A sick “urban hunter” from Fife who subjected children to rape and sexual assault over a four-year period has been jailed.
Brandon Robb,28, preyed on two little girls and a young boy at locations in Fife, between May 2011 and May 2015.
The High Court in Edinburgh also heard how Robb also acted in a threatening and abusive manner to two women in the town in incidents which took place between November 2019 and February 2023.
Jurors heard how in one of the incidents, Robb seized his victim by her neck, compressed her breathing and repeatedly punch her.
The thug, who has previous convictions for sexual offences, was jailed for seven years.
Extended sentence
Robb, of Leslie, spent his trial denying any wrongdoing but earlier this year, judge Lord Lake remanded him in custody after jurors returned guilty verdicts on six charges.
Sentence was deferred for the court to obtain a report on whether Robb met the criteria for an order of lifelong restriction – an effective life sentence in which criminals are only released from custody once the parole board is satisfied they no longer pose a threat to public safety.
However, on Monday judge Lord Lake concluded Robb did not meet the criteria needed to impose an OLR.
After his seven-year term is finished, Robb will be supervised by the authorities for another six years.
He added: “It is clear that your victims have suffered greatly.
“The effects on them have been long lasting and have been experienced over many years.”
Rape and assault
During his recent trial, jurors heard how Robb raped his first victim on an occasion in 2011 when she was just eight years old.
The court heard how he led her to a secluded area in his home town before removing her clothing and having sex with her.
On various occasions between December 2012 and August 2014, Robb repeatedly raped his victim – a 12-year-old girl.
He also subjected the child to a series of sexual assaults.
In May 2015, Robb sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy in the town.
In August 2020, he began abusing another woman and he continued to do so until February 2023.
The court heard how Robb repeatedly shouted and swore at her, seized her by the neck and compressed her breathing and repeatedly punched her on the body and also head butted her.
Between November 2019 and May 31 2020, he seized another woman on the body.
He also sent her a threatening video and attempted to contact her by phone and by social media.
Persistent criminal
Following conviction, prosecutor Margaret Barron revealed Robb had 21 previous convictions and had served time in prison.
The court heard some convictions were for “analogous matters” and he had been placed on the sex offenders register following previous proceedings.
He gained notoriety when he posted pictures of himself and his dog hunting deer in the Scottish countryside on social media.
He was jailed in 2014 after admitting using his pet dog to hunt and kill a rare piebald deer.
A court heard how he lived a “feral existence” and was an “urban hunter”.
He killed the piebald while awaiting sentencing for stealing 30 ducks from a farm in Fife.
He was the subject of a Police Scotland missing persons alert in August 2020 but taunted police officers on his Facebook account saying he had responded to social media posts, saying he had “gone fishing” in England.
He is awaiting sentencing at the sheriff court for similar matters.
None of Robb’s victims in the present proceedings can be identified for legal reasons.
Life on register
On Monday, defence advocate Richard Goddard KC told Lord Lake his client had a “chaotic” childhood and this affected him as he became an adult.
Mr Goddard added: “He had a lack of any kind of moral framework or any assistance with his upbringing.
“He did not have any kind of moral guidance at all.”
Lord Lake also placed Robb on the sex offenders register for life.
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