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16 accused (5 now dead) of Glasgow ‘paedo ring’ involving
‘witchcraft, child rape & satanic animal killings’
Grant McCabe
14:03, 1 Aug 2022
The Scottish Sun
ELEVEN people are accused of taking part in a child sex ring also allegedly involving witchcraft, serious violence and neglect.
The seven men and four women today faced a 14-page indictment listing 43 different charges during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.
Details of the alleged child sex ring were heard at the High Court in Glasgow today. Credit: Alamy
The accusations mainly centre around three young children - two girls and a boy - between January 2010 and March 2020 at various addresses in the Townhead, Maryhill and Craigend areas of the city.
They include claims the trio were raped at different times while some of the group did "clap, cheer and verbally encourage" as well as video record what was happening.
One of the young girls was said to have been shut in a microwave during an attempt to kill her.
It also alleged the children were forced to take part in satanic "seances" and made to kill animals.
Iain Owens, 43, Elaine Lannery, 38, Lesley Williams, 40, Paul Brannan, 40, Marianne Gallagher, 37, Scott Forbes, 49, Barry Watson, 46, Mark Carr, 49, Richard Gachagan, 44, Leona Laing, 50, and John Clark, 46, deny the charges they face.
The accusation features a claim they got the young boy to "courier controlled drugs" on their behalf.
It is then said 10 of the group - apart from Forbes - assaulted the elder girl to the danger of her life starting when she was six.
This included running a wheelchair into her legs and also putting a black plastic bag over her head affecting her breathing.
The girl was also allegedly made to eat cat food as well as take drugs and alcohol.
The next charge states Owens, Lannery, Williams, Brannan and Gallagher assaulted the young boy.
It is said he was put in a bath which he was allegedly told was filled with blood.
Owens, Lannery, Williams, Brannan and Clark are then accused of the attempted murder of the younger of the two girls starting when she was just weeks old.
This charge - which runs between December 2015 and June 2019 - states she was made to "act like a dog" and eat pet food. It also said the group did chase the child while wearing a devil mask.
She was also allegedly hung by her jumper from a nail on the wall.
The murder bid charge finally claims the girl was pushed into and trapped inside a microwave, an oven, a fridge freezer and various cupboards.
The next charge claims Owens, Lannery, Williams, Brannan assaulted the other child mentioned in the earlier neglect accusation.Owens and Lannery are then accused of threatening one of the young girls that they had arranged for her to go to Turkey with a male stranger.
Prosecutors state all 11 are said to have got the boy and the older girl to take part in "seances (and) use an Ouija board...to call on spirits and demons".They also allegedly got the children involved in "witchcraft" leading them to believe that they themselves had "metamorphosed into animals".
The 11 are further said to have worn cloaks and devil horns as well making the young boy stab a budgie to death.
The group are also accused of killing a number of dogs including getting the children to attack the animals.
Owens alone then faces a number of charges that he raped the older girl including with Watson, Brannan, Clark and Forbes. Owens and Lannery go on to be accused of a sex abuse charge involving the boy and the younger girl.
A separate allegation states all of the group were then allegedly involved in the rape on various occasions of the older girl. It is claimed they got her to take drink and illicit drugs.
The charge states while she was being sexually assaulted Lannery, Williams, Laing and Gallagher did "clap, cheer and verbally encourage" the alleged crime, which was also video recorded.
The girl was said to be 10 when it started. Forbes alone next faces an indecent images accusation.
Prosecutors further state Gachagan, Laing, Carr, Forbes and Watson allegedly paid for "sexual services" for three of the children.
Two separate charges claim Owens and Lannery did "facilitate" this. There are then a string of accusations detailing further alleged crimes against all three children.
The indictment goes on to state Owens and Lannery took part in the rape of the boy.
All 11 also allegedly abused him with the men this time were said to have "cheered" while it was going on.
The next charge claims Owens and Lannery had sex in front of children.
Owens and Brannan go on to face an accusation of raping the boy.
The duo along with Lannery and Williams are also said to have made him watch a video of one of the girls being attacked. Lannery is then charged with molesting the younger girl before it is claimed she, Owens, Williams and Brannan raped her.
The whole group go on to face the same crime with the girl allegedly held down in a cot.
As this was said to be happening, the women are accused of clapping and cheering while the boy and older girl were shut in a room.
