A man convicted of abusing children has been allowed to continue renting out a St Andrews flat on the condition he has no direct contact with the tenants.
Graeme Jackson, of Houston in Renfrewshire, has rented out the property in the Fife town’s Murray Park for the past 23 years, but his licence for multiple occupation was reviewed after he appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court on charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour last year.
At a special meeting of Fife Council’s regulation and licensing committee, Chief Inspector Dougie Saunders told councillors Mr Jackson had been found guilty of two offences committed between 1979 and 1996 after trial by jury.
On October 1, last year, Mr Jackson was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service. He was placed on the sex offenders register.
Representing Mr Jackson, solicitor Sylvia Flynn said her client still strongly denied the allegations against him. However, the meeting later heard he would not be able to make an appeal.
Ms Flynn said the offences had been at the “lower end” of the scale and that Mr Jackson posed “absolutely no risk or threat” to the public.
She said the flat had been let out for 23 years, “Without any issue at all,” adding. “My submission is he remains a fit and proper person to hold a licence. Mr Jackson has otherwise a completely unblemished record.”StudentsThe meeting heard that Mr Jackson rented the flat out to students.
A subsequent show of hands revealed five councillors were in favour of suspending the licence but six were against the move.
Councillor Mike Rumney, seconded by Councillor Bill Sangster, said the licence should be suspended because Mr Jackson’s criminal record could cause concern for future tenants.
He said, “I don’t think he is any longer a fit or proper person. I think he is a potential danger, not only to future residents but to the wider public.”
Councillor Mike Scott-Hayward’s successful motion against suspending the licence was seconded by Councillor Jim Burke.
Mr Scott-Hayward said a condition should be added that all dealings with tenants be handled entirely by a letting agent so there is no contact with Mr Jackson.
Committee chairman Councillor Gerry McMullan said the amount of time that had elapsed since the offences had been a factor in considering the licence.