson Foundation described it as “outrageous.”

Children 1st said Morton, by downloading pornography, had contributed to the abuse of children.

Morton was initially suspended by the General Medical Council following his conviction.

But this was altered by imposing conditions on him for 18 months requiring him to have no clinical contact with patients under 16.

It is understood that a further GMC hearing in the summer will determine his future career status. He left his NHS Tayside employment in 2003.