The elder child was also said to have been made to "operate a camera and create video footage" of some of the abuse. Owens and Lannery then face charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
This includes claims the older girl was threatened and her call to the police was disconnected.
It is also said attempts were made to "pressurise" two of the youngsters around the time of police interviews.
They also allegedly got rid of items to avoid prosecution. The group further face separate drugs charges.
Gachagan is finally accused of lewd behaviour towards another young girl in the mid-1990s in Glasgow's Townhead.Maureen Goudie, Steven McHendrie, Robert Brown, James McLean and Douglas Gachagan are also mentioned as being involved in a number of the charges.
But, the indictment states they are now "deceased".
Owens and Lannery, of Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, Brannan and Clark, of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Forbes of Townhead, Gallagher and Gachagan, of Maryhill, Watson, of Mount Vernon, all Glasgow deny the charges. Williams, of Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire as well as Laing, of Rutherglen, near Glasgow, also pled not guilty.
Carr, of Townhead, did not appear in the dock also pled not guilty through his defence counsel Brian McConnachie QC. Gallagher was excused from the dock during the hearing after taking unwell.
Judge Lord Beckett asked prosecutor Kath Harper about her eight-week trial estimate.
She replied: "It's extremely difficult [to tell] in this case.
"The recorded interviews will take three weeks - eight weeks is an estimate for the trial which I think will be maybe six weeks.”
Lord Beckett set an eight-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow for September next year.
A further hearing was also fixed for October.
SNP council leader resigns after being accused of sexual misconduct
Rachel Watson, Scottish Political Editor,
The Scottish Sun
17:48, 27 Jul 2022Updated: 17:49, 27 Jul 2022
AN SNP council leader has resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.
Jordan Linden yesterday apologised for his behaviour at a party in 2019 - accepting that he caused “a sense of discomfort”.
Linden was the leader of North Lanarkshire Council whose HQ is in Motherwell.
Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow
In a statement, the Nat councillor also cited concerns for his own mental health.
Mr Linden became head of North Lanarkshire council with a £45,000 salary just two months ago.
But, at the weekend, it was revealed that he had been accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards a young activist at a party in Dundee following a gay pride march.
Following publication of the story, the SNP insisted there had been no complaint made about Mr Linden.
However, yesterday the 27-year-old announced he would stand down as North Lanarkshire Council leader - but remain on as a councillor.
In a lengthy statement, Mr Linden said: “Although I have never approached any personal interaction with ill intent, I accept that my behaviour at that party in 2019 caused a sense of discomfort which I entirely regret.
“I offered my apologies to the person concerned at the time and the matter was closed.
“I reiterate that apology today. And in all that’s been said in recent days, the empathetic words from that individual have given me the most reassurance.”
Mr Linden claimed press coverage of the allegations had put “immense strain” on him personally and had “seriously affected” his mental health.
He added: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve in this role, and I remain proud that I was able to lead the Scottish National Party to administration in North Lanarkshire for the first time.
“I intend to continue to represent the people of Bellshill to the very best of my ability as a councillor, as I have done since first being elected in 2017. The privilege of representing my home town continues to be incredibly special to me.”
The allegations against Mr Linden date back to 2019 with claims he groped a teenager while drunk at a party.
That year Mr Linden was due to stand as an MP candidate in the general election. But four days after the alleged incident he announced he would not stand - despite being nominated.
Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: “Jordan Linden’s resignation and apology are at least a partial acknowledgement of the distress he caused and his responsibility for it. That is more than other SNP members have done in similar cases.
"But the issue here was never just about Mr Linden’s misconduct, but about the SNP’s reluctance to deal with serious allegations against senior party figures.”
In 2017, Mr Linden “stepped aside” after a probe into claims of inappropriate conduct at the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “This resignation was the right thing to do, but it doesn’t fix the rotten culture of secrecy and cover-up at the heart of the SNP.
“His apology makes it all the more appalling that the SNP hierarchy were so willing to close ranks to protect him.
“The SNP cannot keep looking the other way and letting their scandal-hit politicians call the shots.”
Last night a North Lanarkshire council spokesman said: “We can confirm that the chief executive has received a letter from Councillor Jordan Linden resigning his role as leader of the council.
“A new leader will be elected at a meeting of the council to be held in due course.”
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