15-year-old jailed for raping schoolgirl

A 15-year-old boy was today jailed for four years for raping a schoolgirl who took her own life just weeks after he was convicted.

The boy, who was 14 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, will also serve a further three years under supervision.

He was found guilty last month of sexually assaulting Lindsay Armstrong, 17, near her home in New Cumnock, Ayrshire last September.

But the teenager struggled to come to terms with her ordeal and took a fatal overdose at her home on July 16 this year.

Sentencing the boy at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord McEwan said he posed "a risk to females particularly in sexual matters".

Before sentencing the boy, Lord McEwan expressed his sincere sympathies to the family of Lindsay Armstrong.

He then asked the boy, who was wearing a grey jacket, white shirt and grey tie to stand.

Addressing him, Lord McEwan said: "The various reports on you that I have received make depressing and bleak reading.

"You are clearly a young man with a great number of problems.

"You have been assessed as a risk to females particularly in sexual matters."

He added that the reports included a number of "other disturbing features".

In addition to his sentence Lord McEwan said the boy would be placed on the sex offenders register.

The 15-year-old stood impassive in the dock as he was sentenced.

The victim’s sister, Claire, 22, broke down in tears and was comforted by her parents, Linda and Frank.

After Lindsay's death her mother said her daughter was driven to suicide to "find peace".

The teenager was found in her own bed by her family on July 16 after taking an overdose of anti-depressants, given to her to help her get through the trial.

Mrs Armstrong, 39, said: "She was mentally and physically scarred by what happened and never got over it.

"She was determined to give evidence against him and for him to be found guilty as she didn’t want it to happen to anyone else.

"I think that taking her own life was the only way she could find peace."

She said Lindsay had a bright future ahead of her and just weeks before the attack had celebrated achieving eight Standard Grades, five with credit, from Cumnock Academy.

"After what happened to her, she became withdrawn and quit school. She wasn’t as loud as before and was scared to leave the house," explained Mrs Armstrong.

She added: "She wanted to go to the sentencing to see justice being done. She was obviously going through so much turmoil and felt she couldn’t take any more."

One of Lindsay’s favourite songs, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, was playing when she was found dead in her room.