Man jailed for rape of 12-year-old girl on Florida holiday
- Published
Matthew Mackie was jailed for 12 years after he was convicted of a series of sex offences
A man has been jailed for the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Florida 20 years ago
Matthew Mackie, 68, of Twechar, East Dunbartonshire, attacked her on a family holiday in Orlando in 2002.
The former solider was jailed for 12 years for the rape and attacks on a woman and a seven-year-old girl.
He was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow. Lady Stacey told Mackie he did not seem to "understand how serious" the crimes were.
The court heard that Mackie went on holiday with his partner to Florida in the summer of 2002.
The girl, who was also from Scotland, was staying at the same hotel with her family. Their families spent time together during the holiday.
The court was told that Mackie raped the girl in a bedroom at the hotel and continued to prey on her in Scotland.
'Making things up'
He promised her "pocket money" for working for him at a car wash in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, and took the girl on a trip to Arbroath where he had a holiday caravan.
The court heard that Mackie also repeatedly raped a former partner, who was just 17 when they met, between 1999 and 2004 in Wishaw and Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.
Mackie also abused a seven-year-old girl in Twechar between 2012 and 2019.
Mackie denied the charges, but was accused by prosecutor Angela Gray of "making things up as he goes along".
Defence QC Iain McSporran said: "My instructions are that he maintains his complete innocence."
Mackie was found guilty of raping the 12-year-old girl, raping and indecently assaulting his ex-partner and indecently assaulting the other young girl.
Judge Lady Stacey said: "When these things happen to children, it also has an effect on them later."
Mackie was also put on the sex offenders list indefinitely.