A Brechin woman has told how she wants to watch her alleged abuser’s coffin burn.
Michelle Collins, 46, was speaking after the death of Ronald Campbell, 71, whose body was found at his home in the Downfield area of Dundee on March 24 — just eight days after he faced serious charges at the city’s sheriff court for the first time.
He faced allegations of committing indecent behaviour towards a child between the age of 12 and 16, breach of the peace, indecent assault, as well as lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour.
Michelle claimed Campbell “stole her childhood” and sexually abused her over a five-year period starting from when she was aged just 11.
She said she fears his death may mean she never gets closure.
She added: “It might seem odd but I want to go to his funeral.
“I want to watch his coffin going down.
“I want to watch it burn and know that he is finally gone.
“Then never again will he be able to hurt me or anyone else.
“That man stole my childhood and now I feel he has cheated from what was coming to him.
“I wanted my day in court with him.
“I wanted him to have to look me in the eye and tell me why he did what he did to me.
“Now i will never get that chance.
“I can only hope that his funeral finally brings closure for me because I have not got it so far.”
Michelle said the horror began when she was growing up in Menzieshill.
She said she was abused when she visited her brother who lived with Campbell.
“To this day, when I close my eyes, I can still see the smirk on his face and smell the tobacco on his hands,” she said.
“I was too scared to tell anyone because Campbell said if I did the shock would kill my grandfather.
“I really believed him and as a result kept quiet.”
When she was 19, she said she finally told her mum and the police were told — but nothing ever came of it.
Michelle said she went on to rebuild her life because she said she had no option.
However, last December another one of Campbell’s alleged victims went to the police and the charges were brought against him.
“I thought I had moved on but when I discovered that he was being charged and that I might be interviewed again it opened the whole can of worms up again for me.”
